BUFFALO GROVE, Ill.,
June 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- An
ocean reef made from a paper-based packaging structure? Not
what one would typically expect. But that's exactly what
visitors will see this summer at the Perot Museum of Nature and
Science in Dallas,
Tex.
HEXACOMB®, a BOISE® company, has donated several hundred sheets
of its honeycomb protective packaging material to the Perot Museum
to build Recycle Reef, a temporary summer exhibit which opens to
the public on June 17. Hexacomb honeycomb is being used to
fabricate an elaborate 4,000 square foot reef ecosystem—complete
with kelp beds, a shipwreck and deep sea sections. The
exhibit's foundation will be made entirely of Hexacomb, including a
shipwreck and kelp plants rising up from the sea floor.
Called Recycle Reef, the exhibit has been designed to promote
recycling and also allow visitors to actually participate in
creating the exhibit. A 2,000 square foot section immediately
outside the main exhibit, called the "making" area, will feature
tables and bins also made from Hexacomb. The area, stocked
with child-safe tools and recyclable materials, will be the place
where visitors can construct their personal masterpieces.
Examples include fish, corals and other marine life, which they can
choose to take home or add to the Recycle Reef. Every
evening, a fresh layer of Hexacomb kraft paper will be placed on
the tabletops so that the next day's visitors will have clean work
surfaces.
Hexacomb is made primarily from renewable wood fibers which have
been engineered into a proprietary honeycomb configuration. The
product offers excellent strength, superior cushioning and
blocking/bracing, and is typically used to protect a wide range of
durable goods in transit. These attributes also make it an
ideal material for a demanding structural project such as the
Recycle Reef exhibit.
"I had seen Hexacomb being used in packaging applications
before, so when we were evaluating options for building this
exhibit, the material seemed like a perfect choice to support our
recycling message. In addition to donating the material, Hexacomb
has provided technical information and fabrication
assistance. They have been a great partner throughout the
project," said Mike Spiewak,
director of exhibits, Perot Museum.
Recycle Reef is intended to be dynamic as the exhibit
evolves with each newly-contributed sculpture. In keeping with the
theme, the entire exhibit will be recycled after it closes on
August 25.
"Hexacomb is pleased to partner with the Perot Museum on an
exhibit that supports environmentally-positive messaging in such a
creative way. Customers in North
America and Europe
typically select Hexacomb for both its performance and
environmental attributes. We are thrilled that our material is now
part of an educational and interactive consumer experience," said
Darlene Kober, director of global
marketing and strategy, Hexacomb.
About Perot Museum of Science and Nature
The Perot
Museum of Science and Nature is a nonprofit educational
organization located in Dallas,
Texas, with campuses in Victory Park and Fair Park. In
support of its mission to inspire minds through nature and science,
the Perot Museum delivers exciting, engaging and innovative visitor
and outreach experiences through its education, exhibition, and
research and collections programming for children, students,
teachers, families and life-long learners. The $185 million Victory Park museum, designed by
2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Thom Mayne and his firm
Morphosis Architects, opened to the public December 1, 2012. The Perot Museum is named in
honor of Margot and Ross Perot, the
result of a $50 million gift made by
their five adult children. To learn more about the Perot Museum,
please visit www.perotmuseum.org.
About Hexacomb
Hexacomb, a BOISE® company, is a
leading supplier of paper-based protective packaging and display
boards. The company serves markets that value product protection
coupled with environmental sustainability. This includes furniture,
printing, automotive, textile, food, building products, energy,
glass, and industrial. Hexacomb has nine manufacturing plants in
North America and three in
Europe. For more information about
Hexacomb, visit www.hexacomb.com.
About Boise Inc.
Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Boise Inc. (NYSE: BZ)
manufactures a wide variety of packaging and paper products.
Boise's range of packaging
products includes linerboard and corrugating medium, corrugated
containers and sheets, and protective packaging products.
Boise's paper products include
imaging papers for the office and home, printing and converting
papers, and papers used in packaging, such as label and release
papers. Our employees are committed to delivering excellent value
while managing our businesses to sustain environmental resources
for future generations. Visit our website at www.BoiseInc.com.
SOURCE Hexacomb