How to Reduce Waste in the Packaging Process

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Packaging protects and preserves products during storage and shipping. Unfortunately, packaging material also contributes to substantial amounts of waste generated by the manufacturing industry. How can manufacturers reduce waste without compromising the integrity of their products? There are ways to cut down excess material to help reduce landfill waste and save money while keeping products safe and secure.

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Challenges in the Manufacturing and Processing Industry With Manufacturing Waste Management

One of the biggest challenges for the manufacturing and processing industry is the amount of waste generated from shipping and storage packaging. This waste adds to landfills and generates unnecessary costs for businesses. Companies must dispose of the waste they produce, and generating more waste increases disposal time and costs. Additionally, wasted packaging means the company paid for material it didn’t use, bloating the cost of operations.

Packaging is a vital part of manufacturing. The containers protect products inside, plus they perform advertising for goods on retail shelves. Higher volumes of sales correlate to generating more packaging and additional waste. How can companies cut down on the waste they generate without negatively impacting the way they ship their products? The answer to this question creates more challenges for the industry.

To reduce the waste generated, manufacturers may need to make significant changes to the way they package products. Such changes could also alter production lines to accommodate the new, minimized packaging. For instance, a company may need to opt for packaging that better fits the dimensions of a product with less empty space. The new containers may require adjustments to the equipment that boxes and seals the packaging.

Other forms of change may require upfront investments in cartonization software, new packaging equipment or alternative materials. Depending on the profit margins of a company, such investments may be difficult from a financial perspective. Making changes of any type presents a challenge to any industry. However, the benefits gained through reducing packaging waste make the effort worthwhile.

The Issue With Large Amounts of Waste

Packaging waste contributed 28.1% of the total waste generated in 2018. That year, individuals and companies threw out 82.2 million tons of packaging and containers. This substantial amount of waste takes up landfill space and requires more waste management resources.

The millions of tons of packaging do not have to become waste. There are ways to significantly reduce the amount of waste produced, including using recyclable products and more. Many types of packaging waste, such as metal and cardboard, can be recycled. However, some types of plastics cannot. In fact, only 9% of the 9.2 billion tons of plastic made has undergone proper recycling. Therefore, finding alternatives to non-reusable or non-recyclable packaging is essential to cutting down on waste.

Other issues with companies producing large amounts of waste include higher labor and disposal costs. Workers must handle the wasted packaging material, and the company must pay for proper disposal. With higher amounts of packaging waste come higher costs for both disposal and labor.

Another issue with creating large amounts of waste has been the increased consumer scrutiny about business sustainability. Cutting back on packaging waste can meet consumer and activist demand for less polluting operations. In fact, many governments around the world have responded to the large waste generation by banning certain types of plastics.

Benefits of Reducing Waste in Supply Chain

There are enough benefits to reducing waste in the supply chain that manufacturers should make it a top priority. The advantages of reducing waste offset many of the problems created by the production of packaging refuse.

  • Consumer favor: Consumers today have a greater appreciation for companies that prove themselves to be better stewards of the environment. One way manufacturers can showcase this is by reducing waste or using packaging that does not last for years in the environment. By showing a greener side, companies can gain an edge in the market with consumers who are concerned about the planet and reducing pollution.
  • Reduced costs: Companies can cut down on disposal costs of wasted packaging. In fact, it could save money in the future for businesses in the United States or those who manufacture goods overseas. Some countries, such as those in the European Union, South Africa, Japan and Brazil, have extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging laws. These laws require companies to pay for recycling or disposing of packaging from consumer products. Many U.S. states have similar types of laws under consideration, which could increase costs for businesses that don’t cut down on wasteful packaging or increase their use of recyclable packaging.
  • Reduced material needs: Reducing waste cuts down on the packaging materials a company needs to purchase. Reducing the prices for supplies ultimately can increase profits, as long as sales remain the same or grow. Plus, the costs of hiring extra workers to handle the garbage also decreases when cutting down on packaging and waste.

While there are several advantages to cutting down on waste in the supply chain, businesses need practical ways to enact packaging waste reduction.

How to Reduce Packaging Waste in Manufacturing

There are several waste materials that can be reduced in packaging to cut down on pollution. Evaluating the type of packaging used is the first step manufacturers should take before determining ways to cut down on wastefulness. For example, packaging that uses paperboard or cardboard is already recyclable, but it may be too large. Plastic packaging may need to have an alternative option that can better break down in the environment or be more easily recycled.

Consider these tips for reducing your packaging waste:

1. Use Biodegradable Filling Material

Packaging filler material takes up a lot of space. After unpackaging, the consumer throws this material away, creating waste. Choose biodegradable options such as plant-based packing peanuts or other filler material. Even if thrown away, these materials will break down in the environment faster.

For example, Styrofoam packing peanuts remain in the environment, and their low weight can make the wind blow them out of landfills, where they cause lasting pollution elsewhere. The phenomenon of garbage escaping landfills affects 19% of plastic waste around the world

Plant-based packing peanuts break down quickly and offer the same product protection and fill capability of Styrofoam. In fact, some companies, such as those in New York City, have to find alternatives to single-use Styrofoam due to the city’s ban on the product. Biodegradable packing peanuts offer an option for businesses operating in this city and others that institute similar restrictions on the packaging.

2. Choose Recyclable Fill and Packaging Containers

When biodegradable materials are not available, recyclable fill packaging and containers are other options. Consider recyclable corrugated wrap instead of plastic bubble wrap. The corrugated cardboard wrap is reused post-consumer cardboard, which may also be recyclable after use.

Other recycled fill materials include air pillows. While the pillows consist of a plastic exterior, they have air inside them to take up most of the space. Therefore, you use less plastic for filling the container and protect the products inside. Many air pillows are made with recycled plastic and some communities may accept the deflated air pillows for recycling. Consider the easiest-to-recycle materials for packaging. For instance, where feasible, use cardboard or aluminum over plastic. 

Unfortunately, even the most well-planned packaging that allows for consumer recycling will go to waste unless consumers know what to do with it. Consumers often feel confused about what they can recycle and how to do it. Include information about how to recycle the container and packaging with the product to make the consumer’s job easier. For example, if they need to rinse out containers or remove labels, include that information on the packaging. This information can increase the chances of consumers recycling the packaging.

3. Integrate More Scrap Materials

Find ways of reusing scrap materials. For example, shredded papers work well for packing filler in some instances. Many businesses generate shredded paper from destroying printed pages. The shredding process renders the information unusable. Reusing shredded paper this way is one way to get more use out of it before it ends up in landfills. Recycling facilities cannot handle the small bits of paper from a shredder and do not accept this type of paper.

Other uses of scrap materials may include choosing products made from recycled materials, such as post-consumer cardboard. Finding shipping boxes made from recycled cardboard or paper is simple and cost-effective for many businesses. Recycled plastic containers or products are also a way to reuse scrap materials. In recycled plastics, the scraps come from elsewhere and are turned into pallets, crates or other containers for use, keeping the original plastic out of landfills.

4. Install Cartonization Software

Cartonization software is a solution many manufacturers use to redesign how they package their products. The software uses measurements of products to determine the best size of containers to pack them in to minimize waste. Using the software’s recommendations may require changing the types of packaging used or the sizes. Over time, the savings in materials and reduced waste will add up.

Additionally, cartonization software can determine the methods of palletization to get the greatest number of packages onto a pallet in a safe stacking arrangement for storage or shipping. Optimizing pallet arrangement can reduce the number of shipments required, thus cutting down on transportation-generated pollution and waste. 

The trick to getting the most from cartonization software is to provide the most accurate measurements of products to the program. Measure products multiple times before putting the numbers into the system to see the greatest savings in packaging costs and reduction of waste.

5. Improve Manage Material Resources

Making the most of material resources throughout the production and packaging processes to identify areas of improvement can cut down on waste. For instance, do packages have extra components that workers need to remove and discard before using the containers? Are there waste materials generated from production that the facility can reuse or recycle? 

Even for facilities that frequently recycle, cutting down on waste in the first place will reduce the efforts and costs of recycling extra materials. Becoming more aware of waste in materials management can reveal areas for easy improvement and more efficient operations.

Material Handling Solutions to Cut Down on Packaging Material Waste

Becoming a greener company also requires manufacturers to cut down on the packaging material waste for shipping and storage. Options for recycled products for handling materials or goods that can be recycled at the ends of their lives reduce the waste generation of a facility beyond the product packaging used.

1. Recyclable Plastic Slip Sheets

To save space once dedicated to pallet storage, slip sheets offer a solution. They also provide a way for material handling to cut down on waste. Plastic slip sheets take up less space than pallets. Plus, they are fully recyclable once they’ve reached the end of their usefulness. Until then, facilities can reuse them multiple times.

These slip sheets also benefit shippers by cutting down on the weight and volume of shipments. They require less space than pallets and weigh less. Plus, they make loading and unloading trucks easier.

2. Recycled Material Pallets

Plastic pallets made from recycled materials help to reduce manufacturing-generated waste by turning plastics into reusable, durable storage pallets. As storage facilities recognize the superior performance of plastic pallets, they move toward using these and others for storing and moving goods. Plastic pallets are ideal for food storage because they can go through washers and dryers to sanitize them. The plastic construction also will not warp or become brittle from use in cold storage facilities.

3. Recyclable Freezer Spacers

Freezer spacers allow for improved air movement between products stored in cold storage. When used in blast freezers, they cut the chilling time needed by up to 30%. These spacers have either plastic or aluminum construction. Both plastic and aluminum freezer spacers are recyclable, returning the materials back to the supply chain and cutting down on waste from product handling.

Both plastic and aluminum freezer spacers are washable and sturdy. For faster chilling, aluminum freezer spacers offer an edge by directly conducting the cold to the products that sit on them. However, plastic freezer spacers have a variety of designs to accommodate different needs, including nestable options for space-saving in storage.

Find Solutions for How to Cut Down on Packaging Waste From Cherry’s Material Handling

Cherry’s Material Handling has options to help you cut down on packaging and shipping waste. Our solutions can help you become better environmental stewards while still packaging products for safe shipping and storage. We have standard and custom options for environmentally friendly material handling at any type of facility. For more information about our solutions to cut waste packing material, contact us online or call 877-350-2729 today. 

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