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Robert Suga of Atlantic Packaging:

Oct 27 and Nov 2, 2021

• The Z-Box is a very good concept. He understands that it is an insert or an inner box which would be used together with an outer shell carton.
• Adding an inner box would not be cost-prohibitive to shippers and their customers. One must consider that there is also a cost to using popcorn or sealed air bags. Shippers would be open to using Z-box to replace currently used void-fillers. The concept of an inner and an outer box should not be a problem considering that shippers commonly ship boxes within boxes already.
• The Z-box would be a die-cut box with punch outs.
• We would need to offer a small, medium and large size.
• The Flexo folder die (i.e. the tooling) to cut the Z-Box would cost $1,000 to create.
• In manufacturing, the Z-Box "would be run alongside the outer shell carton".
• For a typical mid-sized Amazon outer carton, the cost the customer would be $0.50 to $0.75 per unit where the customer pays for the tooling. This assumes a trailer-load purchase of 10,000 units and assumes 32 ECT C-Flute. There would also be a $300- $400 1-color outer print plate cost. If 23 ECT B-Flute were used, the cost of the outer carton would reduce to $0.40 per unit. He suggested that the outer carton could be made of the B-Flute to be cost-efficient.
• The inner box would contain no graphics and could therefore be produced at the same cost, $0.50 to $0.75 per unit (using 32 ECT C-Flute for more structure for the flaps). For reference, 32 ECT represents 50% of total containerboard output, so it is very common. Heavier 44 ECT would be used for products that go into the freezer and 23 ECT is for more lightweight products.

Allen Kirkpatrick of the Canadian Corrugated and Containerboard Association:

Oct 27, 2021

• He suggested that next steps could be using 32 ECT C-Flute (Edge Crush Test 3/16" thick) containerboard for the next prototype. We could try to ask for some outer shipper boxes and some slightly smaller inner boxes. He initially suggested using B-Flute (1/8" thick) containerboard for the inner box but after some discussion about the need for ridgidity of the arms/flaps, it was decided that C-Flute should be used for both the inner box and the outer box. B-Flute is often used to make beer boxes.
• He talked about the possibility of using folding carton for the inner box, but decided that this would provide much less structure than the team needs. Folding carton is often used because it is a better graphic substrate, which is not relevant for the Z-Box since the inner box will not be seen anyway.
• When costing our product, he recommended using a $0.10 - $0.11 per square foot rule-of-thumb for containerboard.

James Downham of PAC Global:

Dec. 5, 2021 and Oct. 24, 2021

• He said there is an enormous global supply chain problem that was caused by COVID. Because of that, people around the world are having difficulty buying products.
• He said that there are containers falling off ships while they are being transported across the ocean. This is bad because plastic is bad for the environment, and the products inside the cargo containers can be bad for the environment. It also causes companies and consumers to have trouble getting their products.
• He said companies are using braille (bumps language) on packaging for the visually impaired.
• He said that companies are using NaviLens on packaging for the visually impaired. It is a code on packaging that you can scan on your phone using an app. The app tells you the name of the product, the ingredients, the Nutritional Facts Table, where the product was made, and when it was made.
• He said companies use Cube utilization, which is a way of maximizing the space inside a container by placing the products strategically inside that container and creating the container in a strategic way to suit the products.
• An idea he gave us was to create a tracking app for products. Another idea he gave us was to create a product that goes with the circular economy, for example, incorporating the idea of reusing & recycling materials, like creating containers from plastic waste.
• He said that oily pizza boxes can be recycled.
• He said it is cheaper to create new containerboard, rather than make containerboard out of recycled containerboard.
• He said the biggest problem their industry is facing is recycling plastic.
• He said his customers are facing issues with the environmental issues of packaging and the delivery of products.
• He said black plastic is not recyclable because it cannot be detected by the machinery at the recycling plant.
• He said the main reason people keep buying black plastic is because they do not know the consequences black plastic has on the environment.
• He likes the idea a lot and thinks it is a unique product.
• He suggests a smaller Z-Box for smaller products, so we should offer a range of sizes.
• He suggests that our pitch mentions that the Z-Box is 100% recyclable and made of 100% recycled paper.
• He said that the Z-Box is made of material that can be made into new product, which is consistent with the circular world economy.
• As a next step, we should consider gamifying the Z-Box, which means making it fun to open.