Man is always inventing new things and in the process man will also improve on what he already has. Man also creates new twists to the already existing innovations so as to produce variety. In the business world, where competition is high, man will come up with unique packaging that will compete better and make them have more sales. This is especially seen when one goes to the store and observes the different kind of packaging boxes used for the almost similar products. Products are now being packaged in some very innovative packaging that will woo customers to buy more of the product. Some of the new packaging is even a bit strange!

One of the famous weird packaging is the detergent that is housed in dumbbells. This is an innovation by Tommaso Ceschi for the Mr. Clean detergent. This woos the buyer to get the detergent that will help them workout as they clean. Another funny and creative innovation is the anti-theft lunch bag. This is usually used to pack sandwiches, cakes, and other foodstuffs made from flour. The bag contains a transparent plastic bag that has some markings which make the sandwich or cake inside appear like it is going bad and has mould thereby discouraging any thief who would not be any wiser.

The tequila gun packaging is another fun invention. This tequila gun is identical to a normal .45 pistol only that it is transparent and instead of bullets it is loaded with a shot of 200ml of genuine Mexican tequila. It can create a great twist when used to serve at a bar. Nike is also not left behind with some clever packaging. They once transformed their shoe boxes to house a stadium by printing the insides of the shoe box to look like a stadium. Sound chips were then inserted inside the shoe box such that when the lid is opened, one can hear the sounds of a cheering, crowded stadium.

Another weird invention of packaging is the banana guard. This is packaging that allows one to pack in a banana especially during a trip or for packed lunch. The packaging prevents the banana from getting mashed. Another cool invention is the chocolate pills packaging where the chocolate is packed like the medicinal pills where one can easily pop off a chocolate pill whenever the craving strikes! Another cool packaging box design is one that was invented by Julien De Repentigny and Gabriel Lefebvre who made milk packaging that consisted of a box made out to spell MILK!

Grip seal bags are a very popular choice for people when it comes to the packaging of many kinds of materials. This bag whose outstanding attribute is the strong self seal strip has many advantages. The bag is air tight when sealed and will therefore also not allow water or vapour in or out of the bag. This bag is also made from some very strong polyethylene material that is resistant to many adverse forces such as tear, puncture, and abrasion forces. The bag is mostly made in a transparent plastic that makes it easy for one to see the contents of the bag. These bags are used to store several things including foodstuffs, small office items such as pins and staples, hardware items such as screws and buttons. The bags can also be used to package liquids including blood in hospitals.

Grip seal bags are also known as Ziploc bags. Proper Ziploc bags utilise a blue sliding tab which is the zip. Grip seal bags on the other hand have ridges on the inside of the bag’s opening that interlock. The invention of these bags was enabled by the previous invention of polyethylene bags which was in the early 1950’s. Ziploc bags history can be traced back to 1951 when the company Flexigrip was formed with the intention of developing and marketing a plastic zipper. The invention of this zipper had been purchased from the inventor who was Borge Madsen who had also patented the invention. In 1961, Flexigrip Inc. obtained exclusive manufacturing and selling rights for the United States for the Minigrip plastic zipper bag. Thecompany bought these rights from a Japanese company Seisan Nippon Sha who had invented the bag and had patented the innovation. After getting the rights, a company was formed that was to concentrate its efforts in the production and marketing of the Minigrip zipper bags. Around 1964, Minigrip Inc. then got an exclusive license that would then allow the bags to be used in the grocery trade especially in the supermarkets. This was done with the Dow chemical Company which then named the product Ziploc bags.

From its invention, the grip seal bags have continuously grown in popularity and this is due to some outstanding attributes including its cost effectiveness and efficiency. The materials that are used to make the bags are easily available and are not costly. Despite their being cheap, the bag has outstanding quality. The bag is also very durable.

Cardboard boxes are one of the most used packaging solutions today, but why is this so? When packing items, the most important thing is confining the item or items into a container. There are many kinds of packaging solutions that can be used and one will choose whatever option depending on some factors. The first factor to consider is the product to be packed. This is the most important thing to consider; will the packaging suitably hold the given object, will it be able to provide sufficient security and protect it from damage? Will the packaging also provide a convenient way of carrying and handling the object? Most of the time the cardboard boxes will satisfy these standards and hence why they are so widely used.

There are however different kinds of cardboard boxes and they vary in design, size and quality. Many boxes are today made with custom features to pack a specific product; for example electronic devices such as TV sets, computers, radios, music systems and such have cardboard boxes which are designed to exactly fit all their packaging needs including a snug fit. An evident development is the design of cardboard boxes that have walls which are enhanced to provide stronger defences against damage from external forces. Some boxes will therefore have thicker walls than others. However, thicker walls will cause an effect that may be neglected and this is in terms of the size of the box.

The size of cardboard boxes is usually considered from two perspectives. There is the external size that has the measurements of the box taken from the external ends of the box and the size of the box considering the inner measurements of the box. The external measurements are necessary when packing the box or boxes in a space such as a room while the inner measurements are used to determine what items can go into the box.

When choosing what kind of cardboard box to use, i.e. whether one will go for one with thick walls or one with thinner walls, again one has to consider the kind of product is being packed. Fragile items may require one to go for boxes with thicker walls which will offer more protection. Double walls will also provide some heat insulation and could be used in cases where one wants to control the temperature. Double walls will also help the box last longer and therefore if the box is to be used for a longer time or is to be used in rough conditions, the double walled box will withstand better.
 

The summer holidays are a popular time for families to move home. With the kids off school for six weeks and the potential of better weather for moving day, the summer break is often the time when most families plan for a house move. If you are planning a move this summer, there are a few things you can do in the run up to the move to make the whole process a bit easier for you and your family. Here are our top tips.

1. Start packing now

Even if moving day seems a long way away, as soon as you know a move is on the cards it’s a good idea to get started on the packing straight away. Even if you just sort one chest of drawers, one cupboard or fill one box each day between now and the move, you’ll soon find everything starts to fall into place and that the whole process is easier.

2. Take the opportunity to de-clutter

Don’t just pack everything you have for the sake of it. Moving home is a great opportunity to de-clutter and get rid of the things you no longer need. Good condition items can be sold to new homes, bringing in extra cash towards the moving budget, and those which are not in great condition can be recycled or given to charity, leaving you with less ‘stuff’ to move.

3. Let the kids de-clutter too

Children often find letting go of belongings very hard, even if they no longer play with them or really like them anymore. Help your child de-clutter as well, and help them to sell their good condition toys, letting them know that the money they raise can be spent on brand new toys to go in their rooms at their new home.

4. Get expert help for specialist items

Even if you are planning a DIY move, some of the things you may own should not be moved by amateurs. Antique furniture, pianos, valuable artwork and other fragile or oversized things should really require specialist assistance. You can contact any removal company in London wide and they will be able to provide the expertise and equipment to get your items moved safely.

5. Visit the new town

With the kids on school holidays and a move on the cards, help them to settle and become comfortable with the idea of moving by taking a few daytrips to the new town. Visit the parks and take a stroll around the shops, and if there are any fun play centres or sports facilities there, treat them to an activity to help them feel happier about the move.

6. Store things you don’t need

If you are visiting the new town to exchange contracts, sign paperwork or just too visit, anything you have already packed up can be taken down in your car and placed in local self storage facilities. This will reduce the amount of work needed on moving day significantly, especially if you make a few trips there between now and moving day.



Author bio : Samuel Joyce is a writer by heart. He lives in London with his wife and his lovely child. He has contributed many articles related to home improvement, home removals and interior decoration. Besides this he has also written about companies offering removal services in London.
 

The title is a fun play of words; and, indeed, it is a very appropriate one. There are but a few individuals who do not like the taste of bacon. It is tasty, succulent, flavorful, and just plain delightful! It is not only the sheer taste of bacon that we love; as a matter of fact, the smell itself is already very intoxicating. Indeed, some can say that there is the so-called bacon madness in much of the Western world.

Why the term ‘bacon madness?’ Once you get to see bacon-inspired products, you will easily understand why this preference. There are lollipops and all kinds of candies which are bacon-flavored, there are cakes with bacon strips, and there are even lip balms which smell and taste like bacon. Even this is not madness, then I do not know what is. Perhaps, the most bizarre of all is the bacon-flavored diet coke. Well, in this world filled with surprises, the bizarre is the new normal.

But, why do we love bacon so much? Again, it is in the sheer taste of the food. It has an intoxicating aroma that many argue is actually unparalleled in the food world. Of course, there might be more delicious types of food out there; but none of them have the perfect smell, taste, and succulence combination of the most-loved bacon. 

Ubiquitous as they are, few appreciate just how useful envelopes really are. The common envelope be it in the C5, C4, C3 or any other size, still remains the most trusted object for stashing documents for postage or even for a short distance commute. Whenever we think of an occasion worth commemorating with a special card, chances are we will look for a suitable envelope to put it in. Hardly any one of us can imagine how they would rather receive their bills than in that trusty envelope.

But apart from the well-known conventional uses of this form of container, there are other ways envelopes can be put to use. In recycling that envelope instead of throwing it away you can boast in the knowledge that you’re also doing your bit for the environment.

The first is easy as pie to do; cut a corner of your envelope and slip into the novel you’re reading to mark the page you’ve reached. Voila! Your new bookmark! In the same vein you can acquire a new funnel for transferring salt into shakers and other such tasks; simply cut your envelope to the size you want, putting a hole in the corner.

Get organised and put your files in alphabetical order in the shelf and mark them using labels made from cut-up envelopes. Or if you’re a DIY enthusiast wondering how to minimise spillage of dust as you drill, you could put a used envelope underneath the place you’re drilling. Manila envelopes are very handy for paper crafts so instead of throwing them away, hand them to your kid and see what they can come up with!  

For any mail or package to reach its rightful recipient, the sender needs to write down their address clearly on the package or envelope. This can be easily done by hand; but what if you’re writing in a hurry and misspell the address? Imagine the disappointment of the customer waiting indefinitely for the product they ordered, not knowing it went to some other address. This represents a loss for both the seller and the buyer. Printing out address labels deals with this problem to a large extent as word it is easy to detect when one has made an error when typing it out. Reading the printed address on a label is easier for the postal staff than trying to decipher someone’s handwriting as well. This goes a long way to ensuring that the package or letter is popped into the right mailbox.

If you think your packaging is drab and lacks character, an out-of-the-box address label can save the day. There are companies that make customised address labels, allowing you to reveal the creative side of you. This is particularly ideal when sending a gift to a loved one. Businesses can also take advantage of these address labels to market themselves. A nice colourful label will stick in the mind of the recipient of the wrapped item and this may lead to repeat orders from them, or them remarking about your company’s unique labels to their friends.                

Grip seal bags are a great way to package a variety of items for purposes of organisation or transportation. The versatility these bags offer is amazing as they can be used to package anything from nuts and bolts to foodstuffs. They also offer a cost-effective means of packaging as they are highly recyclable.

One of the key uses of grip seal bags is the storage of foodstuffs as they provide protection from any harmful elements that can contaminate the food. This quality will come in handy when storing sandwiches for that picnic in the park or long road trip when the summer holidays come around.

Grip seal bags are also a great way to keep medicines away from moisture, dust and any other contaminant while travelling. Those on medication can therefore travel safe in the knowledge that their drugs are in secure packaging.

You can also keep the books you carry for those hours of sunbathing safe from damage or stains while in transit by packing them in grip seal bags. It would not be the end of the world to get to your destination and discover while unpacking that your Danielle Steel’s cover has been scratched or torn, but it would interfere with your reading pleasure. Pack it in these special bags to avoid unnecessary heartbreak.

To look your elegant best as you revel in the warmth of some exotic location, you can pack some of your jewellery and accessories in grip seal bags as well.

You may be overseeing the opening of a new branch of your organisation or in charge of a start-up looking to set up shop. After locating your site and deciding on how you’ll arrange the furniture and what not, the question of office supplies will soon arise. Since you will be working with a limited budget, you’ll need to make a list of the supplies you can’t do without, separating the must-haves from the could-haves. To help you get started we’ve compiled a list of supplies deemed absolutely essential for today’s office to function.

Several prophets have heralded the coming of the paperless office but as far as we can tell that new dawn is still light-years away, despite the introduction of a plethora of new devices to oversee the transfer of information without the use of paper. This is why writing materials are indispensable in any office. A good supply of pens, pencils, permanent markers and highlighters will always be a necessity in an office.

And since we’ll be dealing with papers and documents, the little pieces of equipment needed to keep them organised will be just as crucial to an office. We’re talking of staplers, paper clips and paper trays. Files for the orderly storage of documents are also an important investment. And for the safe and secure transfer of documents the office should have a good stock of mailing materials. Envelopes of various sizes and mailers should therefore be on your list.

Hardly any office functions without a printer or copier. As you budget for the machine, you need to factor in printing paper and printing cartridges.   

Everybody is familiar with the pale red colour of the packaging of Tabasco sauce which is itself that colour. The sight of it brings to mind that delicious turkey sandwich or the sizzling bacon we had for breakfast. This sauce adds a unique flavour to food that makes it a joy to the taste buds. The producer of the first brand of chocolate has taken advantage of this positive association to elicit a response to their product. Imagine browsing through the chocolate section of the supermarket and suddenly coming across Tabasco. Your curiosity will immediately be piqued and even though you don’t add a bar of it to your trolley, you’ll make a mental note of it and probably remark to a friend how strange it was that there was a Tabasco chocolate.

The second package is done in colours that will not fail to attract the female eye, and they are, after all, the more avid consumers of chocolates. The shape of a flower on the package will, as it were, draw them to view the product more closely and in doing so they will also be intrigued by the pearl at the centre of the flower. The pale green ribbon around it suggests that it is a present, and who doesn’t like receiving presents? And the rabbit shape makes such chocolates the perfect Easter gift as this animal is usually associated to this April holiday.

An errant boyfriend or husband will be able to win back that disgruntled lady with less difficulty if he presents such a package to her.