One-way packaging: advantages and disadvantages

One-way packaging or reusable packaging ?

Which is the better option for your company’s logistics: one-way or returnable packaging? There is no universal formula. It all depends on the subject of activity of your company, on the specific order and your financial capabilities. We live in difficult times. The pandemic has led to an economic crisis. Russia and NATO are at loggerheads, and fuel prices are breaking record after record. At the moment, every expense matters (and one-way packaging is significantly cheaper when purchasing it).

Therefore, the logistics departments of companies must be very pragmatic and smart. In ZAMKO’s blog, we have often focused on the benefits of reusable packaging. But one-way packaging also has its advantages. What if we told you that cardboard pallet boxes could also be reused?

Advantages of one-way packaging

One-way or single trip packaging has many advantages and is the preferred solution for many industries, especially food, pharmacy, white and black appliances, and others.

1. Low-priced

One way packaging is many times cheaper than other types of packaging. This is because it is made of cost-effective materials that are very light (i.e. corrugated cardboard, or plywood).

2. Low weight

Low weight is perhaps the biggest advantage of single trip packaging. It reduces fuel costs during transportation. If you use it one-way, you will save a lot of money from back transportation.

3. The perfect choice for single trip shipments abroad

If you need to ship the product a few hundred or thousands of kilometers from your factory or warehouse, one way packaging is without a doubt the preferred solution. For sure when you ship single shipments to may different addresses.

For long distances, transporting reusable pallet boxes back to your warehouses and bases is not economically feasible (especially at current fuel prices). With one-way corrugated cardboard boxes or plywood boxes, there is no need to return empty containers that are part of the returnable “loop” of the supply chain. “Send and forget”.

4. Flexible and easy to manage

The material from which the one-way packaging is made (corrugated cardboard or plywood), determines the great flexibility it offers. If you operate with products of different sizes, one way packaging is the best option. The production of packaging of different sizes for your next product can be done almost immediately. You complete one order and can immediately execute the next.

Add ease of maintenance (when unpacking). The load is easily released, especially if the package does not need to be reused afterwards.

5. (NOT) Returnable Cardboard Boxes

The mistake is correct. Some companies use up to 5 times their one-way cardboard pallet boxes. But often do so in an opportunistic way that can endanger their load. At the same time, there are elegant and safe ways to reuse your one way corrugated boxes (up to 2 years). Like using Box Latch plus anchor. In this way, a simple corrugated box can be used many times.

Invaluable advices from ZAMKO

If you want to learn how to easily and safely fit corrugated cardboard boxes for your load for more than a single use, look for ZAMKO experts.

What are the main disadvantages of one way packaging?

Due to the material from which they are made, corrugated cardboard boxes are susceptible to damage, for instance caused by weather. The security of products and goods is not guaranteed as with reusable packaging. More packaging effort is also required. And fees are paid for the disposal.

References:

https://www.packworld.com/home/article/21121711/making-corrugated-boxes-reusable