It’s our duty to take care of the environment we’re blessed to live in. At YourBoxSolution we are very serious about being as sustainable as possible so our impact on nature is not a negative one.
We are proud to offer packaging solutions that do not hurt nature, but respect and honor it.
We’ve prepared this article to share everything there is to know about our processes, from where we get our materials, what printers and inks we use, to the recycling process and our work culture. Join us on this journey to understanding how our printing facility works and where your boxes come from.
1. Where Does Our Paper Come From?
A Paperboard Supplier That Cares
The forests are one of the most incredible resources nature has blessed us with. Now, more than ever, it's our duty to take care of all the precious resources nature provides, taking only what is needed and investing in the regenerative process.
We have strategically chosen a paperboard supplier that is committed to the sustainability of the environment. We wanted to make sure that the paper we use comes from certified forests, respecting certifications and legal procedures and that our supplier does its harvesting with care. All their processes respect the principles of a circular economy.
This means that every part of the tree is used as efficiently as possible while yelding the most value. A circular economy also includes recycling, which is one process our paper suppliers and YourBoxSolution care a lot about.
100% Traceable Wood From Sustainably Managed Forests
Transparency & truth are the essence of a sustainable business.
Four Seedlings Planted For Every Felled Tree
A measure that guarantees the long-term survival of the forests.
Circular Economy and Recyclability
Every part of the tree is used for the highest value & nothing is wasted.
Giving Back To Nature
When we make use of any resource nature offers, it is mandatory that we help revive that resource and create a prosperous environment for future development.
For every tree felled, FOUR seedlings are being planted by our paper manufacturer, who is commited to cater to nature's needs.
This is the most significant aspect of a sustainable forest manangement and it guarantees the preservation of forest cover and the long-term success of so many businesses that depend on wood.
2. How Paper is Made
Paper is made from wood fibers, called pulp. The fibers contain lignin (a compound found in trees) which make them have a brown color. To create white paper, the fibers need to be bleached. The bleaching is done using chlorine dioxide, oxygen and peroxide, which are not harmful to the environment.
After the pulp is bleached, the lignin resulted is later used in energy production at our supplier’s facilities.
The obtained pulp is combined with water and sent through a series of efficient machines that flatten it, dry it and prepare it into sheets of paper or rolls.
Our white SBS (Solid Bleached Sulphate) paperboard is 50% recycled, 30% of which is post consumer waste material. The Kraft Paperboard is a 100% recycled, unbleached paper. Both of them are recyclable. If you want to read more about our papers and post-processes, visit this page.
Wood pulp samples after processing. Bottom: unbleached kraft; center: unbleached sulfite; top: bleached pulp. From: G. Banik, I. Brückle, Paper and Water, Elsevier, 2010, in print.
Lower Carbon Footprint Through Efficient Processes
Many machines and processes are involved in making paper, which is why YourBoxSolution together with our paper suppliers take multiple steps to ensure our packaging is sustainable. This also includes the efficiency of the machines and the efficient use of other resources needed in the process of making paper, such as water.
In the making of our paperboard, processes and regulations are constantly improved, and regular investments are made in more energy-efficient technology to minimize climate change:
83% of the total energy consumption at the paper production facility was fossil free in 2019
99% of the water used is carefully cleaned and returned back to nature
The heat recovery system saved 18,000 MWH of steam annually which was used for creating the energy needed for the production, the excess power being fed back into local communities’ grid
Groundwater reserves and surface water from lakes, streams, ponds and springs close to the forests are carefully measured to make sure that the forestry operations do no harm.
We’ve invested millions in the machinery we use at YourBoxSolution. The presses on which we produce most of our packaging are HP Indigo presses with Green Leaf labels. This means they are certified with the Intertek Green Leaf Mark for their superior environmental standing.
The HP Indigo presses are designed such that the levels of energy and supplies required for each print are as low as possible. The parts that form the machines, the ink cartridges, the waste materials and the hardware are collected from us and recycled or taken back and included into reuse programs.
As a result, the carbon footprint is also reduced per printed page.
Inks And Environmental Regulations
HP places a high priority on meeting applicable safety standards for its HP Indigo digital presses, supplies and ink.
The inks do not contain substances that are listed on the US Federal list of Hazardous Air Pollutants, like phthalates or bisphenols.
All HP Indigo digital presses contain a capture and control system that reduces the majority of volatile organic compound emissions released during the printing process.
For more information on HP sustainability visit HP’s Sustainable Impact Report and HP Indigo's webpage on Environmental Sustainability.
Performance Enhancing
Besides the leading industry standard printers we use at YourBoxSolution, our team of engineers are always on the lookout to improve the performance of the machines and optimize every step of the process.
We have developed additional machines and robots that can take a paper roll, feed it into the printing press, then out directly on to the laminating area and into the folding, scoring and glueing areas, all in one go. Automated processes like this make the printing super-efficient, decreasing the running time of each machine, lowering energy usage and our factory’s carbon footprint.
Take a peek inside our 18,000 square ft. factory in the video.
4. Recycling At YourBoxSolution Facility
Years ago we connected with International Paper, a global paper recycling company commited to transforming renewable resources into recyclable products. There are many alternatives and recycling possibilities for businesses, and we go to great lengths to minimize the impact on the environment.
Each week, we place our excess paperboard from production in specific recycling totes that International Paper picks up and recycle at their processing plant.
Our partner collects, consumes, and markets more than 6 million tons of all paper recovered annually in the United States. With 18 recycling facilities across North America, International Paper collects and processes this recovered paper to be used by their mills or sold to other manufacturers to create new paper products.
YourBoxSolution is a US family-owned business with over 30 employees working in an 18,000 square foot facility in Springfield, Oregon.
We are very proud to be a 100% American company, and we take pride in our working environment and work ethic. We believe every citizen of the United States has the right to a job where he or she is offered an equal treatment, equal pay/compensation, regardless race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, transgender status, and sexual orientation), pregnancy, national origin, age, disability or genetic information.
The federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination of The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) are not laws to which we abide by contractual obligations. They are behaviors we believe every honorable human being must demonstrate and we practice them every day with honor and respect. We’re all a big family and we’re honored to support local business and job growth for the past 29 years.
We’re a team of professionals. We work like professionals and behave like a family, always making sure that the people we care about are safe and happy. This level of craftsmanship and care is reflected into the quality of our product and the thousands of companies and clients that trust us.
If you also care about the environment, sustainability and the rightful treatment of people, let's work together on your next packaging project. Get started by requesting a quote below.
