Committed to replacing plastic foam, the client needed a cushioning solution that could meet or exceed the protection offered by their previous packaging, while also being more sustainable. The ideal solution would also need to be easy to work with, easy for their end-customers to recycle, and to demonstrate its effectiveness so that packers could adopt it with confidence.
A family-owned nursery with a long history of successful operations
They committed to improving their sustainability profile through packaging optimizations across their two-facility footprint. While their aim is to help customers cultivate their gardens with the highest quality plant material, care instructions, and customer service, they also pride themselves on delivering exceptional products and support to experienced gardeners and newcomers alike. From the expertise and selections they provide in store, to the packaging they use for their products, their emphasis on customer service is thoughtful and intentional.
Customer needs
Quality protection
Recyclable materials
While the garden center historically used expanding foam in bags to provide cushioning for clay pots, some of which are up to 80 lbs, they sought to remove plastic from all of their packaging across their two-facility footprint.
Versatile solutions
In order to meet the requirement to remove plastic from all packaging, the client would also need to replace other solutions including bubble on demand for box lining and air pillows for void fill, however their work with Ranpak was initially focused on providing a cushioning solution that could stand up to their heaviest and most fragile products.
Our solution
Ranpak began testing a solution to cushion six different clay pots shipped to the Packaging Engineering department. Once there, six different recipes were programmed into the PadPak® Auto-Coiler system, allowing the correct sequence of strong paper cushioning coils to be dispensed at the touch of a button for each type of pot. Ranpak’s team members then trained the packaging staff on site, visiting several times over the course of the rollout to ensure that all needs were met. Over the course of adoption, more applications that could be managed with paper packaging were identified and tested.
The WrapPak® Protector solution was used to replace bubble on demand used to line boxes while shipping bulbs and plants. The FillPak TT® Cutter solution was brought in to replace the use of plastic air pillows for void fill applications. Ranpak ultimately installed a base of five FillPak TT® Cutters using Greenline 43lb paper and the same product in two WrapPak® Protectors to minimize the number of SKUs on site and to keep things simple for packing staff.
Business results
Increased protection with reduced costs
Thanks to testing and hands on training sessions, the client found that Ranpak’s paper cushioning solutions would protect their products better than foam while realizing cost savings of over 35% compared to their legacy solution.
Full replacement of plastic with sustainable paper packaging
Seeking more sustainable alternatives to their legacy plastic solutions, the client was able to successfully replace all the plastic packaging products in both of their buildings after consulting with Ranpak on the best fits for their needs.
Continued partnership
Now that the partnership with Ranpak has lasted several years, Ranpak still visits the site to ensure that all customer needs are being met and regularly consults in case there are other application requirements that are encountered while serving their clients.
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