When it comes to running a successful business, communication is key. Without open and accessible communication, assignment completion fails and misunderstandings occur.

Sunrise Packaging is all about communication, externally and internally. While e-mailing and visiting desk-to-desk and person-to-person is extremely important to our internal communications, we have adopted some alternative communications methods that may be of interest to you and your business as well.

• External Chat: The external chat system allows visitors to our Web site or our e-commerce site to have a live chat online with one of our customer service representatives. Any immediate questions that customers may have are addressed in a quick, friendly manner that saves customers time makes sure that they feel comfortable with the information they are receiving.
• Chat: One of our newest communications ventures is an internal chat system. With our external chat up and running smoothly, we determined that an internal chat would be desirable for quick questions and responses as well as clarifications and checking in on work progress. Since its implementation, our internal chat system has increased efficiency in quick messaging.

Effective communication increases work efficiency and productivity. It reduces errors and misunderstandings between both co-workers and customers. Cut down on waste by getting it right the first time with effective communication.

I recently came across a site for Zero Waste Week, which started on Monday and concludes this Sunday. All week long, people across the world have been making small changes in their lives to eliminate or reduce their amount of waste. By coming together and taking these small steps, we can reduce the amount of waste thrown into the landfills and become more environmentally-responsible.

Last year, they offered prizes and incentives for people who participated, but this year, they wanted to try something different. There are no incentives, because they want people to want to help the environment by reducing the amount of waste generated and sent to the landfills. This way, they hope for people to continue in their efforts long after Zero Waste Week is over, rather than just doing it now for a prize.

You can reduce waste by using durable, reusable packaging or by making sure that it is recyclable and made from recycled materials. We can all work on doing our part to reduce waste and help the environment. Have any ideas to reduce waste even more? Let us know!

Christmas is still months away, but Nestle is already thinking about their seasonal packaging and going green for the holidays. In the past, chocolate makers have often been known for wasteful and unnecessary packaging, especially for special seasonal promotions. This is the new target to work on, and Nestle is going at it.

According to Food Production Daily, Nestle will be making all of its Christmas selection custom boxes fully recyclable. One change they made was removing the plastic inserts that held the chocolate bars in place and replacing them with a card presentation tray. This way, the chocolate can still be nicely displayed in the custom box and be easily recycled when you are finished with it. This is one step for Nestle to be more environmentally-friendly in their packaging to reduce waste and address the concerns of their environmentally-conscious customers.

Pepsico has put its money where its mouth is when it comes to more environmentally-friendly packaging.

They have introduced Aquafina Bottled Water bottles that use 50% less plastic than before. While bottled water is not the most environmentally-friendly option, their new “Eco-Fina” bottle is a step in the right direction by reducing the amount of waste generated from plastic water bottles.

And their Frito-Lay division is launching a new compostable bag for SunChips Multigrain chips that will decompose in weeks in a compost. Frito-Lay is rolling out the launch of the new bag, and they anticipate it being the standard SunChips bag world-wide by Earth Day 2010.

When it comes to packaging, a different shape or size package can accomplish many things.

1. Use less materials to be more environmentally-friendly.  Cutting down on the amount of materials being used can play a huge impact, rather than simply switching materials.
2. It works better for the consumer.  Shorter boxes will fit in kitchen cupboards and pantries better by take up less room.
3. Using less materials can cut down on costs.
4. Differentiation can help your product stand out on the shelf over the competition.

(Picture found at: Packaging Matters)

In the above example, Kellogg’s is testing a box of a different shape.  It holds the same amount of cereal, uses less packaging material, fits into kitchen cupboards better, and it makes a great first impression.  This cuts down on costs and generates less waste to be more eco-friendly.

If it turns out that the box will also help little tykes spill less cereal on the table, Kellogg’s has really got a winning design!

When we think of being “green” and environmentally-friendly, we think of the 3 R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle.  TreeHugger showed some ways that companies are offering reusable packaging in a new way, in which the packaging is actually a part of the product itself.

With this product, lite2go by knoend, the clear packaging is actually the lampshade for the lamp:

This design, created by Tom Ballhatchet, utilizes the box that the TV is packaged in as a stand for the TV with shelves for your DVD cases or Blu-Ray cases:

With this laptop in a bag, HP won Wal-Mart’s Reduced Packaging Award for its Pavilion dv6929.  Instead of coming in a box with styrofoam inserts, this laptop comes in a reusable messenger bag (made from recycled fabric) with a few plastic bags inside to hold the parts.  With this design, HP was able to reduce the conventional packaging by 97 percent:

Steve Haslip designed the HangerPak, so that the packaging that holds the product can also be used for the product; the package transforms into a hanger for the t-shirt inside:

Although I’m not too keen on the idea of sitting on a cardboard chair, I do give props to David Graas for coming up with a line of flat packaging that can be put together into furniture:

These are all examples of how companies are encouraging customers to reduce waste by reusing the packaging of their products for other purposes.  By doing this and recycling when you are finished, you can be on your way to being more eco-friendly.

As we celebrate our nation’s holiday this year, let’s have fun and honor our country, without harming our environment.  The Environmental Blog provided 5 tips for a “green” 4th of July:

1.  Buy organic food. Support local farmers markets by buying their organic fruits and vegetables.  Buy local and cut down on transportation.  You could even shop with reusable shopping bags.

2.  Bust out the silverware. Avoid wasting paper plates, napkins, cups, and plastic utensils.  Save money by using your own plates and washing them.  If you must use disposable plates and cups, try to find biodegradable alternatives.

3.  Grill on the “green” side. Use a non-toxic cleaner on your grill. Cut back on grilling and carbon emissions by eating fresh veggies, or grill food that will cook quickly, such as thin meats, fish, marshmallows, or veggies.

4.  Buy “green” charcoal. Use 100% all-natural hardwood lump charcoal.  They don’t have any chemicals or fillers, they burn faster, and produce less ash.  This leftover ash from all-natural charcoal can be sprinkled around your plants to keep the bugs away.

5.  Substitute lighter fluid. Try using a chimney starter, instead of toxic lighter fluid.  They are inexpensive and you don’t have to worry about the toxic fluids cooking into your food.

Don’t forget to use these tips and add a little “green” to your red, white, and blue festivities this year.  Not only would you be more environmentally-friendly, but you could save money as well!

According to the New York Times, many studio companies are now using DVD cases that are smaller and lighter in weight to reduce their environmental impact, as well as save on costs.

Warner Home Video, the largest distributor of DVD entertainment, just started releasing all of its new and library titles in cases with 20 percent less plastic.  Some feature a thin layer of plastic, while others have cutouts in the walls.  One of the main forces is to lessen the load on the environment; it will reduce Warner’s home entertainment division’s carbon emissions by 31 percent.  Not only do these improvements help the environment, but they also cut costs for companies by using less raw materials and by spending less on shipping.  Companies are looking to save money wherever they can, especially in this struggling economy.

Warner is not the only studio making changes in DVD packaging.  Just last month, Sony Pictures Entertainment released their own 20 percent reduced DVD cases.  Walt Disney Company is also coming up with their own green home entertainment ideas.  And don’t forget that Disney, Century Fox, and Sony were the ones to really push the shift to Blu-Ray discs, in which cases have a 30 percent smaller impact on the environment.

Using lighter DVD packaging helps the environment by reducing waste and carbon emissions, while still storing and protecting your DVDs.  And don’t forget about the money you’ll be saving on raw materials and shipping!  Lighter DVD packaging could include DVD cases with cutouts in the walls, Blu-Ray cases, slim DVD cases, c-shells or square-shells.

With growing environmental concerns, we are constantly hearing the phrase, “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” This is especially apparent with shopping bags and wasted wrapping. According to a study by the Clean Air Council, the United States generates an extra five million tons of waste in the winter holiday months, four of which come from gift wrapping, gift bags, and shopping bags. That is an enormous amount of waste that could be reduced by using reusable materials.

If you are looking to help the environment and reduce waste from gift wrapping, we found the BOBO Wrapping Scarf online, which can do both for you. Not only are these wrapping scarves classy and fashionable, but they are also good for the environment. They are reusable and typically made from already existing fabrics, rather than wasting and using raw materials. I thought this wrapping scarf was a great green alternative to gift wrapping. It is reusable, durable, and stylish.

When you think about packaging any of your products, think of a reusable package that will last. At Sunrise, we make durable packaging, which you will not have to replace nearly as often, so you can help reduce waste. Many of our products are also made from recyclable, biodegradable or recycled materials, and we recycle all of our excess materials. So get out there, do your part to reduce waste, and help our environment.

Greenhouse environmental management – the green house provides businesses with tailored waste management programs to minimize their waste output and costs.

I came across a great ad campaign designed by Brunner for Zippo Manufacturing Co.  This collection of print ads brings perspective to the eco-conscious consumer.  It reminds people that for lighters, a refillable Zippo is the greener choice.  One lighter may not seem like much waste, but when you see these pictures, you can really see that it adds up in our landfills.

Their tagline, “Disposable.  Just another word for garbage.” can really get people thinking.  This was a very clever way to show how Zippo stands out from the competition of disposable lighters, and it reminds people to be more environmentally-friendly.

Zippo lighters are refillable and durable, making them guaranteed for life.  Just like that, we have our Dura Series of CD/DVD albums.  These long-lasting albums with extra reinforced spine hinges are made to withstand frequent opening and closing.  And since they are so durable, they happen to be our most popular library packaging product.  With the clear overlay and nickel-plated ring metals, these albums can be used over and over again.

Did you give up smoking and no longer have a need for your favorite Zippo lighter?  Reuse that lighter to make your own stylish USB drive.  Or if you have a few old BIC lighters laying around, you can turn those into USB drives, as well!  These designs make your USB drives more creative and fun, but don’t forget about USB flash drive cases to help store and protect your devices!