Packaging in Supply Chain

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The Environmental Implications of Packaging

Most people in today’s society are increasingly leaning towards the awareness of environmental sustainability; with many advertisement and campaign being made to raise consciousness on purchasing an eco friendly products and foods (Ross, S & Evans, D 2002). As a result, many companies are trying to reduce their environmental impact and carbon footprint on their packaging materials There are many benefits from using sustainable packaging materials, by using the term eco friendly, the materials that are used will also be minimized, which will lessen the cost spend on the packaging. Moreover, looking from the economic side, the companies will also gain a positive reputation that consequently attracts the investors and the consumers (Edwards, A.J 2004). However, sustainable packaging is different from environmental considerations for packaging, sustainable is related more on producing a biodegradable materials which involves the materials that will be decomposed by natural process. Thus, when developing these materials, the cost incurred will be greater than using the standard one. As a result, companies with obstructionist strategy will try to use the cheapest materials available to maximize their profits which in turn will cause environmental hazard by the increase of packaging waste and unrecyclable materials; plastic, soiled paper, and waxed cardboard are the examples.

Packaging Design for In-transit and Packaging for Display

As previously mention before, there are several types of packaging divided by its functions; each type of this packaging serves different purposes. Certainly, packaging design for In-transit will require the design to be durable, heavy-duty, and withstand damage until it’s arrived at the destination; these aspects are important to the products since it will lose the value if it’s being damaged. Nonetheless, the packaging for display will prioritize on the aesthetics aspects of the products; an unappealing design and shape will make consumers reluctant to buy it (Engelseth, P 2005).

Conclusion

On the whole, designing and choosing the correct packaging for the products are essential; since it is one of the important part of the integrated system in the supply chain. It is important to understand the differences between each function of it; by selecting the proper packaging, cost and liability can be minimized and companies will be able to gain positive images on their products brand; these benefits will also affect the economy profit of the companies.

References

Bowersox, D, Closs, D & Cooper, M 2007, Supply Chain Logistics Management, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, Boston, pp. 238-241.

Edwards, A.J 2004, ISO 14001 Environmental Certification Step by Step, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, pp. 1-5.

Engelseth, P 2005, The Core Role of Packages in Logistics Networks, IMP Group, Rotterdam, viewed 24 March 2015, http://impgroup.org/paper_view.php?viewPaper=4685.

‘ISO standards tackles inaccessible Packaging Designs’ 2011, Official Board Markets, vol. 87, issue 36, p. 6.

Lambert, D, Stock, J & Ellram, L 1998, Fundamentals of Logistics Management, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, Boston.

Regattieri, A & Santarelli, P 2013, The Important Role of Packaging in Operations Management, InTech Open Access Publisher, viewed 24 March 2015, http://www.intechopen.com/books/operations-management/the-important-role-of-packaging-in-operations-management>.

Ross, S & Evans, D 2002, ‘The environmental effect of reusing and recycling a plastic-based packaging system’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 11, issue 5, pp.561-571.

Verghese, K & Lewis, H 2007, ‘Environmental innovation in industrial packaging: a supply chain approach’, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 45, issue 18/19, p4381-4401, viewed 25 March 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207540701450211>.

‘World standards on packaging and the environment progressing’ 2011, Food & Beverage Packaging, vol. 75, issue 5, p.20.