Pallets, open fronted storage bins and more - corrugated board in logistics

It's hard to imagine transport and shipping packaging without corrugated board. You encounter packaging made of this sustainable and flexible material almost every day. Have you ever thought about the role corrugated board plays in logistics? In this text we will introduce you to the possibilities of corrugated board in the logistics environment. You might be surprised how important the material has become for transportation.

What are the advantages of corrugated board in logistics?

Functioning logistics without corrugated board is no longer imaginable today.

Corrugated board brings with it certain material properties that make it useful for a wide variety of applications. The advantages of this material include:

High stability
Low dead weight
Adaptability due to different types of corrugated board
convincing sustainability
currently almost unlimited availability due to a closed recycling loop

Corrugated board cuts a fine figure as a material for pallets, for packaging cartons, for filling material or open fronted storage bins. Due to the different material thicknesses and the resulting flexible stability, corrugated board can be used in almost all logistics fields.

The low dead weight of corrugated board is a significant factor in the popularity of this material in logistics. Pallets made of corrugated board, for example, are very stable, but much lighter than wooden pallets.

With its convincing sustainability, corrugated board particularly meets the high requirements in terms of environmental compatibility and recycling.

Corrugated board accounts for a very high proportion of transport packaging. In percentage terms, the use of corrugated board has been hovering around 65 percent for several years.

Environmental experts welcome the increased use of corrugated board in the logistics industry. The material can help to raise the environmental image of the industry. Many stakeholders from the business and consumer sectors are not aware of how important corrugated board is in the entire transport sector, in online trade, e-commerce and increasingly also in freight forwarding.

Almost imperceptibly, a small revolution towards corrugated board has taken place in recent years. One can hardly escape amazement when looking at corrugated cardboard pallets and other logistics elements made of this material.

A look at sustainability and environmental compatibility

Corrugated board contains up to 80 percent recovered paper. The paper fibers can be recycled up to 25 times. Almost 100 percent of transport packaging is recycled. The material therefore has a high recycling rate and optimum environmental compatibility. The corrugated board industry calls it an ecologically valuable resource, and rightly so.

German corrugated board manufacturers rely on virgin fibers, which come from sustainably managed forests, for the last remaining 20 percent. From an ecological point of view, corrugated board is an almost perfect product. In the case of the wood used, preference is often given to broken and thinned wood.

Pallets from corrugated board

If, when you think of pallets, you think of the massive wooden pallets used in the logistics industry, you may wonder how corrugated cardboard can take the place of wooden pallets. After all, corrugated cardboard pallets are about 70 percent lighter than their wooden relatives.

Due to the fancy design and the use of special corrugated cardboard, these pallets can carry even heavy loads. A load capacity of up to 500 kg is possible. Therefore, for various reasons, corrugated pallets are an excellent alternative to wooden pallets:

They can be made from almost 100 percent recycled paper.
Their ecological footprint is lower than wooden pallets, they are lighter and thus reduce transport costs.
Pallets made of corrugated board are not subject to export restrictions as under ISPM15. Wooden pallets usually need to be treated separately for export to meet the requirements of international phytosanitary agreements such as ISPM15.
Pallets made of corrugated board can be used several times and 100 percent of them end up in the recycling loop after use.
They are a very inexpensive option, especially in large quantities.
Processing can make pallets of corrugated board waterproof.
Even a single transport employee can excellently move and handle the light pallets.

With its high load-bearing capacity and low dead weight, corrugated board makes an ideal pallet material.

Cardboard open fronted storage bins

Open fronted storage bins are mainly used to store small materials, for example to keep them ready for shipping in a warehouse. These bins are often made of plastic. This is not always an environmentally friendly and sustainable solution. In the entire logistics sector, corrugated board is making inroads into this segment as a sustainable and ecologically sensible option.

At the same time, open fronted storage bins made of corrugated board convince with further advantages:

The boxes are folded only when they are needed. This means that they take up less valuable storage space beforehand.
They can be produced in large quantities and are ready at any time.
Corrugated cardboard open fronted storage bins have a low dead weight and are easy to move. They can be designed to become insensitive to dust, dirt, liquids and oils. This makes them suitable for almost any storage environment and permanent storage.
Corrugated board can be made into a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Precise folding designs ensure boxes that always fit the application.

Other options for use

Trade associations are now talking about Corrugated Board 4.0 when they discuss the use of the material in logistics. This term is based on the fact that corrugated board is ideally suited to being equipped with new digitalization technologies. There is also frequent talk here of corrugated board being"the backbone of digitization" in the transport industry.

How do scientists and experts get so excited about corrugated board in the logistics environment? In the future, corrugated board can be equipped with electronic sensors that enable the shipping packaging to communicate with other elements. Behind this is, among other things, the trend toward smart devices and technical units that communicate independently with each other.

Auto-ID and RFID are sensory technologies that are already in use today and enable communication possibilities of previously unknown proportions. The wide range of sensors can be optimally incorporated into corrugated board in particular. At present, for example, fingerprint ID for corrugated cardboard packaging is still in the trial phase, but the trend is clearly moving in this direction.

The talking carton is therefore still a thing of the future. However, the entire logistics sector is relying on the sustainable and readily available material corrugated board to drive digitization forward. Corrugated board is thus breaking away from the image of serving only as a filler material or simple shipping packaging.

More and more important players in the logistics industry are turning to special packaging designs that are tailored to corrugated board, technically upgraded as needed, and take advantage of all the material's properties.

The possibilities of corrugated cardboard boxes to act as brand ambassadors and individually designed advertising space are also being used by more and more companies.

Corrugated board is part of logistics today - not just as a box per se

One would almost like to say that logistics is largely built on corrugated board. The present and future of the logistics industry are largely determined by corrugated board. The demand for corrugated board packaging is also growing globally, especially in the fast-growing online trade and e-commerce. If this material did not exist, it would have to be invented.

When it comes to sustainability, environmental compatibility, low dead weight and high flexibility, corrugated board is unbeatable. There is no end in sight to the enthusiasm for corrugated board as a material in the logistics industry. On the contrary, the corrugated board industry is ensuring that its packaging solutions are fit for the digital future.

Infographic: Packaging consumption due to transport and shelf cartons

The areas of application for corrugated board in the field of logistics are being expanded step by step. Just a few years ago, no one would have suspected that pallets could one day be made of corrugated board. Today, corrugated pallets are the norm. This trend will intensify because the requirements for saving gasoline and other energy sources are bringing corrugated board further into focus as a material.

A reduced tare weight can make a big difference when considering overall costs in transport services. Corrugated board makes the economic calculation fit for further savings potential.

To learn more about corrugated cardboard, you are also welcome to contact us!

Conclusion: Corrugated board is a must in logistics

Corrugated board is helping to shape the future of the logistics industry. With its many flexible processing options, it is carrying the digital revolution in particular. If more and more transport and logistics services are based on smart communications between technical units, corrugated board will have an even greater share of transport packaging in this context.

Corrugated board is a modern, sustainable and versatile material. No other material can currently convince in terms of sustainability and environmental compatibility to the extent that corrugated board can. It is worth keeping an eye on the further development of corrugated board in logistics.

Many surprises await us here, primarily when the material is adapted for the digital upheavals of the next few years. The smart future of the logistics industry is being shaped by corrugated board. And we can look forward to intelligent packaging. Made of corrugated board, of course.

FAQ

Why is corrugated board being used more and more in the logistics industry?
The material combines various advantages. It is flexible, lightweight and yet stable. Here it offers perfect protection with a convincing, sustainable profile. Corrugated board can be used to respond to newer developments, for example in the design of smart packaging.
Why is corrugated board more than just a packaging material?
Over time, the advantages of corrugated board became clear: The lightweight material can withstand high loads. That is why it is suitable as a pallet material, for example. It can also be made into a wide variety of shapes and sizes. It is resistant, resilient and can be used several times. It is also part of a closed recycling loop.
Will corrugated board play a role in the digitalization of the logistics industry?
This development is already underway. Packaging made of corrugated board can be equipped with technical sensors that communicate with other technical units. Smart packaging is hardly a major development step away. Corrugated board will play a major role in the digitized logistics industry.