Here at Plus Packaging  we are concerned about our environment.  We continue to strive to make more                                          eco-friendly  products.   Now  we’d like to share some  green spring cleaning tips, less harmful to our planet, 

• Distilled white vinegar (sold in the cooking section of most supermarkets)
• Baking soda
• Olive oil
• Borax (sold in a box in the laundry aisle)
• Liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s brand, found in most natural foods stores)
• Essential oils (super concentrated natural plant oils found in natural foods stores, usually in the cosmetics section)
• Microfiber cleaning cloths
• Newspaper

Here are a few basic “recipes” and techniques to get you started:

• Glass: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar with 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. Spray on glass and wipe clean with old newspaper or a lint-free cloth.
• Countertops and bathroom tile: Mix 2 parts vinegar and 1 part baking soda with 4 parts water. Apply with a sponge, scour, and wipe away.
• Floors: Mix 4 cups of white distilled vinegar with about a gallon of hot water. If desired, add a few drops of pure peppermint or lemon oil for a pleasant scent. After damp mopping the floors, the smell of vinegar will dissipate quickly, leaving behind only the scent of the oil.
• Wood furniture: Mix equal parts of lemon juice and olive and oil. Apply a small amount to a cloth, and rub onto the furniture in long, even strokes.
• Toilet bowl cleaner: Sprinkle a toilet brush with baking soda and scrub away! Occasionally disinfect your toilet by scrubbing with borax instead. Wipe the outside of the toilet clean with straight vinegar.
• Disinfectant: Mix 2 teaspoons borax, 4 tablespoons vinegar, 3 cups hot water, and 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap. Wipe on with dampened cloth or use a spray bottle. Wipe clean.
• Mold and mildew: Wipe with straight vinegar.
• Air freshener: Sprinkle essential oil on a cotton ball, and stash it in a corner of the room. If you have kids, make sure it is out of their reach as essential oils are very strong and could irritate their skin. Lavender is a relaxing scent that is great for bedrooms, and cinnamon, clove, and citrus oils are great for the rest of the house. You can stash a few in the car too—try peppermint, which may help you to stay alert.

For 34+ years we have been serving industry and retail with packaging choices. Our blogs have been well received, and our social media program continues to grow. The internet did not exist when we started, neither did fax machines. Through the years we have refined our business…primarily concentrating on printed bags and printed packaging tape. “Green Packaging” is a big focus today….there are many considerations with printed bags:

Have we been underestimating the energy saving potential of the bag? In the quest to cut down on the use of plastic bags and paper bags, many of us have turned to reusable shopping bags made of nylon or canvas to tote our groceries. If you’ve tried out these reusable shopping bags, you’ve no doubt realized that you can fit many times more items into these bags.

The  question you have to ask yourself is: “Does the cost of these bags make sense?” and “Do people really re-use them? Or do they sit in the trunk of the car, closet, or basement?”

Clients have to weigh the cost of these bags vs. printed plastic bags or printed paper bags.

At Plus Packaging Inc. we offer many options, and many green-friendly options. Our art consultants can help you with colors, layouts, and design, many times at no cost to our customers.

Our goal at Plus Packaging Inc. for 34+ years has been to be a reliable “Single Order Source”, and with our blogs, website information, and continued research into new products, have made us, hopefully, a good choice for your company. 

Planning to pack up your house and move can be very overwhelming.  Here are a few suggestions to help the environment while you move to your next home.

1. Give cartons to a friend for their move or bring them to the recycling center.
2. Before throwing out your “things” that are not coming with you to your next house try to sell them on ebay or donating them to charity.
3. Use environmentally friendly paint with no VOCs in your next home.
4. Use old newspapers to cushion your fragile items.
5. Use eco friendly packaging tape that does not contain solvents & hydrocarbon which can be harmful to users & environment.
6. And most importantly, when you have your thank you party for all of your friends that helped you move, send them home with a bottle of wine in a reusuable wine tote.