Reusable Packaging News
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superior product protection and ventilation of reusable containers.
The Importance of Repeated Reuse
The fact that reusable packaging can be reused on multiple occasions is not in itself a compelling argument, however – an understanding well known by industry providers. The possibility of reuse is no more convincing than the argument that ocean plastic is recyclable. Recyclable plastic is still in the ocean, strangling turtles and being ingested by fish, as too many photos graphically display. The value of reusables, at risk of stating the obvious, is in their repeated reuse. Steps to ensure successful reuse and end of life recycling help differentiate reusable plastic pallets and containers from the supermarket plastic trash generation that is currently in the crosshairs of UK lawmakers. Successful asset management is crucial.
Plastic reusable packaging provides important contributions to sustainable, cost-effective supply chains. Pressure from the current plastic backlash should give providers and users pause to ensure that their plastic packaging is long lasting and well managed so that it stays in service and is not swept up in illicit back-alley grinding schemes or otherwise lost from useful service.
Through demonstrated successful reuse, the reusable packaging industry clearly distances itself from the current backlash. Given our current environmental concerns, reusable packaging is more important than ever. With plastic squarely in the glare of public scrutiny, we are afforded the opportunity to explain how reusable packaging is different than the disposable plastic currently dominating the headlines, and as such, promote its use in support of sustainability.
Photo credit: ORBIS Corporation
(original equipment manufacturers) frequently face difficulty in getting the right packaging to the right place at the right time.”
Automotive industry and packaging suppliers are working at new optimization best practices in response to these changes. And related to visibility there is the additional opportunity for IoT in automotive to consider, and what role packaging will play in its deployment.
A Global Industry, More Concentrated Supplier Base
Coming out of the global recession of 2008 and 2009, the automotive industry was increasingly taking on a new look. North American suppliers have traditionally held the top supplier rankings.
“In 2001, North American suppliers took 54% of the 80 top-five spots but only 34% in 2011 — and this share has been declining year on year,” a 2015 automotive industry report from EY noted. “The market share concentration around the world has also changed dramatically as larger suppliers have bought up smaller ones. This means that, in today’s automotive industry, there is less room for small regional suppliers. This trend is expected to become more pronounced over the next five years as suppliers take further cost-cutting measures and consolidate to become more competitive.”