Ecological Packaging

Plastic Packaging

The logistics industry is starting to see clearly the benefits of using returnable transport packaging systems.

Compared to single-use packaging, returnable packaging makes it possible to optimize the supply chain, making it more efficient and respectful of the environment. Although this type of packaging requires an initial investment, it is usually amortized in the first few months and achieves significant savings in logistics costs. Check it out by calculating how much you can save per year with returnable packaging.

There is a wide range of returnable packaging solutions for every need. We have already explained which are the commonly used returnable wooden packaging and which returnable metal packaging is the most widely used.

In this post, we will explain the most frequently used returnable plastic packaging and its benefits.

Properties Of Returnable Plastic Packaging

Plastic is one of the most widely used packaging materials. It stands out for its lightness, resistance, and high protection against external factors such as humidity, temperature, or microorganisms. Therefore, all these innate characteristics have made it an essential package for the food, agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors.

The plastic packaging can be easily handled. And due to its durability, it constitutes a returnable packaging with an excellent performance/price ratio. More so now, when due to the scarcity of raw materials such as wood and the rise in market prices, it is a very competitive product.

What Are The Most Common Plastic Returnable Packaging?

The most used returnable plastic packaging models are:

• Collapsible plastic boxes
• Collapsible and returnable plastic packaging
• KTP- Returnable Plastic Packaging
• KTP Collapsible and returnable plastic packaging
• Plastic pallet
• Woodyplast packaging fences

In short, there are different returnable plastic packaging that can be an efficient and cost-effective alternative to your conventional packaging system.

Metal Packaging

Although less used than other packaging materials such as wood or plastic, metal has a series of properties that make it an interesting packaging for transport.

Added to this is the already established trend of the industry to commit to the circular economy and sustainability in its production processes; starting from the basis of ecodesign to its after-sales service.

From the point of view of protection, metal packaging stands out for its durability and resistance, being a guarantee in the case of goods that have to undergo long periods in storage and transport. For this reason, metal packaging is common in the automotive industry.

From the point of view of sustainability, metal is 100% reusable and recyclable, and its properties remain unchanged for a long time.

It is estimated that 80% of all metals ever produced are still extant. This makes it an option to take into account when assessing it as returnable packaging.

The most frequently used returnable metal packages on the market are:

• Returnable metal packaging Products of the company Dajusa and CarrosPF
• Returnable metal packaging – Product of Cargo-Cart
• Returnable metal packaging – Product of Cargo-Cart
• Flight Case Product by Thomann
• Metal pallet, returnable metal packaging. Product of exportaglobal.co.uk
• Metal pallet – Returnable metal packaging. product of exportaglobal.co.uk

Not all returnable packaging is profitable for all companies. Contact packaging professionals who can study whether it is feasible to replace your current packaging with returnable packaging to optimize your supply chain.

Wooden Packaging

Returnable packaging is a solution that more and more companies are incorporating into their supply chain for its environmental and economic benefits. Depending on the material, we can classify the different types of returnable packaging into three groups: wood, metal, and plastic.

Advantages Of Wood As Returnable Packaging

Due to its resistance, wood continues to be one of the most used materials in packaging for the transport of large or heavy goods. It also acts as a thermal and acoustic insulator and is highly resistant to fire. It is a durable, reusable, and one hundred percent recyclable material. For this reason, wooden packaging is considered one of the most sustainable and of the highest quality for export.

In this regard, it must be remembered that wood packaging for export is regulated under the International Regulation on Phytosanitary Measures NIMF-15/ISPM-15, which requires its treatment to prevent pests.

What Are The Most Used Returnable Wood Packaging For Transportation?

There are different types of returnable wooden packaging to adapt to any merchandise. The most common are:

• Reusable and removable wooden box
• Wooden frames

This returnable wooden packaging solution stands out for its simple anchoring system and for its ability to be reused. The fence is foldable, which represents an efficient alternative when it comes to saving costs on storage and transport.

It is an economical, resistant, and durable packaging model since it can have a useful life of up to 10 years. It is replaceable. If a frame is damaged, it can be quickly replaced by another with identical characteristics.

To prevent the entry of dust or rain, there are covers specially designed for this product. It is available in standardized sizes and allows custom manufacturing.

Sustainable Packaging For A Greener World

Since ancient times, man has needed to protect his belongings. The way to do it has been evolving according to the appearance of new materials, the nature of the asset to be protected, and the economic and social context of the time.

It is considered that the first cardboard box was invented in China in the 16th century, although it was not until the end of the 19th century that it became popular as we know it today.

With the second Industrial Revolution, the use of cardboard to pack goods spread, while new materials such as metal or plastic appeared to meet the demands of freight transport.

Cardboard Packaging

With globalization in the second half of the 20th century, packaging became a key part of the supply chain. Over the last few decades, containers made of different materials have been used: cardboard, glass, wood, metal, plastic, biopolymers, etc.

However, the scarcity of resources and the threat of climate change have forced the industry to look for alternatives to the usual packaging, without forgetting its purpose of protecting the merchandise.

With the turn of the century, the packaging, transport, and distribution sectors face a new challenge: the demand for sustainable packaging systems, driven by environmental regulations and the preferences of an increasingly eco-conscious consumer.

What Does Sustainable Packaging Mean?

Sustainable packaging pursues greater planning in the life cycle of the container. To do this, it is based on the principles of the Circular Economy: redesign, reduce, reuse, repair, renew, recover and recycle. In practice, this means minimizing the amount of raw material in our packaging that can be recycled or reused.

Thus, we will talk about sustainable packaging when:

• Limits the weight and volume to the minimum necessary in boxes, pallets, or containers to protect the merchandise
• It is made with ecological materials such as cardboard or recyclable plastics. If wood is used, it comes from sustainable logging forests
• It can be reused for the same purpose or recycled to generate new materials
• It does not generate polluting or dangerous waste for the environment or people
• The inks and paints used are of ecological origin

What Are The Benefits For Companies Of Using Sustainable Packaging?

In addition to preserving the environment, sustainable packaging brings benefits to the companies that use it. Lower consumption of packaging implies savings in raw materials and other processes derived from transport and logistics, such as the reduction of times in internal movements and a lower need for storage space.

The less consumption of packaging, the less waste. To this must be added that if the packaging is reusable and/or recyclable, the company can generate new profits, transforming or selling said waste to other organizations, which can use it in their internal processes or as raw material.

Do not forget that consumers trust environmentally responsible brands. Companies that use sustainable containers and packaging see their image and social reputation strengthened.