The oldest packing material in the world is probably straw, which used in crates and the backs of wagons from the ancient times until as recently as the very early 20th century. If we’re looking for the second most common packing material, that would have to be paper. Even if we’re just talking about wadded-up newsprint, some form of paper packaging has been protecting everything from sandwiches to works of art for hundreds of years. Paper packing material took a bit of backseat in the last few decades as foam and plastic products took over the packaging market, but as a company that loves finding new ways to help our customers meet their packaging needs, there’s a new development that’s got us pretty excited.
For a good example of what we’re talking about, check out this video for Pregis’ Easypack system.
It’s one of those ideas that’s so ingeniously simple you have to wonder why you haven’t seen it before. This simple system lets you create durable, lightweight packaging for nearly any mid-sized object. There are so many reasons that we’re fired up about this development that we’re going to need some bullets to sort them out, so here we go:
Speed
In a three-minute video you watch them load the raw material, select the packaging type, produce the material and then stuff it in a box! And half of the video was cool graphics and glamour shots of the machine. It’s hard to get a faster packing process than that.
It’s just rolls of paper
It’s not a fancy polymer or a precision-cut, space-age substance. It’s just rolls of brown paper. It’s hard to imagine how it could be any simpler.
One person did it all
Did you even see a second human in that video? And how small is that machine? You could just stick it in a corner and wheel it out when it’s time to start loading boxes.
Recyclability
They didn’t specifically mention this, but you don’t have to be Al Gore to know that it’s pretty easy to recycle paper. The sustainability of this product is completely obvious, and your customers will see it too.
Simple customization
Changing the crinkle-density (we just made that up – it’s not a technical term) with a turn of the knob means that not only do you get custom cushioning each time, but you’re also going to use less paper for lighter objects. How many times have you used the same foam or air-packing for heavy objects and light objects? This is going to make sure that your packaging dollars are used more responsibly every time.
It might seem that we’re paid spokesmen for Pregis, but what we’re really excited about is having a new solution to offer our customers. When packaging becomes simpler, or cheaper, or more convenient, that means that our customers are able to offer quicker delivery times, lower prices, or higher quality to their clients, who in turn provide more business. It’s definitely a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats sort of situation, and we can’t wait to put it to work.
What can this do for your operation? If you’d like to see if the Packmaster or any other solution can help you to better serve your customers, get in touch with WIC and let’s explore your options!