Green Packaging Initiatives Provide Cost-Savings
Is it another one of those Mondays when you’re starting the week looking for ways to cut costs? If so, then it’s time for your company to consider sustainable packaging initiatives. For proof, take a look at Ryan Humphrey’s article “Sustainable Packaging Initiatives Are a Viable Cost-Reduction Solution in a Downward Economy,” published a few days ago at IndustryWeek.com.
In the article, Humphrey, who is director of professional services at ModusLink, makes the case that a holistic approach to sustainability –one that includes an analysis of product packaging and supply chain processes –has financial benefits.
“The holistic approach affords visibility into the entire product lifecycle, from manufacturing and packaging, to delivery, recycling or disposition,” he writes. “When sustainable improvements are considered from this perspective, most organizations will realize a cost savings and positive impact on the bottom line.”
Humphrey then focuses in on how a company can launch sustainable packaging initiatives. He suggests following this 4D Methodology of Ergonomics, Cost, Sustainability, and Logistics:
Think of it this way: If you’re packaging is simpler and more compact, you’ll save money on
- material cost
- labor
- required warehouse space
- shipping
"We've seen cost savings in almost every project, by using recycled materials and increasing the product to package ratio,” says Ben Sligar, a global packaging engineer for ModusLink Global Solutions, in the article. “For example, by moving clients to a trapped paperboard blister design and away from traditional clamshells that are not consumer friendly, we are able to reduce the amount of plastic and package size while increasing pallet density. In 2008 ModusLink converted more than 100 million clamshells to trapped blisters and we see the trend continuing."
So, by pursuing sustainable packaging initiatives your company can: 1) make progress toward environmental goals, 2) improve customer appeal, and 3) cut costs. Sounds like a great way to start the week to me.
For more on green packaging and green shipping, see posts here and here.
Hi Tim, Great post! We concentrate on secondary packaging – things like corrugated shipping boxes and void fill materials. It’s sometimes hard to convince companies that sustainable packaging can and should be result in bottom line savings as well. The more we talk about it, the easier the job of changing long held assumptions about packaging.
1Hi Tim, Great post! We concentrate on secondary packaging – things like corrugated shipping boxes and void fill materials. It’s sometimes hard to convince companies that sustainable packaging can and should be result in bottom line savings as well. The more we talk about it, the easier the job of changing long held assumptions about packaging.
2When it comes to packaging we need to assure that the packaging that we will use is recyclable.It helps our mother earth from wasting materials.
3-Stephanie