Think Outside the Box

DZ: As we all know, today and in recent years, people are more aware and conscious of protecting our environment and using materials that are either easily recyclable or biodegradable. An interesting and important thing happening right now in the ring binder segment of our business, in particular, is a move toward polypropylene (PP) for your everyday common clear overlay school and office binders. Polypropylene is a safer, more eco-friendly alternative to the more traditional and common polyvinyl chloride (PVC) vinyl material that has been the norm for years.

DY: We are seeing a couple of hot trends with several areas we specialize in. Small sleeves and envelopes are one of these areas. These envelopes are being used for financial and bank cards, gift and loyalty cards, education and ID, healthcare and benefit cards as well as for flash drives and SD cards. Our RFID shielding sleeves are perfect to block the unauthorized skimming on smart and contactless cards. Adding print to these items enhances the marketing focus and [they] make great giveaways to customers and prospects.

Our MailSaver® line of postage saving disc mailers continues to be very popular. These CD/DVD mailers are all approved by the USPS fall under one once (including the disc), and can be mailed at the automated letter rate—no need for additional surcharges for weight or rigidity. Coupled with the mailing trend is the move from hard cases to printed paper and Tyvek® sleeves; this definitely saves on packaging cost. CDs and DVDs being bound into books and magazines also continues to be a product area we see interest. Being able to bind a disc into a publication increases product awareness and user response rate. Many of our mailers and bind-ins, and all our sleeves are automatable on CD insertion equipment, making it easier to pack and assemble.