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Sustainability and distribution package testing

New distribution packaging might be green, but that doesn't mean it can do the job.

By Sterling Anthony, Contributing Editor

The purpose of distribution package testing hasn't changed: to measure the packaging's ability to protect against the hazards of the distribution environment. What has changed, though, is that the quest for greener distribution packaging is mandating that testing be performed with greater frequency and increased precision.

Greater frequency is a mandate stemming from a core concept of sustainability, namely, that sustainability is never achieved once-and-for-all, but rather is approached through constant, incremental improvements. Distribution packaging (a.k.a. transit packaging) is more than just a corrugated box and interior packing, for example. It includes pallets, slip sheets, strapping, films, netting, returnable containers—even methods of blocking and bracing within the transportation vehicle. Any greener version of any component should be tested for its effect on overall distribution packaging performance.

Increased precision is a mandate owed to the fact that sustainability and profitability are dual, simultaneous pursuits; hence, the objective of sustainable distribution packaging should be protection and overall performance at optimal cost and at a level valued by the consumer. It equates to increased revenues and reduce costs, and therefore to increased profits.

Traditionally, distribution package testing has been performed less frequently than testing associated with the design and function of the primary package, the simple reason being that new or redesigned primary packages come down the pike more frequently. By contrast, it's common for the same shipping box to accommodate a variety of primary packages.

The infrequency of distribution package testing is further attributable to the practical benefits of standardization. Distribution packaging should yield savings and efficiencies not only in transportation, but also in material handling and storage. The dimensional and load-bearing limitations operating in those three areas generally are accepted as fixed, and the distribution packaging is designed around their dictates. When distribution packaging elements—such as the shipping box, pallet pattern, and unit load—efficiently utilize the transportation mode, handling equipment, and storage facilities, those elements are then standardized.

As such, there's a built-in disincentive to change the distribution packaging, once a company believes that it has packaging that performs reasonably well in that capacity. That translates to a disincentive to conduct further distribution package testing. Additionally, some companies don't test at all: Why incur unnecessary costs in the absence of unacceptable damage levels?

Benefits exceeding costs is what every company wants whenever those two factors are evaluated; however, regarding distribution testing, the evaluation isn't always carried out as far as it might be. A major reason is that distribution packaging often is regarded as insurance against the unknown contingencies of the distribution environment. The thinking is, better to have a cushion (literally and figuratively), especially in consideration of the loss of goodwill that damaged shipments can produce. ... Read more