Non-biodegradable packaging waste reduction is now high on every manufacturing and distribution company’s agenda, but for eco-friendly packaging to be truly viable it must be equal in terms of cost-efficiency and performance to the products it will replace.
Southgate has launched a recognition scheme – the Green High Five – to highlight its products that offer one or more of five criteria: sustainable, recyclable, reusable, biodegradable and waste reductive.
Carton sealing
Made from sustainably-sourced softwood and vegetable starch adhesive, Tegrabond® water activated tapes don’t need to be separated when recycled with used corrugated cartons and are easily biodegrade.
They are also more cost-effective and perform better than plastic tapes. It’s no coincident that the world’s largest fulfilment companies now use them instead of plastic tapes.
If you like the idea of a greener packing tape but need the versatility of a hand dispenser, Pacplus® offer two alternatives – ECO-X self-adhesive kraft paper tapes and MSK masking tapes – both made from natural wood pulp and environmentally-friendly hot melt adhesive. Both compatible with standard 75mm core dispensers and offering excellent tearability, ECO-X is the better option for permanent case taping while MSK provides a temporary, resealable bond.
Pallet wrapping
Plastic stretch wrapping film is a major contributor to packaging waste. Southgate helps companies reduce the amount of film they use, or even stop using it altogether.
Power pre-stretch pallet wrappers such as the Optimax® PSW002 turntable and RSW6 robot can slash film usage by up to 75%.
If combined with Kraftek® edge boards to protect the edges of the pallet load from chafing, Safeguard® strapping can entirely replace film, resulting in a drastic reduction in waste plastic. Transpal® anti-slip sheets have a high-friction coating that further increases pallet stability and reduces the amount of strapping needed.
Void fill
X-FILL® and X-PAD® create high-bulk, low-compressibility void fil and padding material from sustainably-sourced kraft paper.
Biofilm™ home-compostable film is a thoroughly green alternative to conventional plastic air pillow void fill, made from waste by-products of the potato processing industry. It performs equally as well as conventional film, but when added to a compost heap it rapidly disintegrates to water, carbon dioxide and minerals.
Optimax® shredders convert used corrugated cartons to free, on-demand void fill that extends the useful life of the cardboard and saves on the cost of buying specially- manufactured void fill products.
Download the ‘How Green Are You?’ supplement here
All Southgate products can be seen on www.packagingbrands.eu.com and your nearest Southgate approved distributor can be confirmed by calling 01553 69 2969.