Pregis Corp. is introducing a new look for protective packaging: black bubble air cushioning with up to 40 percent recycled content.
The new packaging, Astro-Bubble Renew, is available in two formats -- monolayer linear low density PE film with up to 25 percent recycled content and coextruded low density PE and nylon with up to 40 percent recycled content. Bubbles range from 1/8 inch to 1/2 in diameter.
The packaging gives brand owners a new way to extend their marketing message, said Daché Davidson, director of marketing for Pregis, by phone.
Marketing with packaging is very important and makes a lot of difference. "It's the first thing you see when you open that box," she said.
Pregis successfully launched green-hued bubble packaging with recycled content in 2008. Brand owners like the packaging because the color communicates sustainability.
Black is a more versatile look, Davidson said. It can convey high-end elegance when used to package products like jewelry or cosmetics, but with other products it has a tough and industrial feel.
Black packaging also allows Pregis to use more recycled content, so the packaging is good for the environment as well, she said.
Pregis is promoting the product to markets "across the board," from industrial supplies to jewelry. The packaging looks sleek and high-end, so it's a great fit for electronics, Davidson said. The black color can also serve as a theft deterrent, making it harder for people to see what's inside a package, she added.
Outside of marketing and sustainability boosts, Pregis says the packaging is durable and has high air retention properties, making it useful for performance-oriented applications.
Deerfield, Ill.,-based Pregis manufactures protective packaging for a variety of consumer and industrial applications. The company has 27 plants throughout North American and Europe.