Looking to make your packaging system compatible with a better world? There are foundational approaches that will guide your journey and help make your products and their protection less taxing on the world around us. It starts with asking the right questions and keeping an open mind while you seek out answers.
A sustainable design process begins with one essential idea – less is more.
The best packaging achieves all of your goals with the most efficient use of resources possible. It’s not just about the package itself, but how the system works within the scope of the entire supply chain and fulfills all of its roles – containment, protection, marketing, customer experience – while minimizing its environmental impact and that of the whole supply chain.
It all comes down to a straightforward question: “Does that serve a necessary purpose?”
But even a simple question can have many permutations.
The process of a holistic package optimization project requires many versions of this simple question.
Can this piece of the packaging system be designed with less material while still accomplishing all of its functions? Suppose single-unit packaging features an interior box to fully insulate delicate contents from the sides of the outer box. Can this interior box be substituted with an insert – perhaps a molded pulp tray – that performs the same function at a lower weight?
Can we swap heavy cushioning and insulating materials for lighter ones? Items like RTA (ready-to-assemble) furniture often require multiple pieces of form-fitting dunnage to keep items from shifting in transit. Materials like corrugated board and molded pulp would seem to be the go-to “green” materials for these instances. However, would lighter weight but equally protective (and recyclable) foam be the greener, fuel-saving choice?
Can we reduce plastic content by exchanging plastic “clamshell” display packaging for paperboard? Small, decorative light bulbs are a great example of this. While standard LED and CFL bulbs typically sell in easy-to-open corrugated packages, smaller, specialty light bulbs often come in all-plastic or corrugated packaging with plastic product windows. While this last option effectively reduces plastic content, we can find a further reduction by forgoing plastic altogether with all-paperboard packaging with high-quality photo images.
These are but a few examples of how we approach the “less is more” question.
Once we pursue those immediate material improvements, we can then take a broader view of a product’s journey through the supply chain and better understand how the optimization of sourcing, freight, and associated logistics can further reduce its environmental impact.
What about in-bound materials that get delivered to the manufacturing plant, do all those packaging components need to be there? A hard look at this end of the supply chain can yield a substantial reduction of your ecological footprint. For example, a custom-engineered reusable packaging system can expedite shipment at the source and speed delivery to the production line while drastically reducing material waste.
Can you minimize CO2 emissions by logistically souring each component closer to the manufacturing process? Shortening the distance between your component suppliers and manufacturing is probably one of the most straightforward wins when it comes to reducing your carbon footprint. Despite the complexities involved in finding appropriate suppliers in the right geographies, this one well worth pursuing.
Can your packaging be made with renewable energy? Are you challenging and qualifying your suppliers on the eco-friendliness of their manufacturing processes? This factor can work hand-in-hand with sourcing from closer suppliers. An environmentally responsible, net-zero-emitting supplier that’s further away than a less eco-conscious one may be the best choice once you take total production-to-delivery CO2 emissions into account. An even better solution – challenge all of your suppliers to up their environmental game.
Once you have used the in-bound packaging, what happens with the waste it creates? Can it be reused for a circular system or turned back into a future resource? Try as one might, it’s impossible to eliminate all inbound packaging, so it’s important to put a plan in place that will see all of that inbound material is recycled, reused, or repurposed in some way.
For instance, packing foam from incoming parts can be repurposed to pack outgoing components. Misprinted cartons can be reversed, reprinted, and used. Plastic waste can be reclaimed and repurposed as “regrind,” – which can be mixed with resin or added to the molding stream on its own. These are all innovative ways to take what once would have been mere trash and return it to practical use. You save material, energy, and money – all at the same time.
When creating a packaging system that lessens the overall environmental impact, it’s essential to dive in deep and ask critical questions. To know the details of design, materials, sourcing, end-of-life, and how those decisions impact the overall alignment to creating a sustainable package and product.
Once you decide you’re ready to pursue positive environmental results in packaging, invite Chainalytics to help you design a plan for verifiable results with high value.
Chainalytics’ combination of packaging expertise and supply chain knowledge delivers packaging systems optimized for materials, design, and transportation efficiency. Reach out to us and see how Chainalytics can make your packaging system a great contributor towards your environmental goals. Using one-of-a-kind tools and repeatable fact-based approaches, we consistently deliver high-value, sustainable solutions for our clients.
Kate Barry, CPP and CAPM, is a Manager in Chainalytics’ Packaging Optimization practice. She focuses on developing and implementing environmentally responsible packaging solutions that reduce the carbon footprint on our Earth.
