The Frogbox Frogblog

WIN AN iPad!

Madison — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:00:39 +0000

Madison

Lilly pads are a frog's best friend and an iPad might just be a Realtor's best friend - there are Aps just for helping you do what you do!

FrogBox Madison is launching its Reatlors' Gift Card Program and to celebrate we're having a draw for an iPad. Every gift card purchased gets you entered in the draw. You could be the lucky winner and your clients will appreciate the FrogBox moving box discount.

To enter simply buy a $25 FrogBox gift card for only $5 - Enter as many times as you like!

Visit the FROGBOX booth at the RASCW Blitz 2012 on March 8th to enter the draw or email madison@frogbox.com to order your gift cards. Drawing will be held on April 27th, 2012. Visit us on Facebook for the results.

For a limited time order custom printed gift cards of any value for 50% off. For example: order a $150 gift card with your logo or personalized message for only $75 (and you'll also get entered in the iPad3 draw!)

Reuse Vs. Recycle

Madison — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:02:15 +0000

Madison

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – we all know the slogan but sometimes we forget the significance of the order of the terms. According to the US EPA, the most environmentally sound way to manage waste is to first pursue source reduction by reusing. Recycling should be the second measure. Finally, as a last resort, disposal in landfills.

Too often we consider recyclables and recycled products to be the responsible choice when we should be asking if there is a reusable option. At FrogBox we offer people a reusable alternative to the most recycled product on earth; corrugated (carboard) boxes. In the United States, while a significant amount of cardboard ends up in landfills, most corrugated boxes are recycled, good right? Well it’s better than having it all in landfills but the “good” ends there. Here are some of the disadvantages associated with recycling corrugated boxes.

Energy and Water Use. The paper and pulp industry is the third largest consumer of energy, using 11.5% of all energy in the industrial sector, and the largest industrial consumer of water in the United States.
Limited Recyclability. Corrugated boxes can only be recycled five to seven times before the box’s cellulose fibers turn into sludge and can’t be made into new paper, at which point the box must be landfilled. Then virgin fibers must be added to the recycled pulp in order to build a viable box.
Production of GHG Emissions. Once the sludge from a corrugated box is landfilled, its decomposition produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas with high global warming potential. And, according to the EPA, about 20% of the corrugated collected for recycling in the United States is exported, mostly to China—which uses fuel and produces GHG emissions.
Water Pollution. In addition to the chemicals used to process recycled pulp, the sludge from a corrugated box can leach inks, coatings and fillers into the ground, endangering wildlife and aquatic habitats.

Doesn’t it take a lot of energy and resources to make durable, reusable products you ask?

YES, but let’s compare a reusable plastic FrogBox moving box to a cardboard box as an example. In terms of energy and resources you can make five cardboard boxes to one plastic FrogBox. If we generously suggest the cardboard boxes are used twice then you would only have to reuse the FrogBox 10 times to break even in terms of the environmental impact of manufacturing. A single FrogBox can be reused 400-500 times doing the work of 200-250 cardboard boxes.

The disadvantages of recycling are not limited to paper products so next time you have a choice between a limited use, disposable product and a durable, high quality, reusable alternative remember the “Green” choice isn’t always the one that shouts “Recycled” or “Recyclable”.

Cardbored?: Using FROGBOX Moving Boxes vs Cardboard

mathieson — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:33:08 +0000

People move. Once every five years, on average, we gather every single thing we own and we pack it up, transport it and unpack it somewhere else, making home in a new place. The status quo as you read this, is to do all that packing and transporting with cardboard boxes. Whether you find them behind a liquor store or buy them brand new, it’s a disposable paper product, that sooner, rather than later, ends up as waste. (yes yes, they can be recycled, but just wait, it’s not so simple. we’ll address this directly in a future post.)

FrogBox is the new alternative. We take sturdy, stackable plastic boxes and rent them out in whichever quantity and for whatever duration is required to make the move. So what’s the difference? It’s simple: reuse. We offer a product that can be used 400 times. Cardboard averages just less than two uses, and is virtually useless after 5 or, at best, 10 times around the block. But hey, it’s also obvious that plastic requires way more energy to produce than a good old flimsy cardboard job. Bingo, 100% correct. It takes approximately 8x more energy to produce a FrogBox than it would to produce a cardboard box of equivalent capacity.

What that number means is that once we rent out a FrogBox eight times, every additional use does not require the input of additional material resources. There's 392 uses left to go and 392 cardboard boxes that don't need to be made. So to be clear, we’re not saying everyone should buy FrogBox moving boxes (FrogBoxes) and keep their own in their garage. They may reuse them a few times, but that would have a higher impact than owning some cardboard. The idea is that we take a durable product and facilitate its shared use as moving boxes by the community at large.

So what’s the actual impact of cardboard? And what do we save by using FrogBox moving boxes? We’ll talk about what we’ve done so far in the last three years, but we’ll also visualize the bigger picture too, what impact we will have when FrogBox becomes status quo.

So far, the FrogBox moving boxes currently in circulation have been used over 250,000 times. This means 223 Metric Tonnes of cardboard were not used. And 587 MTCE (Metric Tonnes Carbon Equivalent) avoided in waste and production. (We’ll save this for a later post, but not to be overlooked, the tape that holds those boxes together accounts for an uncertain but more toxic portion of the footprint of the box and cannot be recycled. Assuming 5 ft of tape per cardboard box means using FrogBoxes has saved 1.25 million feet of tape thus far.

And so what does that 587 MTCE (CO2) number mean?

It’s equivalent to one car driving 1,920,000 kilometers (which is five one way trips to the moon [or two and a half round trips, but that leaves you stuck on the moon, and also, what road are you driving on?])!
Which is the same as 60 cars doing 32,000 kms.
Or 190 individual people not flying to New York from Vancouver (planes use a lot of fuel).
Or powering 73 avg North American homes for a whole year!

Small potatoes? Yeah, we’re not the big fry yet, but so that’s where things look interesting. 55 million people move every year in the USA and Canada and that means 1.9 billion boxes and as much as 271,662 MTCE assuming all cardboard boxes are actually used twice (another future post in the works here).

And just to toot the horn: let’s mention that FrogBox moving boxes are strong, sport a waterproof tub design (lids attached!), have handles and don’t need to be taped together or broken down when you’re done. Which all, ahem, saves you time. Time is still important too, right?

Habitat for Humanity Contractor & Trades Night "Givin' All You Got!"

Jeremy — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:15:21 +0000

Winnipeg

On February 23rd, the Winnipeg ReStore will be hosting a night of free food, beverages, and a presentation to inform you on what items you can donate to the ReStore and how it benefits you, your business, Habitat for Humanity, and our environment.

It's a few days past the deadline but if you ask real nice they may let you in ;) Send your RSVP to restoregivin@habitat.mb.ca

PS: Did we mention that if you attend, you may enter a free draw to win Jets tickets?

FROGBOX collects a carload of shoes at the Love'em or Leave'em 5k

Jeremy — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:24:39 +0000

Seattle

FrogBox Seattle was proud to sponsor the "Love'em or Leave'em 5k" last Saturday. We set up a booth at the finish line to spread the word about our alternative to cardboard moving boxes, but we were also there to collect new/used shoes for Redeeming Soles (the shoes get distributed locally to those in need).

The event was a huge success! We collected enough shoes to fill one of our wardrobe boxes (no small feat). A huge thanks to Pro-Motion events, Redeeming Soles, My Greenlake, and all the people that were kind enough to donate their new and used shoes!

We are always accepting shoe donations (just leave them in one of the FROGBOXES when we pick them up) and Redeeming Soles has a list of public drop-off locations here.

Join us for "Women's Wellness evening at the Chamber" Must RSVP by today!

Jeremy — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:59:57 +0000

London

FrogBox London is proud to participate in the upcoming Women's Wellness evening at the Chamber. Join us for a fantastic night of food, drink, and great door prizes. RSVP to amyfrutter@hotmail.com. Feel free to email with any questions regarding this event. Proceeds will be donated to The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.

FROGBOX and AMJ Campbell –partner to reduce waste in moving

frogbox — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:07:50 +0000

At FROGBOX, we are always looking for ways to reduce the environmental footprint of moving. AMJ Campbell, Canada's biggest moving company, shares that mission which is why they decided to partner with FROGBOX to offer our ecofriendly moving boxes as part of their new ‘Green’ moving package. The Green moving package is currently available in the GTA and is expected to roll out across the country later this year.

Here’s how it works: you want a less-stressful, hassle-free moving experience at a price that won’t destroy your bank account and with products and services that are easier on the Earth. Now you can call AMJ Campbell (905-795-3496) and ask for their ‘Green’ moving package. You’ll get a fixed number of hours with 3 professional movers at your service plus FROGBOX eco-friendly moving boxes that will be delivered to you and picked up by FROGBOX. Booking is seamless and requires one simple call.

We’ve worked with lots of movers since starting FROGBOX in 2008. We are always impressed with the quality of AMJ Campbell’s customer service, moving knowledge and accountability. Will you make your next move a ‘Green one’? We hope so!

FROGBOX Leaps Into The #StepUp30day Challenge, Join Us?

Jeremy — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:21:13 +0000

We recently heard about the book "Stepping up for change" by John Izzo. The book is all about how taking personal responsibility can change everything. They're celebrating the launch of the book by sharing the inspiring stories of how people choosing to take responsibility have made a positive impact on their community.

One way we're "stepping up" at FrogBox is by taking advantage of the opportunities we have when we present at trade-shows or events. The picture above is from the "Resolution Run 5k and Polar Dip". FrogBox was a sponsor of the event and as such had a space at the finish line to promote our business. Of course, as a business, part of the reason we sponsor such events is self promotional but we wanted to use this space for more then that. In partnership with Redeeming Soles (A Puget Sound based charity) we used this space (and FrogBoxES) to collect gently used shoes which are in turn distributed locally to those that need them.

Will you join us? What will you do to make a change? Drop us a line in the comments and let us know, we'd love to share.

Interested in learning more? Check out the website "Stepping up for change" or follow the hashtag #StepUp30Day on twitter to learn about how others are Stepping Up for Change!

Don't have a FROGBOX in your area? Ask and ye shall receive

Jeremy — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:34:04 +0000

Had a great exchange with someone on twitter last week and it was too good not to share. Tried the fancy new “embed a tweet” feature but the formatting came out funky so feel free to check out the original tweets or take our word for it.

(from @DarrenFB) @Frogbox Dear Frogbox. I move last weekend of Jan 2012 in#Nanaimo. I need FrogBoxes. Please do not make me give money to Budget again :( (Link)

- (from @Frogbox) @DarrinFB where you moving to? (link)

(from @DarrenFB) @FROGBOX In Nanaimo. Just across town. Still HATE buying boxes from Budget or pillaging from liquor and grocery stores. (link)

At this point, Doug Burgoyne, one of FrogBoxES founders and our current president jumped in on the conversation:

- (From @Doug_Burgoyne) @DarrinFB Darrin... We will make this work :) @FROGBOX (link)

So, if you don’t have a FrogBox in your area and you want one, maybe just ask? Who knows what could come of it.

FrogBox Halifax Helps Collect Food Along with 101.3 The Bounce

F_Halifax — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:31:37 +0000

Halifax

101.3 The Bounce allowed FrogBox Halifax to participate in their annual Food Drive to help Feed Nova Scotia. FrogBox drove around to 5 Schools in Halifax and Sackville, filling approx 40 FrogBox's with food and dropping them off at Mic Mac Mall. The School with the most donations will win a prize. Thank you to Katie Kelly and the rest of the Bounce crew for allowing us to participate. We would love to help out next year, as well.