What’s The Best Way To Package Your Teacher

To Ship Him To Alaska?

By Laurie Borst

What would you use to package your teacher for shipment? Peanuts, bubble wrap, foam? Don Ramsey’s seventh grade tech ed students explored that question with Kerry McKinley. Mr McKinley, of Taunton Packaging Company, designs and manufactures packaging products.

Mr McKinley brought a variety of packaging materials to share with the students. He had foam materials of various thicknesses and densities. He brought paper, foam sheets, inflatable sleeves, and packing materials created by exothermic chemical reactions.

He explained that companies such as UPS fund research and testing of packaging materials. There are special sensors and equipment that can measure the forces on a package when it is dropped from various heights. A lot of physics and chemistry go into the development of packaging, he said.

Peanuts, those pieces of Styrofoam that are full of static cling, are inexpensive and conform to many shapes. “Unfortunately,” Mr McKinley said, “they are not so environmentally friendly. Researchers are working on materials made from potato starch that are biodegradable.”

Besides biodegradable materials, Mr McKinley explained that many products are recyclable. Most of what he showed the students was recyclable.

“Developing corn starch-based products is an active area of research today,” he informed the students.

Mr McKinley showed the students a sealed plastic bag containing to two liquids, kept apart until he broke the seal and the liquids mixed. Through an exothermic (heat-producing) reaction, the liquids reacted together to produce a foam, like the kind used in blown-insulation. The product makes a form-fitting layer that protects the item to be shipped. The foam product is also used to make rocks and large background scenery pieces for movies and plays.

The students were fascinated by the variety of products and processes that produced them.