by 
The electronic industry may, at times, take packaging for granted. However, poor-quality boxes result in damaged products. Meanwhile, using more packaging is a poor choice for the planet.
A recent peer-reviewed study, commissioned by the Corrugated Packaging Alliance (CPA) and conducted by the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), finds that corrugated materials makers are scoring high in terms of reducing its environmental impact. Although aimed at the produce market, it brings up some interesting questions for the electronics industry around packaging.
Some stats:
- The corrugated industry has reduced its greenhouse gas (GHD) emissions by 32% between 2006 and 2010.
- The effect of nutrient releases on receiving water and soil decreased by 22% during the same period.
- The effect of particulate matter emissions decreased by 14% in that timeframe.
- The recovery rate for old corrugated containers (OCC) increased from 72% in 2006 to 85% in 2010
“We're very pleased about our reduced greenhouse gas emissions and overall environmental impact reductions, driven by our industry's historic commitment to continuous improvement and environmental stewardship,” said Dennis Colley, executive director of the CPA, in a press release.
The life cycle analysis (LCA) examined effects on seven environmental impact indicators: global warming potential (greenhouse gas emissions), eutrophication, acidification, smog, ozone depletion, respiratory effects, and fossil fuel depletion. It also considered four inventory indicators: water use, water consumption, renewable energy demand, and non-renewable energy demand.
The infographic below outlines the highlights of the study. Let us know your thoughts on how the electronics industry should be addressing the packaging industry? Where do you think corrugated fits in?
— Hailey Lynne McKeefry, Editor in Chief, EBN 
Corrugated packaging is definitely a great choice for as many uses as possible. The more plastic that can be avoided in packaging the better.
-Susan
This seemed like a double win to me. First, we are using more cardboard, which is certainly as you said better than plastic, but the cardboard is also getting more environmentally friendly.
Not too long ago, i was at a conference about the problem of counterfeiting in the electronics indstury. I learned something that i hadnt' known: that coutnerfeit packaging is a big problem. Vendors are sold boxes (some corrugated cardboard) and they are promised a certain thickness and the actual boxes don't meet the promised specs. In shipping, the delicate electronics inside are damaged. I wonder if this makes paper-based packaging more suspect in our industry. Any thoughts?
I love packaging from Digikey. It uses some special word for that and it has nice little note inside packaging. Good work at Digikey.
Welcome back, Hailey! 🙂
Yes, cardboard getting more environmentally friendly is wonderful in helping packing and the environment in many ways.
-Susan
_hm,
A word for packaging? What word and note? :/
-Susan
If packaging can be made geener especially the material used inside the box it will make so much environment friendly. Even a small component that get shipped uses lot of packing material. So it will definitely make sense. And sooner or later everything has to get greener. Recycling is the key.
These stats are very impressive. I wish other industries were as proactive and successful in reducing waste and improving efficiency. The improvements over the reported timeframe were quite encouraging.
Thanks, Susan. It's good to be back.
It's good to see you back. 🙂
-Susan
@Susan: Word is Geami. http://www.geami.com.
Geami is a hybrid word originating from the combination of the Greek word Geo for earth and the Latin word Ami for Friend.
@Flyingscott, I agree…both impressive and worthy of emulation. The electronics industry could make a real difference by moving in this direction.
Hailey, welcome back to the community. Hope your health is fine.
“The electronic industry may, at times, take packaging for granted. However, poor-quality boxes result in damaged products. Meanwhile, using more packaging is a poor choice for the planet.”
Hailey, we have to consider it in case to case basis. Package is meant for security of the content, for small and medium things, relatively small packages may be enough. But for glass or brittle items, good package is necessity.
Hailey, now Packaging Engineering is a specialized engineering branch, which entirely deals with how to make secure packing at economical range. Now a day's they are giving more importance to reusable and ecco friendly packing materials.
Thanks, Jacob… Glad to be back!
I was speaking to a logistics executive at Avnet recently and he told me about initiatives to provide resuable packaging (from pallets to boxes). He was saying that this is useful mostly with large customers who place regular orders. Otherwise the expense and overhead in tracking and storing packaging is prohibitive. However, it seemed like a move in the right direction.
“Thanks, Jacob… Glad to be back!”
How is your health
“He was saying that this is useful mostly with large customers who place regular orders. Otherwise the expense and overhead in tracking and storing packaging is prohibitive. However, it seemed like a move in the right direction.”
Hailey, there are two options; first is reusing the same package for packing other items and the second is bio cycling or re cycling the same to form new packing structure.
“He was saying that this is useful mostly with large customers who place regular orders.”
Hailey, other option is; if they are a regular customer, they can pack everything into a single container or package.
This extends beyond being a packaging issue and extends into logistics. The weight of packaging, the frequency of shipments and other factors also add to fuel consumption which in turn has environmental impact. I think that it is incredibly important to remember that this is a complex issue and that no one approach or aspect will be a panacea. At the same time, it's an important conversation to have.
“This extends beyond being a packaging issue and extends into logistics. The weight of packaging, the frequency of shipments and other factors also add to fuel consumption which in turn has environmental impact.”
Hailey, is packing comes under logistics. I think logistics will cover only shipment.
@Jacob, it hits the logistics function because the right packaging can reduce the weight and size of what needs to be transported. It can change the methods that can be used for shipment. There's definitely a link there.
@Hailey – I have seen reusable packaging used in tha past, although the driver then was probably the cost of the particular specialized packaging required. If packaging can be reused, it makes a great deal of sense to do so.
@Hailey – I have seen reusable packaging used in tha past, although the driver then was probably the cost of the particular specialized packaging required. If packaging can be reused, it makes a great deal of sense to do so.
” it hits the logistics function because the right packaging can reduce the weight and size of what needs to be transported. It can change the methods that can be used for shipment. There's definitely a link there.”
Hailey, thanks for the clarification. Ok, its a part of the system.
_hm,
“@Susan: Word is Geami. http://www.geami.com.
Geami is a hybrid word originating from the combination of the Greek word Geo for earth and the Latin word Ami for Friend.”
How nice. Thanks. 🙂
-Susan