Games with recycled cardboard

Children love to play and create, and sometimes they have more fun playing with boxes than with their contents. That's why it's easy to make simple games out of paper boxes that would otherwise be thrown away. Let's see together how to recycle cardboard and create some simple, fun games.

The first game we suggest is tic-tac-toe with caps and cardboard. Simply take a piece of cardboard and 6 plastic caps. Then draw a grid on the cardboard and border the outside of the whole cardboard sheet. You can then decorate the caps, remembering to make three identical ones for each type. And now everything is ready to play!

Another game that children love is dominoes. Take a sheet of cardboard and draw many rectangular shapes of the same size. Then color them in with paint or marker pens, making lots of unique tiles. Then divide the tiles equally between the players, who must attach them by joining the same color. 

You can also use a cardboard box to make a maze. All you need to do is take a cardboard box and lots of little pieces of straw. Glue the pieces of straw together with hot glue and then take the marbles to play the maze. 

For children who love musical instruments, it is possible to build a guitar out of cardboard. Shape the cardboard with 4 identical guitar parts to make the body and neck of the guitar. You can then decorate the guitar by coloring the various pieces. Next, make four holes equally spaced on the neck and the body and stretch elastic bands to act as strings. And now you have a wonderful toy guitar.

There are so many different types of cardboard toys that can be made. All you need is a little patience, imagination, and creativity. Have fun building new toys with your children, recycling paper for a waste-free and greener world!

 

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 A new packaging for pasta

Large retailers are catching up with the times, and plastic bags for pasta packaging are gradually disappearing. Instead, the preferred material is now paper, particularly recycled paper. 

 

Many companies have started to raise awareness as an environmental campaign. They are experimenting with new packaging solutions for their Made in Italy products in order to receive a positive assessment from the recycled paper industry, which rewards the reduced use of glues, lacquers, and surface treatments. All this, to offer a more sustainable and green product. 

Among the brands that have adopted this type of ecological packaging, some have already won prestigious awards. 

 

Granoro organic pasta has a rustic-looking package made mainly of paper, coupled with a thin layer of plastic. The 80% prevalence of paper makes the packaging recyclable. The paper used for this pack is Fsc certified. This certification guarantees that the raw material used comes from forests where strict environmental, social, and economic standards are respected.

Thanks to this choice, Granoro claims to have achieved a 35% reduction in plastic consumption, out of annual production of 4 million recyclable packs for the entire organic line. Granoro was the winner of the pasta category of the first edition of the Ecopackaging Awards.

 

Another brand awarded at the Bando Prevenzione Conai 2017 is Bioplast Srl, which also produces packaging for the food sector. Thanks to the paper packaging of Pezzullo pasta, this company has seen a 27% reduction in weight, resulting in a significant saving in raw materials used.

The paper and PLA packaging have been lightened and this has led to a substantial reduction in the consumption of water resources associated with the production of raw materials and their subsequent processing. Furthermore, thanks to this sustainable choice, there has been a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of energy resources. 

 

These are just two examples of the many companies that, to this day, are setting out to create sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging without compromising on quality. 

 

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 The power of a tree

Have you ever asked yourself what can a tree do?

• It combats climate change: it absorbs CO2 and releases oxygen. Think that an acre of trees absorbs the same amount of CO2 that you produce if you drove your car 26,000 miles;
• It cleans the air and provides oxygen: in one year an acre of trees can provide oxygen for 18 people;
• It conserves energy: if you plant trees in a strategic position in the garden of your home, you reduce the demand for energy required to cool your home. The same story is for the streets of the city;
• It saves water: its shade slows water evaporation from thirsty lawns. 
• It protects skin from ultra-violet rays: skin cancer is the most common cancer due to ultra-violet rays. Trees reduce UV-B exposure by about 50%;
• It creates work opportunities: trees provide more than 86 million green jobs;
• It provides habitat for wildlife: oak and sycamore provide habitat for animals;
• It increases business traffic: studies show that the more trees a business district has, the more business will flow in. A tree-lined street slow traffic. 

According to FAO, forests cover 31% of the global land area.

The total forest area is 4.06 billion hectares, but it is not equally distributed around the world.

93% of the world's forest area is made up of naturally regenerating forests, which regenerate without human intervention. Only 7% of trees have been planted by man.

Besides, the increase in deforestation reduces the number of trees. Since 1990, 420 million hectares of forest have been lost by conversion land to other use.

But deforestation persists. Agriculture expansion is the main problem associated with the loss of forest biodiversity.

The biggest transformational change is needed in the way in which we produce and consume food. We should avoid wasting food and an insane diet. 

However, there is something positive. In Africa and South America, trees are planted in large quantities. In Europe and Italy, the rate of deforestation is falling.

Reforestation is also a duty for companies.

For example, UP2YOU is a start-up founded in Milan in 2019. It is targeted at accommodation facilities such as hotels, B&Bs, which care about the protection and preservation of the environment.

Hoteliers must embrace change: eliminate plastic, separate waste, have energy efficiency, and even 0km products.

When the guest arrives at the room, he will find a mini-guide explaining the sustainable behaviors to follow.

If customers decide not to have their room cleaned, they participate in reducing the environmental impact. The service staff will then leave a card with which they can plant a tree for one of their deforestation projects.  

We are late in reaching the goal of halting deforestation, but we can reverse these negative trends.

BOTTA Packaging cares a lot about the health of trees and tries day after day to combat waste. 

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 Superga's shoebox

Many footwear brands are pursuing their green efforts on several fronts, from the use of renewable energy in production to the selection of environmentally friendly materials. The classic shoebox, which has always been characterized by its essential design, is being revamped according to these trends: reduction of over-packaging and use of recycled materials, or materials that facilitate the reuse, recovery, or recycling of packaging. This trend particularly affects paper and cardboard, the use of which focuses not only on the use of recycled and recyclable fiber but also on the use of paper from sustainable management (FSC).

Minimum standards have been identified by the European Ecolabel which provides a useful reference for adapting production to sustainable industry standards. These include specific criteria for footwear packaging that confirm the use of recycled material.

Among the many brands that have decided to innovate by creating new solutions instead of the old and usual shoebox is Superga. The winner of the 2nd award "PACKAGINGS & ALTERNATIVES REMARQUABLES" is the Superga shoebox, considered for its concept: "easy to understand" and "easy to use". The primary packaging is integrated with the transport bag by means of a cord handle. The box consists of a shell and an internal drawer that allows the product to be protected and stored and, once purchased, to be reused (new stackable arrangement). It is made of cellulose pulp, a biodegradable material. This new invention from Superga makes the shoebox completely biodegradable and reusable. And this is what we need more and more: famous brands reinventing themselves by creating new green solutions with a lower environmental impact. 

 

On this occasion, Superga has managed to create not only a new fashionable and aesthetically pleasing box but also an innovative solution to the paper waste and overpacking present in many shoeboxes.

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 Sustainability in packaging

Sustainability for the packaging sector has become an increasingly central issue. Studies on the habits before and after the health emergency caused by covid-19 reveal three main factors.

The first factor is hygiene: after the start of the pandemic, consumers place much more value on food safety and hygiene. This meant that during the first period of the pandemic, hygiene concerns were prioritized over the use of sustainable packaging and the use of single-use packaging prevailed.

Secondly, in the second phase of the pandemic, it appeared that consumers increasingly considered the issue of sustainability. Europe and Japan put marine litter first, while Asian countries and America put pollution first. What is relevant is that a large majority of consumers said they would be willing to pay a higher price for sustainable packaging. Sustainability has become a global phenomenon and there is continuous innovation in packaging that is being designed to improve its recyclability. 

Thirdly, most consumers do not agree on which packaging is the most sustainable even though they do agree on which are the least sustainable options. Paper-based cartons are considered very sustainable. So is glass. Compostable plastic films are also considered sustainable. As for the least sustainable packaging, packaging that combines plastic, paper, and aluminum foil is considered the worst. 

Given these figures, packaging suppliers should increasingly focus on creating sustainable packaging. Only through sustainable packaging will they be able to grow, given consumer preferences. BOTTAPackaging strives every day to offer environmentally friendly packaging. Thanks to the use of corrugated cardboard, BOTTA Packaging's packaging is 100% recyclable, biodegradable, and produced from renewable sources. This enables them to offer a sustainable, pioneering product that keeps pace with consumer demands.

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A NEW SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION: ECO-SELF SEAL CARBOARD by BOTTA Packaging

 

As we all know, the battle for environmental sustainability is now at the center of the market trend, and consumers are paying more and more attention to this theme. Therefore, companies should commit themselves to meet the expectations of their customers, both for their survival and the planet. So, also during the distribution, we should focus on this issue, starting with the packaging.

At BOTTA Packaging we have always had a particular attention on this topic, offering products that are both innovative and sustainable. 

In BOTTA Packaging’s family products, the latest one is Eco-Self Seal Cardboard. The perfect packaging solution for all cylindrical products, such as bottles or flasks.

Because of our attention and our philosophy on offering eco and sustainable products, Eco-Self Seal Cardboard is an eco-friendly product as well. It is made of recycled paper, its paper is recyclable and its adhesive is natural-based, which is used to make up the packaging.

One of its main features, is its ease of use: the sides of the sheet adhere to each other, thanks to the glue, by a slight pressure, making the packaging process faster and optimized. 

Eco-Self Seal Cardboard is a perfect product if you are looking for a solution that is not only sustainable but that also protects your products: thanks to its adherence to the product, it guarantees stability during transport, preventing it from slipping or moving around inside the packaging and getting damaged.

Its shape and design, make it very suitable, which is why it can be used to hold products from many industry sectors, such as pharma, beauty, food & beverage, and many others.

Eco-Self Seal Cardboard is a designed, easy-to-use, eco-sustainable solution, that will guarantee you protection for your goods, without sacrificing the consideration to sustainability, an issue that is increasingly important to the consumers. 

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Eco-Filler PaperFlow

BOTTA Packaging presents an innovative, sustainable and functional new product. Eco-Filler PaperFlow is a paper filler made from two layers of paper that are turned into bands to be used instead of plastic fillers.

Their special shape makes the protective paper bands adaptable, light and tight. The bands are ideal both for filling empty spaces within the packaging and for wrapping the products directly, ensuring that they do not move during transport and handling. What's more, the ties are made of 100% paper and are recyclable and biodegradable.

 

Eco-Filler PaperFlow is perfect for small to medium-sized boxes. It is protective, lightweight, and versatile. In addition, it has two layers of paper, making it perfect for protecting the contents.

 

Eco-Filler PaperFlow can be produced using a dedicated machine. The machine is compact, has 3 different operating modes, different installation positions, and a maximum speed of 40m/minute. 

 

BOTTA Packaging always combines sustainability with functionality, offering new innovative solutions ready to meet your needs. Eco-Filler Paper Flow is a perfect and convenient solution. Moreover, being made of paper, this product is perfect for protecting the environment and promoting recycling. For more information, please visit our website.

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