Compostable wall bulk shipper
A compostable wall includes a solid inner sheet and a solid outer sheet, both formed primarily of molded plant fiber. The inner sheet and the outer sheet are joined together along adjacent edges to form a generally planar body having a length of at least 2 feet, a width of at least 2 feet, a thickness that is less than the length and width, and an interior space between the inner sheet and the outer sheet. The interior space contains one or more of air, starch or loose plant fiber.
1 . A compostable or recyclable wall for forming a container, the wall comprising:
a first sheet and a second sheet, both formed primarily of paper pulp fibers; and
a filler material of paper pulp fibers formed into a body and sandwiched between and substantially filling the space between the first sheet and the second sheet and wherein the filler material is completely enclosed, wherein the fibers of the body of the filler material are looser than the fibers of first sheet and the second sheet, and wherein the first sheet includes a flat inner main portion and the second sheet includes a flat outer main portion and the flat inner main portion and the flat outer main portion sandwich the filler material to form a generally planar body having a length of at least 2 feet, a width of at least 2 feet, a thickness that is less than the length and width, and wherein at least one of the first sheet or second includes a rim extending at a right angle from a respective main portion toward the other of the second sheet or first sheet to form an edge of the generally planar body between the flat outer main portion and the flat inner main portion and to cover the filler material along the edge.
2 . The wall of claim 1 , further comprising a moisture barrier in or on the compostable or recyclable wall.
3 . The wall of claim 2 , wherein the moisture barrier comprises a coating on the compostable or recyclable wall.
4 . The wall of claim 1 , wherein an adhesive joins the first sheet and the second sheet along adjacent edges.
5 . A bulk shipper, the shipper comprising:
a plurality of walls that are compostable or recyclable, the plurality of walls including four side walls, a ceiling and a floor that provide exterior faces of the bulk shipper, at least each of the four side wall including
an inner sheet and an outer sheet, both formed primarily of paper pulp fiber, an outer surface of the outer sheet providing an outermost surface of the bulk shipper that is exposed to an environment exterior of the bulk shipper,
a filler material of paper pulp fiber formed into a body and sandwiched between and substantially filling the space between the inner sheet and the outer sheet and wherein the filler material is completely enclosed, wherein fibers of the body of the filler material are looser than the fibers of the inner sheet and the outer sheet, wherein the inner sheet includes a flat inner main portion and the outer sheet includes a flat outer main portion and the flat inner main portion and the flat outer main portion sandwich the filler material to form a generally planar body having a length of at least 2 feet, a width of at least 2 feet, and a thickness that is less than the length and width, and wherein at least one of the inner sheet or outer sheet includes a rim extending at a right angle from a respective main portion toward the other of the inner sheet or outer sheet to form an edge of the generally planar body between the flat outer main portion and the flat inner main portion and to cover the filler material along the edge;
wherein the side walls are secured to each other by mechanical fasteners to form the bulk shipper as a generally rectangular right prism having an interior volume of at least 8 cubic feet.
6 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , wherein an adhesive joins the inner sheet and the outer sheet of each respective wall of the plurality of walls.
7 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , wherein the side walls are secured by fasteners that clip walls to each other.
8 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of walls are further secured to each other to form the bulk shipper by interlocking.
9 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , further comprising a pallet supporting the plurality of walls.
10 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , wherein the inner sheet and the outer sheet each comprises a moisture barrier material mixed with plant fiber pulp.
11 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , wherein each respective wall of the plurality of walls comprises a moisture barrier material coating an inner surface of the respective wall.
12 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , wherein the filler material comprises a moisture barrier material mixed with the fibers of the paper pulp.
13 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , wherein the moisture barrier material comprises polylactic acid (PLA).
14 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , wherein the inner sheet and the outer sheet are each 0.7 mm to 10 mm thick.
15 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , wherein each wall has a thickness of 0.5 to 10 inches.
16 . The bulk shipper of claim 5 , further comprising a moisture barrier layer that includes paper lined with a water-repellant coating.
17 . A bulk shipper, the shipper comprising:
a plurality of walls that are compostable or recyclable, the plurality of walls including four side walls, a ceiling and a floor that provide exterior faces of the bulk shipper and enclose an interior volume to hold goods to be shipped, at least each of the four side walls including
an inner sheet and an outer sheet, both formed primarily of paper pulp fiber, an outer surface of the outer sheet providing an outermost surface of the bulk shipper that is exposed to an environment exterior of the bulk shipper, an interior surface of the inner sheet defining the interior volume, the inner sheet and the outer sheet each having a thickness of 0.7 mm to 10 mm,
a filler material of paper pulp fiber formed into a body and sandwiched between and substantially filling the space between the inner sheet and the outer sheet, wherein the filler material is completely enclosed, wherein fibers of the body of the filler material are looser than the fibers of the inner sheet and the outer sheet, wherein the inner sheet includes a flat inner main portion and the outer sheet includes a flat outer main portion and the flat inner main portion and the flat outer main portion sandwich the filler material to form a generally planar body having a length of at least 2 feet, a width of at least 2 feet, and a thickness of 0.5 to 10 inches, and wherein at least one of the inner sheet or outer sheet includes a rim extending at a right angle from a respective main portion toward the other of the inner sheet or outer sheet to form an edge of the generally planar body between the flat outer main portion and the flat inner main portion and to cover the filler material along the edge;
wherein the side walls are secured to each other by mechanical clip fasteners to form the bulk shipper as a generally rectangular right prism having an interior volume of at least 8 cubic feet; and
a pallet supporting the plurality of walls.