Chemical Engineering July 2014 - 26

Dow
Newsfront
Finding the
Balance in
Packaging
Packaging and distribution methods can
provide both safe and sustainable transport
T
he word " sustainability " is used
a lot, but for many businesses
and industries it is increasingly
becoming a challenge
that must be taken seriously. As
customers, large retailers and endusers
continue to demand sustainable
practices, packaging and products
from their suppliers, chemical
processors must start to change the
way they package and deliver their
goods, incorporating methods that
encourage recycling, less waste and
a cleaner carbon footprint.
Sustainable distribution can be
a somewhat elusive and confusing
term, but its definition is essentially
twofold - first is selection of the
proper packaging for the product,
second is understanding how to use
available materials or products in a
way that is more sustainable and environmentally
friendly.
The number one priority of any
packaging is to ensure that the product
gets to its destination - be that
another business that will use the
product to manufacture something
else, the seller of the finished product
or the end-consumer - in the
same state that it left the processing
facility or warehouse. " Packaging
should prevent loss or damage
to the product, which is a result of
inadequate packaging, " says Phillip
Luijckx, marketing manager, Industrial
& Consumer Packaging for
Dow Performance Packaging (Houston;
www.dow.com/packaging). " You
don't need over packaging and you
don't need under packaging.
You want the right
amount of the right material
to be able to take that product
through the supply chain without
any damage or loss. "
Second, the most appropriate maFigure
2. The XFC PC-based control system allows
packaging solutions to fill the correct amount, while
reducing the amount of packaging materials used and
reducing energy consumption across the supply chain
terial for the application should be
selected, and it should be used in
the proper way to ensure the least
amount of environmental impact.
" For example, a lot of people make
the mistake of buying thinner gages
of stretch film thinking that it will
be lighter weight and create less
waste and will, therefore, be the
more sustainable choice, " notes Luijckx.
" However, they end up using
double the amount, which creates
the same amount of, if not more,
waste, so they haven't understood
how to use the material properly
or they haven't selected the proper
material. Being sustainable takes
education to ensure that you're
getting the most value from what
you're buying and that it is truly a
sustainable choice when it is used
in the way that you plan to use it. "
Victor Bell, president of Environmental
Packaging International
(Jamestown, R.I.; www.enviro-pac.
com) says finding the appropriate
balance between materials, product
integrity and being kind to the environment
is the real the challenge
processors face when instituting
sustainable packaging and distribution.
" A good example of a poor balance
is water bottles. People went
26 ChemiCal engineering www.Che.Com JulY 2014
crazy trying to make them thinner
and thinner and ended up with
bottles that punctured, broke and
leaked easily, and they became more
of a problem than not. Sustainability
went overboard, " Bell explains.
" What we try to explain is that
there needs to be a balance and the
initial concern should be for product
integrity, " says Bell. " A great example
of a balance can be found in the
food industry where a certain package
may extend the life of a steak by
three days. While this package may
require an extra ounce of packaging,
the amount of carbon footprint
that's avoided by not throwing away
that steak is much more significant
than the amount required to create
and dispose of that extra ounce of
packaging. It's really more about optimized
packaging than strictly environmentally
friendly packaging. "
And, Bell stresses the importance
for chemical processors to be sure
they have optimized packaging.
" When chemical manufacturers
consider sustainable packaging and
distribution, it is especially crucial
for them to first consider protecting
the product. Leaks and spills can
cause major problems if the product
is a chemical, especially if it is hazardous, "
he notes. " But at the same
time, the way the chemical industry
transports its raw materials and ingredients
often lends itself to being
Figure 1.
Dow's Elite Advanced
Technology
line of polyethylene
resins allows film
converters to deliver
smarter, more
advanced packaging
solutions
Beckhoff Automation
http://www.enviro-pac http://www.dow.com/packaging http://www.Che.Com
Chemical Engineering July 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering July 2014
