Author Archives: Andrej Zivor

Recycling is even more important now

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This year has been a struggle for many countries in the world.  The economy has started to change to keep up with the new pandemic lifestyles that countries are falling into. This is causing lots of individuals to be forced to stay at home and that has led to lots more online shopping.  This means that businesses are buying more cardboard boxes than ever before.  They are also shipping more cardboard boxes more then ever. This has led to a huge issue with extra issues with recycling.

We are now cutting down millions of more trees this year to keep up with the traffic of online sales.  The insane amount of extra paper being needed is causing our world a lot off issues.  Rather you are eco-friendly or not we need to be aware of the waste we are making by using all these paper products.  It is possible to recycle and reuse the majority of these paper products and that can cut down on all the extra waist and belive it or not extra cost.

If you don’t have to plant and cut down all those extra trees then you can simply pay to get your recycled paper products instead. It is much cheeper to use recycle paper products and also cuts down on the actual waste that it causes.  Believe it or not those savings eventually get passed onto the regular consumer.  This can have even more of an impact these days as we are using more and more paper and shipping more and more.  When the costs goes down for us all we all win and the planet wins as well.  So I suggest being as eco friendly as you can be.

For my situation it means that I started to create a pile in the garage that each week I go out and break down boxes to be recycled.  Now personally I am an avid outdoorsman and love to break down boxes. This is because I am able to use my favorite knives and put them to work.  Yes, it is a hunting thing and it is great to practice in the off season for deer hunting and field dressing. I know that sounds a bit crazy, but the more practice makes me safe and helps the environment so that is my choice. 

When it comes to choosing the right knife for the breaking down of the boxes that is a difficult choice.  The first choice of most people is to use scissors.  This sounds safe and easiest but the problem is that cardboard is very hard on steel.  Your sciscors will be dull by the time you are done with a big pile of boxes.  This also leads to the issue of the grip.  You will likely have blisters by the end if you use the regular scissor handles.  So the option is to instead use a knife. 

Now not just any knife.  It is best to use a steel that is good and resistant to hard materials.  This means getting a steel that costs a little more than the rambo looking blades at Walmart. So spend a little more and get a quality knife with a steel that wont dull while cutting the first batch of boxes. Stay safe out there, keep washing your hands ,and try to recycle if you can.

Starting A Candy Business

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There are so many areas to think about when you are about to start a business.  The big business to get in is something that can be economic proof.  I have seen lots of companies really thrive when people are down on their luck in the economy and one such business is candy.  Being able to thrive and have a product that people will still buy in a recession is a smart way to think.  Have a product where a customer sees that beautiful candy box and knows that it is worth it even when they are low on money is important.  That is one of the reasons that people want to get into this business. So let’s go over a few things.

Marketing is a big deal when it comes to starting a company. If you are not able to get the word out about your company you are indeed doomed to fail.  Now this can be done in a multitude of ways.  In some cases having a deal beforehand of where to sell the product will be just as important.  The store can sell the candy if you are not able to build those relationships and even placement is huge.  Having your candy box be up front or on the right spot on the shelf can be the difference between life and death of the company selling products. So work on those relationships first before getting directly into advertising.

Another area is having the correct supply chain for your products. This can be from packaging to the boxes they are going to be shipped in.  If you have contracts in place beforehand and you know the quantity of product you will be making and shipping then you can accurately predict how much product you will need.  This means that you can find and place deals for the products at much discounted prices.  This can be super important when you are not running on cash flow but a credit that is limited.  So make sure you know what quantity you can and will be doing so you can rock at lowering costs.

One thing I can say is that if you are thinking about getting into this business you need to just jump in and do it.  I know I am talking about being cautious, but there is a greater chance of success by ;jumping in then just reading about it from afar. Best of luck!

The Pros and Cons of 4 Top Snack Food Packaging

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There are so many different packages available for snack food, and it is hardly possible to understand each of them in a vast ocean of the options to package snack foods. The following is to discuss the pros and cons of 4 top snack food packaging.

Flexible Pouches

The flexible pouches refer to the collection of various kinds of single-use containers made of plastics or foils. This kind of packaging is used typically for snacks and drinks. Its popularity rises due to the fact that it is resealable and has less impact on the environment. For snack food packaging, without a doubt, the flexible pouches are one of the most popular ones.

The Pros Of Flexible Pouches

  • Easy to source
  • Affordable
  • Full branding & graphic capabilities
  • Very low carbon footprint
  • Use little space in landfills
  • Resealable
  • Easy to open

The Cons Of Flexible Pouches

  • Impossible or hard to recycle
  • 1,000+ year average to fully degrade
  • Could affect the flavor of food or drink
  • Not viable for the luxury packaging applications
  • Low resistance to the extreme temperature during storage

 Paperboard Boxes

The paperboard boxes are also a popular option for snack food packaging. Paperboard boxes generally come with rectangular or square boxes, but less commonly come with others like hexagons or triangles. They could be made of 100% paperboard or mixed with other materials like small clear film windows to let consumers see the inside.

The Pros Of Paperboard Boxes

  • Full branding & graphic capabilities
  • Easy to source
  • Recyclable
  • Resealable
  • Easy to open

The Cons Of Paperboard Boxes

  • Higher carbon footprint
  • Costly
  • While recyclable, may end up in landfills because of contamination
  • Producing methane when in landfill

 Hard Plastic Container

The hard plastic containers are also another popular snack food packaging. This kind of packaging could come with various shapes as well as sizes, and it usually features the easy to open and pop-off lid. Most of them are made of easy to recycle plastics. The common snack foods packaged in the hard plastic containers are nuts, seeds, dried fruit, candy, chocolates, pretzels, snack mix, crisps, and many others.

The Pros For Hard Plastic Containers

  • Sturdy
  • Easy to source
  • Recyclable
  • Resealable
  • Easy to open

The Cons For Hard Plastic Containers

  • Costly
  • Expensive to ship
  • Higher carbon footprint
  • While recyclable, may end up in landfills because of contamination

 Glass Snack Containers

The glass containers are another top form for snack food packaging, but they are not as popular as the other kinds. Although this packaging has many shortcomings, glass is straightforward and easy to recycle. Also, glass presents an air of sophistication and luxury, which makes it very popular for gourmet as well as luxury snack food brands.

The Pros for Hard Glass Containers

  • Sturdy
  • Easy to source
  • Luxurious
  • Easy to open
  • Recyclable
  • Resealable

The Cons For Glass Containers

  • Expensive
  • Prone to cracking & breaking
  • Very high carbon footprint
  • Very expensive to ship
  • While recyclable, may end up in landfills because of contamination
  • Use excessive space in warehouse

Packaging vs Blister Packaging

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Do you struggle with determining the difference between skin packaging and blister packaging as well as which one to use when? This is a common concern. No matter if you’re the packaging buyer, supply manager, or business owner your product packaging questions will be answered here.

The two packaging types have been in use for many years and they are very similar to each other when it comes to appearance and makeup. However, they are used for very different products. One example would be skin packaging is more commonly used for seafood while a blister pack would house the filet knife used to cut the fish.

BLISTER PACK

The basic structure of a blister pack consists of:

Blister board – A backing material made of paperboard that can be pre-printed with the product info, company name, brand, pricing, description, or whatever you’d like to showcase. There are occasions when the blister board is made of an alternate material like aluminum (typically seen with medications), however, paperboard is most commonly used.

· Blister – Typically a plastic container that comes pre-formed to house the product between itself and the blister board. It was given the name “blister” as it resembles a raised blister one might get on a hand or foot.

Examples of everyday items that come in blister packs are flash drives, toys, over the counter medications, and many others.

SKIN PACK

Frequently confused with the blister pack, a skin pack also has a board and plastic cover. Unlike the blister pack, skin packaging is sealed with a vacuum sealer, forming a tight bond around the product.

Once sealed, the products are ready to ship, or they can undergo an additional step to remove excess packaging material with a machine called a die-cutter.

Once these steps are completed, the finished product is completely contained in the skin pack, surrounded by a special film.

WHICH PACKAGING SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

In order to determine the appropriate packaging for your product, you’ll need to answer a few questions.

Q. Do you need to get the products in stores quickly?

A. Blister packs are a quicker option as they require fewer steps in the sealing process.

Q. Is the product a perishable food item?

A. Skin packs are by far the best packaging option in this instance.

Q. Are there pointed or sharp edges on your product?

A. Choose a sturdy blister pack here.

Q. What can you afford to spend on the packaging?

A. Blister packaging requires less equipment and is therefore a more cost-effective option for those on a stricter budget.

THE DIFFERENCE

Skin packaging uses a thin layer of surlyn film and a vacuum sealer to tightly attach the product to the backing board and it is often used for easily spoiled food items. Blister packs have a hard plastic cover called a “blister” to house the product and do not need vacuum sealing to attach it to the board which makes this a cheaper and quicker option.

Armed with this information and your answers from above, you should be able to determine the best packaging option for your products and your company.

Cardboard Box Forts for home

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One of the most fun and cool things I have seen was a castle built out of the good old fashion moving boxes.  I was instantly brought back to the feeling of being a child and wanted to instantly go play. 

Luckily, I am also able to live those feelings through my family.  But what amazed me the most was the absolute size of this piece and then realizing that many people live in cardboard boxes every day made it very emotionally complicated to realize that what I was thinking of a child’s play toy was actually someones home. So I wanted to make a way for people who had to live in these items to actually have a great template to survive and thrive on the budget they have. 

So first and foremost if you need to live in a your own box fort then you have to have material in order to do it.  I want to make sure people know that they can ask companies for boxes but know that they crush and recycle every day and night so you have to get them at the right time.  Go to your nearest big box store and ask for cardboard boxes and then ask what time of day is best to get them.  Then ask for the shipping boxes specifically.  These shipping boxes are going to be made for corrugated paper and that means it is more insulated and thought than a regular box.

Now where you are going to end up spending some money is the tape or sealant to seal up the boxes in order to make them wind and more waterproof.  I also suggest using plastic bags to create  kind of roof.  But you can also go to hardware stores and find used and broken shingles to help make an actual roof. This is another ask for broken and unsellable shingles in the building supplies department and many of the times you will find they are more than happy to help. Most manager will even make sure you get what you need.

But don’t be afraid to ask and don’t be afraid to be told no.  Not everyone has a heart and many young people simply do not know enough hardship to have mercy.  So you may need to ask at a few different stores. But know that Lowes and HOme depot like to be right next to each other for sales purposes so if you are at one the other is usually close by!