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The Difference between Recyclable, Biodegradable and Compostable Packaging
In this age of information, many people have become aware about the benefits of packaging which can help in keeping the environment clean. Different channels are doing their job in spreading awareness about greener packaging options. People have also started using terms such as recyclable packaging, biodegradable packaging and compostable packaging. Many people interrelate these terms with each other but the matter of fact is that all of them are different from one another.
Recyclable packaging
Recyclability refers to the ability of a packaging material to be used in a different way after it has served its primary purpose. The main purpose is to keep the packaging away from the landfill for as long as possible. However, there are limits regarding how many times a packaging can be reused. Some packages can be reused for a specific number of times before they become unusable. On the other hand, the materials such as glass, aluminum and other metal packages can be used indefinitely.
People are also become quite conscious about the recycling of materials. About two-third of British people tend to recycle the packages. The remaining people do not have any idea if a product package can be reused.
Biodegradable
When a material is biodegradable, it means that it is made to break down on its own due to bacterial interaction and/or specific weather conditions, Biodegradability of a material seems quite greener feature of that material but it is not the case every time. Different biodegradable materials require different conditions to fully break down. When we talk about biodegradable plastic, we need to keep it in mind that this material requires specific conditions to biodegrade. Moreover, the biodegrading process of this material can lead to the emission of harmful elements which may not be quite good for the environment. Good thing is that biodegradable plastic decomposes much faster than the traditional plastic. If the emission of harmful elements is taken care of, it is certainly the material which can be used to reduce packaging wastes.
Compostable
The most common material used for compost comes from cardboard boxeS. Compostable packaging options can be quite helpful in reducing the packaging waste. The reason is that the material turns into compost after it has served its primary purpose. Good thing is that the process of conversion of a material into compost is not a toxic one. Still, not every compostable material is suitable for home consumption. If you plan on using compost prepared from the packaging materials, you need to make sure that you get the material certified before doing so.
Improving Productivity While Reducing the Packaging Costs
With an increase in demands, it becomes important to pay special attention to the manufacturing and packaging process in order to fulfill the orders that you get. In this scenario, it can be easier to lose grip of the process and let the customers wait for their orders to be fulfilled. Moreover, you may not be able to maintain the quality of packaging with a surge in demands if you try to ensure fulfillments of all of the orders. These are the factors which can badly affect your reputation.
In this scenario, it gets really important organize the entire process of supply chain so that the customers don’t get distracted from your brand. Moreover, you will want to make smart use of the materials so that your business remains profitable for you.
With the growing challenges, you need a game plan to go ahead with the packaging of your materials. A few tips are worth mentioning in this regard.
Reducing the picking times
The picking of orders basically refers to the procedure of collecting goods from the warehouse to fulfill customers’ orders. If you do not have a bigger staff to deal with the warehouse operations, you can consider automating the package retrieval system to ensure smooth packaging operations.
Now, the cost of automation may seem a bigger one but it is basically an investment that you make to ensure ease in future operations. Another major benefit of this automation in retrieval systems is that you will be able to reduce the picking times in the way your business needs.
Fulfillment area of the warehouse
This aspect is hugely related to the layout of your warehouse. If the layout is poor, the packaging operations are going to be affected, especially when there is an increase in demand. Therefore, you have to make sure that all of the packaging benches in the warehouse are nicely organized so that the packers won’t have to move much in order to get required supplies.
Reviewing the packaging process
Take a look at the number of packs and pallets being prepared in a span of one hour. Look at the operations to find if there is any room for the improvement to speed up the operations while making sure that the quality of packaging is not compromised. For instance, you can go for the boxes that do not require taping. Such boxes include seal strips which make the opening of the boxes easier. These seal strips also make the sealing much easier.
Packaging automation
As mentioned above, packaging automation is an investment which may seem bigger at first but it is something which eliminates the need of many other resources which can be quite costly. Moreover, the automation ensure consistent packaging without the quality being compromised.