some transportation problems,” Johnson says. “As industry moves and things change, and you switch from hardwood virgin paper to soft wood to recycled, the quality of the fiber strands, the amount of glue, and the structure of the cardboard can be affected to the point where boxes do not perform as well as they used to.” Similar challenges can emerge with using recycled plastic or recycled fiberboard that must meet both performance and environmental standards. Many manufacturers and other parties are swiftly trying to refine their packaging systems as a result. In addition, some shippers face stiffer requirements related to the protection their packaging provides while being transported. “We see a lot of that, which isn’t a bad thing,” Johnson says. “Recognizing that packaging needs to perform a certain way during transportation to protect the public needs to be ingrained.” For packaging providers and their clients, now is a time of testing new techniques, processes, and materials to explore usability and performance. The challenge can be especially steep for hazardous materials transportation. “There’s a heightened awareness to try to use sustainable products for hazmat transportation, but not all the recycled sustainable products requirements are able to protect dangerous goods in transportation without compatibility or performance issues,” Johnson says. “You still need a package strong enough to protect the public from the risk or hazard an item represents in transportation while at the same time is cost effective, easily available and usable, and doesn’t create massive amounts of waste in the process,” he adds. ECOMMERCE AFFECTS REGULATIONS AND COMPLIANCE The growth of ecommerce caused many companies to seek help learning about regulations that apply specifically to ecommerce-related packaging. “One of Labelmaster’s big projects has been helping people develop their ecommerce programs and helping them
Labelmaster’s new Capsuloc reusable, plastic hazmat shipping container provides a safer, more convenient way to ship flammable liquids and other hazmat compared to metal paint cans that leak, dent, and require tools to open and close.
being used but all areas of the supply chain that the packaging touches.” Some new, sustainable packaging materials can be more expensive and not perform as well as previous versions. At the UN subcommittee meeting, Labelmaster arranged a presentation on aligning dangerous goods regulations to support sustainable packaging systems—a particularly difficult challenge. “It’s certainly a mandate from everybody we’re dealing with globally to provide easier package sustainability and recyclability, but sometimes you can’t do that with dangerous goods because they react negatively,” Johnson says. “But there are attempts to adjust insulated packaging, chemical packaging, and infectious packaging to be able to better provide safety for the public.” Aligning protection and sustainability will continue to require adjustments. The safety of those handling and transporting the packages—as well as the public along the way— remains paramount. “In some cases, sustainability causes
Macfarlane also has seen that sustainable packaging is “a huge priority” for retailers, Fellows says. “Once viewed as a commodity product, more businesses are seeing the potential environmental savings that the right packaging can offer,” she says. “On top of this, consumer pressure is mounting for businesses to continue to swap for sustainable packaging alternatives.” REDUCING PACKAGING, IMPROVING PROTECTION Mcfarlane’s 2022 Unboxing Survey revealed almost one-third of consumers will not buy again if the retailer does not use sustainable packaging. “We see this manifest with more retailers considering the total carbon dioxide emissions of their packaging throughout the entire packaging lifecycle,” Fellows says. “Solutions are centering around reducing packaging materials while improving product protection,” she adds. “When weighing the swap to sustainable packaging alternatives, it is important for retailers to consider not just the material
40 Inbound Logistics • August 2023
Powered by FlippingBook