Bulk packaging in North America consists of expendable packaging – paper gaylords – which have been around for quite some time, and reusable packaging. At ORBIS Corporation, we view paper gaylords as something that shouldn’t be reused. And if they are reused, as we’ve occasionally seen in the market, it can’t be done with any longevity.
We recognize that a better path toward a more sustainable supply chain starts with reusable packaging. Our integrated portfolio of products and solutions enhance supply chain efficiency and sustainability-driven return on investment (ROI). This includes sleeve packs, whose long service life and durable construction reduce environmental impacts while optimizing space and reducing logistical costs. Let’s explore using sleeve packs as an alternative to paper gaylords.
Strength and safety limitations of paper gaylords
Paper gaylords are porous; as such, they will absorb moisture from direct water contact or atmospheric humidity. The paper softens, reducing the gaylord’s load strength which can become a major cause for concern. For example, in a bulk container application, when stacking heavy weights for use in a trailer, or stacking in a warehouse, this loss of strength can create a catastrophic failure and cause potential worker injury. Paper gaylords with high moisture permeation can also lead to infestation. Pests are attracted to moisture and like to inhabit the nooks and crannies within open paper flutes – the internal core of the paper.
Sleeve packs, in comparison, are made of non-porous plastic that, in addition to offering hygienics for food applications, can be easily cleaned, and won’t absorb moisture. So, when our customers use a plastic sleeve on day one, it will be the same on the 100th and 500th day.
Sleeve packs offer application durability
Sleeve packs offer quite a bit of application versatility and are heavily used in both the industrial automotive and retail supply chain segments. Sleeve packs work well with lightweight components like plastic closures or blown bottles and long-distance freight lanes. A popular sleeve pack application in the retail supply chain segment is transportation of inbound packaging used for food, beverage and consumer packaged goods products.
Any major retailer who is distributing goods directly from a distribution center to a brick-and-mortar store can utilize sleeve packs to ship mixed loads of full cases or split-case totes to meet demand. Sleeve packs are especially helpful for automotive aftermarket or DIY hardware stores which typically have multiple miscellaneous-sized goods. A bulky good that might not fit into a tote can be placed in a sleeve pack container, protecting the good for transport damage and still provide a returnable packaging asset that provides good trailer utilization, helping to meet operational savings and sustainability goals. Sleeve packs also work well for the automotive and industrial space, given the ease of customizing container heights and the multiple lightweight components that go into an automobile.
Sleeve packs are also safe and convenient. Our 1200 x 1000 OPTEBULK™ sleeve pack is offered in different height styles and sleeve features and includes a patented locking mechanism, locking the sleeve to the pallet. When removing contents out of the container, dumping equipment typically is used that rotates it 180 degrees. The locking mechanism keeps the container contents together and, unlike other industry locking mechanisms that require getting down on hands and knees, it can be operated from a standing position, helping prevent potential worker injuries. And, unlike paper gaylords, where you have leaning stacks that could be a safety risk, sleeve packs provide secure stacking – six (6) high when full and 12 high when collapsed.
Sleeve packs demonstrate ROI over time
When asked why they’re still using expendable packaging like paper gaylords, businesses will often respond they’ve looked at switching to returnable packaging but couldn’t see the ROI to make that purchase. But those that do reuse paper gaylords, which are not designed to be reused, will likely be getting limited returns and incurring hidden costs noted earlier associated with their porous surfaces, potential load strength reduction, and risk for contamination.
Returnable packaging like sleeve packs, on the other hand, is an upfront capital investment that reduces packaging costs per trip through reuse, demonstrating its ROI over time. Sleeve packs, which can be collapsed down for storage and handled easily, are space-efficient and specifically designed for returnable transport. For example, a major sleeve pack attribute is offering a higher cubic volume in a trailer than alternative rigid plastic knockdown or steel containers, by offering a higher cubic volume per container. Additionally, sleeve packs can get up to 266% more collapsed containers per trailer for a return shipment. This reduces the transportation costs that are vital to any ROI, making Sleeve Packs particularly useful for high volume applications with quick return loops.
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