Peanuts and beer? Ha-ha good one, I got you! You thought it was the kind of peanuts you have with a nice cold beer on a hot summer day, right? Sorry It’s not that beer and peanut match up, it is the peanut and packaging match up. Have you ever opened a box to find hundreds of little pieces of foam and wondered why they are included? Majority of people find the tiny pieces of foam to be a nuisance. Try spilling them and it seems as if it’s the end of your world for the next five to ten minutes picking them up. They stick to everything, so annoying right? There are special do not include peanuts labels as a box filler to escape the mess these make. One can assume there is a bit of hate when it comes to this little guy in the packaging industry. Honestly these are not as bad as one might think, by the end of this blog you will better understand packing peanuts.
Peanuts are lightweight, economical, and provide effective cushioning for objects with a range of shapes and sizes. They help to keep the contents in the package from shifting around and are less expensive than other package cushioning alternatives. Generally, there are two different kinds of peanuts. At Colt Paper we care about the environment hence the reason we only carry environmentally friendly or biodegradable peanuts which as safe to eat as well but not part of a balanced diet.
Polystyrene packing peanuts are a form of plastic that is supremely light weight material (made up of ninety-eight percent air). This makes them great for shipping because the larger the weight the more expensive it is to ship. The main reason for adding them is to help protect against shock. When the package is being shipped, it often encounters some hazards such as being dropped or sudden stops in a truck. This can cause the contents to shift around and bang against the packaging, which could cause damage to the object inside the box.
Biodegradable packing peanuts are more eco-friendly being made of cornstarch and other plant-based materials. Due to this they break down quite quickly in water. This prevents them from getting lodged in the throats of aquatic animals. However, they do have their drawbacks. One of these is the fact that they are heavier, which increases costs of the shipping. Another is the increase in production costs, which is why most companies choose traditional polystyrene packing peanuts over plant-based ones.
Polystyrene or biodegradable both serve the same purpose it all comes down to budget and how you feel about the environment.
