Your Favorite Eco-Friendly Playground Equipment Now Comes In Eco-Friendly Packaging!

As an environmentally concerned company, we are shocked to see the amount of discarded packaging littering our roadsides and streams, and we know that a large percent of the waste in our landfills is discarded packaging materials that will persist for generations. ??According to the EPA in 2018, 14.5 million tons?of plastic packaging were in the US waste stream, and less than 14 percent was recycled.

We believe that our responsibilities toward our planet must continually adapt to what we see around us. While Play Mart is known for our innovative recycled plastic playground equipment, we are always looking for the next step to create a healthy environment for our employees, our customers, and the children who use our equipment.

We are proud to announce our next step forward for our planet: new eco-friendly packaging for Play Mart products! This development resulted from extensive research and a significant packaging updates to ensure that our commitment to sustainable playground equipment encompasses everything we touch.

Where We Started: Reused And Recycled Materials

Unlike most companies, Play Mart has stayed away from purchasing foam packaging materials for our products. We would reuse any packaging material we received from incoming shipments so as not to waste materials. Even air bubble pillow packaging gets reused. Styrofoam hasn't been a part of our process, though we have limited control over what our suppliers send us. We were doing our best, but we wanted to do better!

Eco-Friendly Playground Packaging Is A Surprisingly Big Challenge

Implementing eco-friendly packaging is not as easy as it sounds; it's not a decision we took lightly or suddenly. After all, we want to ensure that the commercial playground equipment our customers purchase arrives safely and without damage.

It took considerable time, effort, and exploration to identify the right kinds of sustainable materials that could match the robustness and effectiveness of conventional packaging materials. The research required an incredible investment of time and human resources. Even the packaging broker we worked with had to keep going back and research materials, calling about specifications, and asking specific questions.

The key challenge was to ensure that the packaging for our eco-friendly playgrounds did not compromise the safety of the shipped products. Our team at Play Mart was dedicated to ensuring our new packaging methods were not just environment friendly but also maintained the quality of the product during shipping. Our eco-friendly initiative could not compromise on quality. Instead, it bolstered the protection and quality control of the whole shipping process.

Our Motivation

One of our most impressive feats was the biodegradable stretch film. This was an uphill battle as we often ran into walls, being told repeatedly that what we were reaching for was impossible. Yet, we persisted, and our determination paid off! Now, we utilize biodegradable stretch film in place of traditional shrink wrap.

Achieving The Impossible

One of our most impressive feats was the biodegradable stretch film. This was an uphill battle as we often ran into walls, being told repeatedly that what we were reaching for was impossible. Yet, we persisted, and our determination paid off! Now, we utilize biodegradable stretch film in place of traditional shrink wrap.

No Compromising The Environment Or Product Integrity

Our customers can rest assured that our eco-friendly, biodegradable packaging does not compromise the safety of the product while shipping. We put a tremendous amount of effort into ensuring the new packaging wouldn't impact the quality of the product in transit. For example, the crinkle paper we now use for metal structures is significantly stronger than the plastic bubble wrap we used previously. Sometimes installers and shippers drag products across a floor or other surface; plastic wrap often tears, damaging the product. The new packing paper is crimped into a pad form and wrapped again, so it's much more robust than plastic shrink wrap. Play Mart products are actually better protected now with biodegradable materials.

Responsible Sourcing

We want to reduce, reuse, recycle, and be more earth-friendly in both shipping and receiving, so we have been choosing sustainable materials whenever possible. Our pursuit of eco-friendliness led us to use recycled materials, such as cardboard and paper. We worked hard to find suppliers that could provide recycled materials that were reusable or biodegradable.

One of the significant steps we took in the journey towards eco-friendly packaging was sourcing our materials responsibly. We introduced the use of Gaylord boxes, which are large storage boxes roughly the size of a standard GMA pallet and a staple in the industry. Gaylord boxes, made from a unique blend of primarily timber-based paper pulp materials, are completely recyclable and biodegradable, underlining our commitment to being ecologically responsible.When we receive shipments in Gaylord boxes, they can be used repeatedly. Once their life span has expired, they are completely recyclable.

Why We Took This Step

Our founders Dennis and Rebecca would be in the field and see the packaging materials, which would fill up an entire dumpster. They would unwrap and produce piles of plastic bags, shrink wrap, and bubble wrap. Most installers cannot take the time to bring these materials to recycling bins that accept plastic bags, so it goes against every principle and value that we have to build sustainable playgrounds. So, to go along with our passion and our heart, we have been trying to do this for years. However, these eco-friendly packaging products haven't been available on the market till now. Our team kept reminding people that this is a big deal. We were determined to make this happen.

Setting The Standard And Starting The Trend For Environmentally-Friendly Playgrounds

We at Play Mart are leading the way in the environmentally-friendly playground industry. Our determination to adopt eco-friendly packaging marks us as trendsetters in the field. Not only have we created a demand for sustainable packaging, but we've also inspired manufacturers to produce more eco-friendly options. As we continue to innovate and push for greater sustainability, we're setting the standard for playground companies everywhere.

It is a part of a larger movement, but in a way, it also benefits that movement by providing a market for those materials. If there's no demand, companies will always take the easy, cheap way instead of the best way. So, there's an additional benefit to Play Mart making this effort: it provides a market signal that there is a demand for recyclable or recycled, biodegradable, natural packaging material.

Create A Truly Green School Or Park With Play Mart!

We all want a better future for our planet and the children who will inherit it. While we seek to lower our carbon footprint, we can't stop at surface level. Play Mart's eco-friendly playgrounds not only end up in a boatload of fun, but begin with preserving the earth at the forefront. From biodegradable packaging to green-powered production, every part of your environmentally friendly playground is done with unparalleled quality and responsibility.

We're not just creating playgrounds, we're crafting life lessons for the children who use them. Join Play Mart in inspiring the next generation to achieve the impossible for our planet!