Eco Friendly Gift Packaging from Nashville Wraps
Interview with Robby Meadows by Dennis Salazar of Inside Sustainable Packaging.
I often describe the world of packaging as being a mile wide and I operate in a narrow strip which is called secondary packaging where function is usually much more important than appearance.
My guest today, Robby Meadows, the founder and Marketing Director of Nashville Wraps works the other end of the same packaging world where function is of course important but much of the focus is on the esthetics.
Nashville Wraps is the leader in the area of decorative, retail and gift packaging and I am glad to announce they are now making our Globe Guard corrugated boxes available on their internet web store to all of their eco minded customers. I am equally pleased to introduce Robby to our readers.
DS: Robby, Nashville Wraps is over thirty years old so please give us your background and tell us how you got started.
RM: My background is in sales and graphics. The company started in 1976 during the time of polyester prints in women’s fashion. We found a source for the paper used to make those prints and turn it into repurposed gift wrapping paper. So you might say our first products were recycled/reclaimed paper.
DS: Give us an idea of the types of products people are likely to find on your store.
RM: An extensive array of decorative gift and gourmet food packaging, from gift wrap to bakery boxes.
DS: Tell us about your Green Way® product line and what led you to develop a private label brand of green products.
RM: We are astute trend watchers and saw the grassroots green movement coming many years ago. We knew it would stick since it wasn’t a government program. 🙂 Aside from that it just seemed the right thing to do and we led our suppliers and paper mills into changing their production.
DS: I believe your green initiative goes way beyond the products you sell. Can you please give us an idea of the other things you have done to make your company greener?
RM: Lots of things. Here are only a few: Refurbished our building with new efficient lighting, double insulation, bio-diesel capable generators (500kw), recycling for all refuse and for employees, recycling all corrugated boxes, using recycled packaging materials for shipping.
DS: Robby, one of the common interests we have is blogging and I appreciate your work. Please tell us a little about how long you’ve been at it and why you enjoy it so much?
RM: The Nashville Wraps blog site went up in January 2008. Having a 25 year old son I am experienced in communicating to people who do not listen. Seriously, it is a way for us to communicate informally with customers and say hopefully useful things that we could not put in the catalog or on our normal web content.
DS: Long term, where do you see decorative packaging’s place in the growing trend of sustainability?
RM: I believe that decorative packaging like other packaging products will go through a metamorphosis whereas the products become reusable, repurposable or at the very least recyclable and/or biodegradable. In other words it has to be reused in some way, redirected or break down into simpler, beneficial components.
DS: Robby, thank you for your time and the opportunity to introduce you to our readers.
Note: Nashville Wraps has reposted this blog with permission. Also see Inside Sustainable Packaging and of course Nashville Wraps.com
when i was the buyer for my previous store, our “about us” page listed the fact that 80% or more of all our plastic based gift wrap and bag supplies were recycled content, and recyclable, and that we used cotton, paper, and other wrapping products that were recycled whenever possible.
we also noted that we had a policy of buying “made in the usa” whenever the option was available.
we got a LOT of positive feedback from customers on that.
when we offered to wrap gifts purchased elsewhere (for a small fee) in our eco friendly (and pretty) packaging.. we got a LOT of customers who came in after shopping in the neighborhood. and many of them became OUR customers as well.
did i mention that almost all of our wrapping and packaging supplies were from Nashville Wraps?