Since entering the grocery trade a few months back, and having to do everything from cashier to stock, I've become intimately familiar with boxes. Boxes, boxes, boxes.
A couple things I've noticed: Many cereals and most paper products like toilet paper and paper towels come in boxes that only cover four sides...leaving a rectangular opening at two ends that's just small enough to prevent errant product from falling out. It probably saves about 10% in corrugated board, so that's a good thing. But...they're pretty much useless for anything else. So, off to the baler they go for recycling.
Also, more & more products are being shipped in cardboard flats & then shrunk in plastic for shipping. Obvious material savings, and easily recycled.
But...I've noticed a few intriguing things as well:
Right now, Hungry Jack is shipping display combo packs of both pancake mix & syrup. These are packed in heavy double-wall corrugated boxes measuring 21"Wx19"Dx12"H...perfectly-sized for vault-like shipping of turntables and various components. Ask your neighborhood grocer if they're received any of these and if they'd set some aside for you.
2# bags of brown & powdered sugar (at least Crystal & our store brand) are shipped in stout single-wall corrugated boxes measuring 18"Wx12"Dx6"H. A tad small for some items...but would make excellent inner boxes for some uses.
The most interesting item I've run across comes out of the produce department. Columbine Vineyards in CA ships their green & red table grapes in 2-part foam shippers measuring 24"Wx16"Dx5 1/2"H. The foam's about 3/4" thick, and either as-is or with some modification would be excellent inner boxes for component shipping. Other growers besides Columbine may use the same type of foam shippers so check with the produce department.
A couple things I've noticed: Many cereals and most paper products like toilet paper and paper towels come in boxes that only cover four sides...leaving a rectangular opening at two ends that's just small enough to prevent errant product from falling out. It probably saves about 10% in corrugated board, so that's a good thing. But...they're pretty much useless for anything else. So, off to the baler they go for recycling.
Also, more & more products are being shipped in cardboard flats & then shrunk in plastic for shipping. Obvious material savings, and easily recycled.
But...I've noticed a few intriguing things as well:
Right now, Hungry Jack is shipping display combo packs of both pancake mix & syrup. These are packed in heavy double-wall corrugated boxes measuring 21"Wx19"Dx12"H...perfectly-sized for vault-like shipping of turntables and various components. Ask your neighborhood grocer if they're received any of these and if they'd set some aside for you.
2# bags of brown & powdered sugar (at least Crystal & our store brand) are shipped in stout single-wall corrugated boxes measuring 18"Wx12"Dx6"H. A tad small for some items...but would make excellent inner boxes for some uses.
The most interesting item I've run across comes out of the produce department. Columbine Vineyards in CA ships their green & red table grapes in 2-part foam shippers measuring 24"Wx16"Dx5 1/2"H. The foam's about 3/4" thick, and either as-is or with some modification would be excellent inner boxes for component shipping. Other growers besides Columbine may use the same type of foam shippers so check with the produce department.
