Logistical efficiency is about both incoming materials, used to produce packaging materials, and outgoing product-packaging combinations, including all transport packaging materials.

Incoming logistics
The efficiency of the incoming materials depends largely on the type of packaging. The delivery of empty bottles is less efficient than that of flexible packaging materials on a roll. In the latter example, a lot more units of packaging can be transported per truckload. In most cases, it is possible to affect the efficiency with your packaging design, for example by:

• Using packaging materials that are transported in flat form and given their 3D shape during the packaging process. Examples include boxes, flexible packaging materials on a roll, and thermoformed trays that are made from a flat sheet of material and then sealed right away.
• Applying standardisation and the reduction of the number of variants that go with it. This can have a positive impact on the efficiency of the supply and it may reduce stock volumes. Ordering larger quantities often has a positive effect on the costs and efficiency of transport and storage. It is often possible to further personalise packaging materials at a later stage using labels or inkjet printing.
• Using preforms, for example PET bottles, which can be inflated during the production process.
• Making packaging components nestable, so they take up less space during transport and storage. For nestable packaging materials, you can also consider lowering the pitch, so a stack of material takes up even less space.
• Limiting transport distances.
• Using reusable packaging components, for example pool pallets and crates, for the supply of material.
• Combining the supply and return of crates by using returnable foldable crates.

Outgoing logistics
By safeguarding the right storage conditions for – and efficient dimensioning of – the product-packaging combination, you can reduce energy consumption and limit the damage that occurs during transport. It is important to transport as little empty air as possible, to ensure you can carry as much product as possible per truckload for example. Collo-modular dimensions are an important tool with which to realise this. These are standard dimensions that facilitate an optimal fit in common packaging systems and on pallets.

Note that it is not always beneficial to make the packaging as small as possible. The important thing is that the packaging system fits onto the pallet as well as possible. Too much empty space on the pallet results in movement during transport, which significantly increases the risk of transport damage.

Examples

Below, you will find some examples of product-packaging solutions used for incoming and outgoing logistics which reduce the environmental impact and save costs.

Self-adhesive labels without backing paper
Belona produces linerless labels, self-adhesive labels without the famous yellow backing paper. This has reduced the amount of material used for these labels by more than 60%. Using the labels does not produce any waste. Read more.

Reusable bubble wrap made from recycled HDPE
For the production of bubble wrap, FP International uses 20% recycled HDPE. As a result, the company uses less virgin material. After use, the bubble wrap can be reused or disposed of as plastic waste. Read more.

Reducing CO₂ emission and saving on logistical costs with foldable multipacks
Colpac produces multipacks for the supply chain. These reduce the environmental impact by lowering CO₂ emission levels and allowing businesses to save at least 25% on their logistical costs. Read more here.

More product instead of air on pallets
To efficiently stack pallets with boxes of fries, Aviko reinforced the corners of its outer boxes and made them easier to fill. The latter not only makes the boxes easier to stack; it also ensures that less empty air is transported. In this manner, a reduced environmental impact and cost reductions go hand in hand. Read more.

Bag-in-box packaging reduces the use of plastic and saves on transport costs
Global Paint developed a bag-in-box packaging as an alternative to wall paint in a plastic bucket. This has eliminated the use of metal as a packaging material and reduced the use of plastic packaging material to 45%. Furthermore, this type of packaging can be stacked more efficiently during transport, which saves 36% on transport costs. Read more here.

Envelope around car windows saves on storage and transport costs, packaging materials used and waste produced 
Nissan opted to use an envelope as the packaging material for its car windows. Because the envelope encloses the window tightly and three times as many packaged windows can fit into a crate, storage and transport costs are reduced. The costs of purchasing packaging materials have also gone down, it has eliminated the transport of empty air, and dealers have to dispose of far less packaging waste after unpacking their car windows. Read more here.

Pallets made from old and new wood
Lapack Trade & Recycling saves 280,000 kilogrammes of new wood every year during the production of pallets by using “waste wood.” When delivering pallets to customers, broken and old pallets are taken back in exchange for a fee. Read more here.