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The Challenge of Package Design for Liquids in E-commerce

The e-commerce or direct-to-consumer supply chain is particularly challenging for liquid consumer packaged goods. A collaborative effort is working to solve this problem.

Beverages are some of the most common package leaks in e-commerce.
Beverages are some of the most common package leaks in e-commerce.

Speaking at the ISTA Forum last week, Lucy Pierce, Project Coordinator at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), joined with Eric Hiser, VP of Standards & Certification at ISTA, to discuss design and testing for liquids. While designing for the direct-to-consumer supply chain can be challenging for any packaged-products, it’s especially hard for those that contain liquids, and it was for this reason that the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) brought together a diverse group of industry partners to collaborate on understanding challenges, identifying potential design considerations, and enhancing design validation methods.

“Preventing damage in e-commerce is much more difficult than traditional brick and mortar stores. While all products in the e-commerce setting are more susceptible to damage, liquid consumer packaged goods or CPG products are especially prone to damage and can have significant consequences when damage occurs,” said Pierce. “Leakers can slow down productivity, increase labor, there can be damage to other shipper’s packages, there is potential damage to the equipment at the facilities, disposal costs go up, and it may create an unsafe work environment for employees.”

Pierce added that based on research by UPS, every day there can be up to 10 non-hazard spills or leaks. At a minimum it takes about 30 minutes to clean up, and leaks typically spread damage to 2-9 surrounding packages depending on the size of the spill.

“Liquid products present unique challenges in shipment,” added Pierce. “For e-commerce there are more touch points, more drops/vibrations/compression, etc., there are environmental changes such as pressure, moisture, and temperature, and overall, more risk for damage.

Liquids are especially vulnerable to damage and ‘leakers’ – which can significantly disrupt distribution.”


Read article   Read Five Considerations for Preventing Product Damage Prior to Launch


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