Packaging is a must for products.
If your items are to hit the shelves in one piece and appeal to your target
consumer base, they must be neatly contained in appropriate materials. However,
packaging can be - and very often has been - taken too far. Partly, this has
been down to the proliferation of packaging options. Firms are now spoiled for
choice when they’re looking for materials to contain their products. This trend
has also been fuelled by the consumer desire for increased convenience. There
is high demand for pocket-sized products that are easy to open and consume or
use.
If your firm has fallen into the
trap of using excessive packaging, now’s the time to take action. After all,
this could be hitting your finances. As well as shelling out for more
materials, your transport costs could rise because of the extra bulk. Also,
people are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of packaging
and they are looking for firms to take a responsible approach. The good news
is, there are ways to cut packaging without sacrificing the overall look and
feel of products. All too often, companies use two layers of packaging when one
would be enough. For example, for some products, rather than putting
already-wrapped products in external packages, such as boxes, it can suffice to
use labels on internal packaging instead. High quality labels, such as
packaging labels, bottle labels and food labels, can be sourced from expert
companies such as Labels Plus.
The following examples should
provide you with some ideas when it comes to resolving your excessive packaging
woes.
Wal-Mart
One retailer that understands the
importance of downsizing packaging is Wal-Mart. The multinational corporation
set a goal in 2007 to reduce its use of packaging by five per cent by 2013. It
reached this target one year ahead of schedule. According to the company, it
achieved this success by adopting a “more holistic approach that considers the
environmental and economic impact of packaging” throughout the supply chain.
As part of its efforts to
streamline this side of its business, the firm managed to make its sauce
bottles 44 per cent lighter. It also cut its use of corrugated cardboard in the
transportation of processed meats by 26 per cent.
Staples
Also achieving impressive results,
office supply specialist Staples significantly cut back its packaging use
thanks to investments in state-of-the-art technology. The company installed
‘on-demand packaging’ equipment at a number of its fulfilment centres in the
US. The devices automatically create custom-sized boxes for every case of goods
deemed ‘less than full size’.
This has enabled Staples to reduce
its use of corrugated cardboard by over 15 per cent. Meanwhile, the business
has lowered its use of cut air pillows by around 60 per cent. In turn, this has
helped the firm to fit more orders into each of its delivery trucks.
Dell
Another large corporation that has
taken packaging seriously over recent years is Dell. The computer manufacturer
now ships nearly seven in ten of its laptops inside bamboo packaging. Because
it can grow very quickly, this wood is considered much more sustainable than
many other packaging materials. It can also be sourced close to the company’s
factories in China.
In addition, Dell has developed a
biodegradable, organic material that it says performs better in drop tests than
traditional Styrofoam. The innovative packaging product is made by combining
common agricultural waste products with mushroom spawn.
Partly as a result of these savvy
solutions, the business has managed to lower the size of its packaging by over
12 per cent. Also, it has increased the amount of recycled and renewable
materials it uses by 40 per cent.
Whether you’re looking to
revolutionise your firm’s approach to packaging or you simply want to make some
tweaks to help you achieve greater efficiencies, these case studies should
provide you with plenty of inspiration.
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