As an alternative to molded paper pulp, foams and corrugate, Dell has begun using bamboo to package its Dell Inspiron Mini 10 and 10v netbooks. The bamboo substrate is used to cushion and protect the technology inside the outer box, which is made from 25 percent post-consumer materials. Bamboo is Dell’s sustainable material of choice, thanks to its fast regeneration, strength and environmental benefits (it’s said to promote healthy soil). Dell plans to expand its use of bamboo packaging to more products in early 2010. It also plans to reduce packaging volume by 10 percent, increase the amount of recycled content in packaging by 40 percent, and increase the amount of materials in packaging that are curbside recyclable to 75 percent, by 2012. (Bamboo packaging: Unisource Global Solutions, http://myugs.com)