Environmental Packaging Seminar Thursday, January 14, 1993

Transcription

1 Environmental Packaging Seminar Thursday, January 14, 1993 Mr. Charles Casey, United Foam Plastics Corporation * Changing Goals in Packaging Manufacturing and Engineering Meeting the New Packaging Challenge by Reducing Materials Targeting the Optimal Package How to Design for Material Reduction

2 UNITED '3- --.FOAM PLASTICS CORPORATION previous Total Package Considerations The packaging challenge to date has been to optimize total cost associated with the shipping function, which included such costs as materials, assembly labor, storage and handling costs, and the size of the package primarily for freight considerations. Typically, the cost of material has decreased with increase in cube size while freight has increased with increased cube size. (See graph #1> ChanghgGOals: Meeting the New Packaging Challenge Through Material Reduction The first step in the proposed packaging guideline established by The Institute of Packaging Professionals and CONEG, is material reduction (followed by reusability and then recyclability of packaging material.) -) As well as creating cost to the environment and the industries themselves, continued landfilling or incinerating will inevitably include cost to the end user. Material reduction in the packaging industry has evolved due to increasing costs of disposal, both to the environment and to the waste removal budget. Escalating fees are making waste removal too expensive to be considered as the only answer to packaging waste. Purchasing (and re-purchasing) decisions are based more and more on convenient and environmentally responsible disposal practices as well as product material and performance. The costs of disposal are now relevant in considering the total package, where previously packagers had only to worry about material and freight costs. Optimal point shifts toward smaller cube packages (i.e. less packaging material used.) See graph #2. How to Reduce Packaging Materials Packaging material selection - some materials per cubic inch provide more efficient cushioning than others...j For example: A twelve pound disc drive could be packed in three cubic feet of low density urethane or two cubic feet of high density urethane or one cubic foot of polyethylene. Less material is needed when packaging components are produced from resilient, dense foams.

3 UNITED FOAM PLASTICS CORPORATION Package design - appropriate material selection will allow for packaging design to use less material, while maintaining performance. Any material (foam, etc.) that is not required for product protection is removed. This requires a test lab where results can be verified and a number of different options can be tried. A Challenge in Material Reduction - Urethane Pack An end cap previously designed out of polypropylene was redesigned with a combination of materials: urethane and polyethylene. This enabled the g's to be reduced from the previous 55 to 60 down to 30. It also created a per part savings to the end user. The challenges with this pack were: To reduce the amount of packaging materials used. To make the packaging component out of reusable and recyclable materials so that it would be a candidate for the RE-SOURCE AMERICA re-use system. I> In other applications, source reduction has taken place and alleviated harmful materials, including adhesives and other unrecyclable material, by selection of the appropriate foam and skillful package design. In addition, the use of custom extruding can reduce fabrication scrap rate by as much as 30%. Material Reduction Goals The environmental issues facing us today are real. The fact that end-use customers are concerned about where packaging waste ends up is undeniable. United Foam Plastics Packaging Division's number one goal is to provide solutions in packaging that will maximize the benefit to a future customer's business. We are confident that some excellent solutions exist. Through the use of test labs, we are reducing the amount of materials used in packaging. Source reduction is the first step in an environmentally responsible packaging program and United Foam is committed to providing just such a program, with materials that are not only reduced, but reusable and recyclable, as well. 3

4 Previous Total Package Cost Considerations cost of Packaging Materials 0 cost of [> Freight Size of Cube graph #1

5 I - UNITED I D-I FOAM PLASTICS CORPORATlON Current Total Package Cost Considerations cost of Packaging Materials cost of Freight cost of Disposal Size of Cube graph #2

6 a MECHANICAL SHOCK The Rate at Which a Pack is Brought to a Stop (DECELERATION) 3 - Bottom out

7 TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE CUSHION PERFORMANCE Decrease rate of deceleration by increasing distance over which deceleration occurs. Reduce Mechanical Shock 000 Previous Bottom out (20% Decrease)

8 End Cap t \o 0 o/ U

9 - UNI- FOAM PLASTICS CORPORATION 3 - Corner Post Cushions r

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