Q: What do you want customers/partners to know about Interstate Container Cambridge?
A: Pete Bugas
It took over 5 years of intensive Research & Development to bring GREENCOAT® to the market. It was a collaborative effort that took place entirely at our Cambridge, MD facility. We believe that GREENCOAT® surpasses other wax-replacement boxes in the market in strength.
A: Jeff Cormier
Interstate Container Cambridge is the largest wax-alternative and wax box facility north of the Carolinas. Interstate Container does not simply sell the same stock boxes to every company within an industry. We treat each processing plant/customer as its own cost-center and look to custom-size their packaging to reduce cost. Understanding our customers operations is key and we service from many levels including sales, mechanical packaging representatives, and management to accomplish this. The more we know the harder we can work to save our customers money.
Q: What makes GREENCOAT® better?
A: Pete Bugas
GREENCOAT® is a very cost-efficient wax-alternative box with optimum performance for packing and transporting poultry, seafood, and fresh produce. Most importantly, GREENCOAT® is sustainable. Interstate Container takes a three-tiered approach to sustainability.
We ensure that the raw materials we use and our final products are environmentally-friendly, recyclable, and made with renewable resources. Our products and raw materials are certified and validated by third-party testing.
Furthermore, we are economically competitive and cost-neutral to wax boxes. We understand that no one wants to pay more, even for green products. Our plants in Cambridge and Columbia do not outsource the coating of paper to third parties. This means we account for 100% of GREENCOAT® boxes manufacturing process and this increases cost-efficiency and effectiveness.
Finally, we believe that we have a social responsibility to our surrounding community. This is both a local and corporate value…. “What is good for the community is good for the company”. And we live that every day.
A: Jeff Cormier
GREENCOAT® is a wax-replacement product that is just as strong as wax boxes, but it can be recycled. The price of GREENCOAT® is the same as any other wax box purchasable, and recycling actually allows you to make money.
While most companies pay for their conventional wax boxes to be disposed of, our customers get paid to recycle GREENCOAT®. GREENCOAT® creates a new revenue stream, while most boxes are just an expense. From a processing plant standpoint, it is easier to glue than wax, which decreases substantially box room waste and saves on glue costs.
Q: What is the future for GREENCOAT®?
A: Pete Bugas
Making a name in the fresh produce sector and expanding knowledge into a wider customer base. Currently, the fresh fruit and vegetable industry consumes approximately 49% of the 1.5 million tons of wax boxes per year. These 1.5 million tons are non-recyclable waste, and typically end up in a landfill.
A: Jeff Cormier
Growth… and lots of it. We just launched Interstate Container Columbia in South Carolina, which produces GREENCOAT® boxes. We are now the second largest poultry box supplier in the nation. I would like two to four more plants as we continue to grow. Furthermore, we will continue to innovate with GREENCOAT® to tackle extremely harsh and wet environments head on.
Q: Is there anything else you would like add?
A: Pete Bugas
We invite companies to try our GREENCOAT® boxes and run side-by-side trials. Too often companies are offered a limited selection of products from existing suppliers, unaware that products like GREENCOAT® are available to them.
A: Jeff Cormier
We have had no failed trials in poultry, out to California and everywhere in between. Interstate Container now runs over 3 million GREENCOAT® boxes per month. We are working with Global Green USA’sCoalition for Resource Recovery (CoRR) to get grocery store chains, hotel chains, and distributors to drive the effort towards green packaging and understand the benefits that come with GREENCOAT®.
Q: What is your favorite part of working at Interstate Container?
A: Pete Bugas
The people and their creativity.
A: Jeff Cormier
The people.
About GREENCOAT® Wax-Replacement Corrugated Boxes
Compostable GREENCOAT® boxes are FBA-certified 100% recyclable and repulpable. The eco-friendly corrugated box packs poultry, meat, seafood, floral and fresh fruit and vegetable produce, as well as all products that require durable moisture-resistant corrugated packaging.
GREENCOAT® boxes withstand high exposure to rough handling, long storage, transportation, and shifts from cold-to-hot environmental conditions. GREENCOAT® boxes offer the same strength of traditional cascaded wax boxes and curtain coated wax boxes without the carbon footprint.
Contact Information
Jeff Cormier
National Sales and Marketing Manager
Interstate Container
Tel: 410-221-1508
Email: greencoat@interstatecontainer.com
Website: www.greencoat.net
Twitter: twitter.com/GREENCOATboxes
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GREENCOATboxes
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/interstate-container
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