Getting packaged delivered to your front door can be an exciting event. However, what we don’t spend a lot if any, time thinking about is everything that goes into shipping these packages to our homes. We’re all aware of shipping companies like UPS and FedEx, but have you ever thought about the very boxes in which your goods arrive? As you’ll read, creating these packing materials has often had a negative effect on the environment, but new scientific advances (such as Flexamix) are making the process more and more environmentally friendly.
The Problem
Corrugated board accounts for about half of the packaging for the world’s manufactured goods. Chances are, most of the boxes or shipping materials in your house at this moment are made of corrugated packaging, as it’s the preferred choice for even the most demanding industries. It’s lightweight and protects against the cold, humidity and mechanical resistance.
Unfortunately, the manufacturing of these materials is not very eco-friendly. In the preparation of the starch adhesive used by a corrugator, a vast quantity of wastewater is produced. Even further, this creates an expensive reliance on starch additives and a battle with starch consumption.
The Solution
After a successful growth period in Latin America, a new product called Flexamix is now available in the U.S. This product is a next-generation starch-mixing module with over 235 successful installations around the world. How does Flexamix change the problem we’ve been dealing with for years? Simply, it reduces starch consumption by eliminating starch additive use. This means you can achieve high pin numbers and use untreated corrugator and flexo wash water to make starch adhesive. More importantly, it can be used with any native pearl stretch – corn, tapioca, wheat or potato.
Additional Benefits
Corrugator plants will immediately see an increase in their environmental sustainability, in addition to seeing savings pile up from not having to treat water. Additionally, training personnel to use the Flexamix is simple, as is maintenance of the system itself, as all of the components are very similar to those typically used in U.S. corrugator plants. With savings adding up each month, you’re likely to see a turnaround in under a year. In fact, the documented savings in the U.S. are in the tens of thousands of dollars per month!
