Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with green and paper

How to be a "greener" at packaging?

colecovizion — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:38:34 -0800

"Greener" Packaging - My company is trying to be better reducing our packaging costs and waste. Currently, we use a lot of foam and cardboard boxes. What have you seen that works? Lots more inside My company is trying to be better reducing our packaging costs and waste. Currently, we use a lot of thin foam rolls and cardboard boxes.

Our products are custom, so size and weight can vary dramatically (1lb to 50lbs per part). A typical part would be made of metal or plastic. Scratches or dents to the part can make it unusable.

As a start, I'm thinking there is a good opportunity to use shredded paper as product packaging for our lighter products (3lbs or less). My initial thought is to get a high powered shredder and use the shreds. However, I don't want there to be an explosion of shreds, so they'd have to be encapsulated somehow.What's the best way to use shredded paper as product packaging? Should I use plastic bags, cardboard, etc? Does a particular type of shred (diamond, crinkle, etc) make better packaging?

Instead of using cardboard boxes, I'm looking into reusable plastic crates with dividers for local deliveries. This way we won't have to package parts individually and eliminate the need for cardboard and foam.

Are there any other innovative ways your company has used to reduce packaging waste and cost? What websites would you recommend for helping a small business to get "greener"?

Thanks!

Have 125 romance novels. What can I BUILD them into?

Quarter Pincher — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:47:53 -0800

RedGreenShowFilter: I've got a bunch of crisp paperback romance novels I've scavenged from dumpsters around town, and I'd rather turn them into something than read or try selling them. What can I build using them? I'm thinking clear box tape instead of duct, so the corny covers will still be visible. Bonus points for something handy. There's about 125 of them, at 4.25" x 6.25 " x (varying thickness, avg .75"). I can get hundreds more at local used book shops for less than $.50 each.

No idea too crazy, as long as it's feasible with 125 books, or more within reason.

That pretty much eliminates a giant Gundam, alas.

Why do we recycle paper?

jbickers — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:27:08 -0800

Why do we recycle paper? I totally understand the recycling of glass and plastic and all that. But I need to understand why we recycle paper. Doesn't it - quite literally - grow on trees? If we discard it and bury it in the ground, doesn't it break down? Why do we need an industrial process - which seems infinitely more ugly and harmful - to get rid of a naturally occurring substance?

The smarter part of me thinks the answer might be in the ink and the printing process, and the cynical side of me thinks we've been lied to by people who have some kind of interest served by building big recycling facilities, rather than exploring bio-safe inks. But there must be something I'm missing here ... isn't there? Is there some factor I'm not factoring in?

I've watched both Al Gore and Penn & Teller; I've read propaganda on both sides of the issue. Logical explanations (and corresponding links) are earnestly welcomed.

Green office products that aren't in bulk?

bristolcat — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 08:36:31 -0800

Easiest and greenest way to put together a gift kit of green home office supplies? My sister-in-law has recently become interested in living green and at the same time is starting down a slightly different career path. I'd like to give her a kit of office supplies with a green theme for Christmas (my brother assures me this is something she'd love). I'm thinking a few pens, folders, a notebook or two, a planner and maybe tape or a stapler. I've even seen a USB drive that was promoted as green, which was pretty cool. For the sake of the theme, I'd like it if it looked recycled or the packaging promoted the fact that it was green.

Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time finding these things locally. Research online has led me to some cool products but shipping time is a concern and lots of online office supply stores assume you're buying in bulk. I want just enough to get an individual started with a budget of about 35 dollars for a nice kit (probably excluding the planner) or 50 dollars for a spectacular kit. I also want to do this the greenest and most efficient way possible and not have to have things shipped from several different stores.

I've become enamored with these products:
-Staple-less stapler
-Pilot's BeGreen Pens
-Recycled notepads, binders, folders and CD holders like these

What is the best way to find and put together these items? Are there any cool items I don't know about? I'd like to shop locally, of course, but I'm in small town South Dakota and the only options we have are big box stores, Office Max and Staples.

I found and loved Frog File but they only ship to Canada. Other online green office stores seem to be bulk goods only or don't have products that "scream" green.

I know this is an awkward and difficult question, so any help at all would be appreciated.

Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with green and paper

How to be a "greener" at packaging?

Have 125 romance novels. What can I *BUILD* them into?

Why do we recycle paper?

Green office products that aren't in bulk?

Have 125 romance novels. What can I BUILD them into?