Renewable product packaging

Bamboo used for its sustainable features

Dell is shipping its Dell Inspiron Mini 10 and Mini 10v netbooks in packaging made from bamboo, a renewable material that serves as a good alternative to moulded paper pulp, foams and corrugate often used in packaging.

The material is being used for the product cushions cradling the machine inside an outer box made from 25% post-consumer materials. The company plans to expand its use of bamboo packaging to more products in early 2010.

Bamboo is being used because it grows fast. Being a member of the grass family, it is among the fastest growing woody plants. With tensile strength similar to that of steel, it makes a reliable material for protecting technology equipment in transit. Bamboo also helps promote healthy soil. The plant’s deep root systems protect against land erosion and, when harvested correctly, it doesn’t require replanting after harvest.

Beyond the material itself, Dell is working with bamboo packaging supplier Unisource Global Solutions (UGS) to ensure all processes associated with the bamboo’s production meet the highest standards. The company sources its raw bamboo from a forest that follows Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) principles and criteria. The bamboo forest is located in China’s Jiangxi Province - far away from pandas’ known habitats. Dell is also working with UGS to secure FSC certification for the bamboo’s full chain of custody, from the forest to the manufacturing facilities.

As bamboo is new to most municipal recycling programs, Dell, Georgia Pacific, UGS and Environmental Packaging International are in the process of certifying the packaging for recycling.