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Need for certainty
“The film appeared to have all of the performance characteristics we were looking for but we did not want to go forward without being certain. So we worked with an independent laboratory to make sure that the material was biodegradable in accordance with the ASTM standards,” Olson says.
EP-Flex Renew is compliant with ASTM D5511 (determines the degree and rate of anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in high-solids anaerobic conditions such as landfills).
“We also did additional performance testing to simulate a variety of shipping conditions, including temperature, humidity, vibration, etc. We wanted to make sure the cushioning held up in Arizona in July as well as Alaska in January,” Olson says.
After receiving validation from the independent lab, as well as favorable results from the performance tests, Creative Memories put the conversion plan in place. Five Pregis AirSpeed 5000 units were brought in and placed over each of the packaging lines.
Creative Memories houses each unit on a mezzanine over its respective packing station. The pillows are fed through a hole in the platform, down to the packaging station. The operator simply reaches for the pillow, tears off the desired number and places it/them in the open, filled shipper on the conveyor belt.
Pregis’ AirSpeed 5000 machine is fast (75 ft/min), quick to load, and easy to operate. The film is tough yet highly flexible, and it conforms to the product for exceptional protection. The rolls are lighter, which makes them easier and more ergonomic to load.
“Another benefit we discovered is that the film’s color makes it easier to feed into the machine. The light green is easier to see vs. clear film and speeds up the loading process,” Olson says.
EP-Flex Renew also provides greater puncture resistance and improved tensile strength compared to competitive products. The line has been engineered to provide stronger, more resilient air pillow seals.
The film is available in 8-, 10-, and 12-inch wide rolls. Longer length bulk pack rolls are available for high-volume users to minimize changeovers, while eliminating cartons and reducing the amount of pallets and cores used.
“We have also promoted the switch in the bi-monthly magazine we send out to all of our sales consultants. In addition to getting positive feedback from them, our employees also like the fact that we have upgraded our environmental profile,” Olson concludes.
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