Case Study #2 – Crownhill Packaging Ltd. “Greens” Up Your
Packaging – Biodegradable Air Pillows
Scope:
Being a distributor of health and wellness products this client is constantly shipping products nationally which are packaged in glass containers or other breakable containers. This particular client was also very focused on bringing their products to market in the most environmentally friendly packaging that would still effectively maintain the highest level of quality. This particular case study is an example of Crownhill Packaging Ltd.’s continuous effort to bring the most current and relevant packaging solutions to our clients. At the time of this case the client was using a packaging design which fit their needs, was environmentally friendly, and most importantly was cost effective. However, Crownhill Packaging Ltd. does not rest in our efforts to find the optimal packaging solution for any of our clients.
Current Package
The current package was composed of a corrugated master carton and multiple die-cut hexacomb pads. The customer was using the die-cut pads to layer the inside of their master carton which created a protective barrier between their interior package and the master carton. While this was an effective packaging solution from a multitude of perspectives it did require a significant amount of labor to lay the hexacomb pads into the bottom and sides of the master carton before actually placing their products inside.
CH Solution:
As we indicated in the first issue of Beyond the Package, hexacomb pads can be a unique and useful component of a packaging solution providing functional protection while being extremely cost efficient and environmentally friendly. However, our specialist came across a biodegradable air pillow system that we felt would help not only optimize the package but also help refine the clients packaging process. The solution would require the automated air pillow system to be placed directly onto the clients’ packaging line thus allowing for easy insertion of the air pillows into the master carton. This system is controlled by a foot pedal which the operator uses to manage the amount of pillows that are delivered into a large bin. The air pillows are perforated every 16” which allows the operator to modify the length of the pillows depending on the needs of the package creating an even more flexible solution.
Benefits of Solution
1) Improved Environmental Marketability
- The biodegradable properties of the air pillows make them a superior green product in comparison to regular poly-based cushioning products. This allowed the client to market their accomplishments in providing their products to their end-users using the most environmentally friendly methods.
2) Packaging Process Optimization
- The introduction of an automated machine created an increase in productivity which far surpassed the previous hexacomb based process. These improvements provided significant labor cost savings to the client which helps to improve bottom-line results.
3) Reduced Physical Footprint
- Space is at a premium for any business in today’s environment and the introduction of the air pillows provided insurmountable space savings at the client’s site. The new biodegradable air pillows are delivered and stored in roll form, they only become inflated once they are activated by the machine thus they significantly reduce the amount of pallets required for storage. In this case 1 pallet of air pillow rolls was equal to 5 pallets of the hexacomb pads.
4) Material Cost Savings
- After reading about all of the benefits that this product brought to the client in this situation one would think “what is the premium I have to pay for this product?” However, on top of all the aforementioned benefits this product was also much more cost efficient from a material cost standpoint providing an even stronger case for consideration by the client.
