Transportation Packaging

When it comes to sustainability, Pat Nolan, president of DDL (www.testedandproven.com), stresses package optimization, rather than simply source reduction. Quoting pending ISO standards from ISO TC122 SC 4, Nolan points out that “packaging plays a critical role,” and when appropriate, “is essential to prevent loss of goods.”

“Any time a company uses fewer natural resources, it is a good thing,” says Daniel Littlefield, a principal of Modality Solutions, a provider of cold chain management consulting for the biopharmaceutical, health, nutrition, and other industries. “Reusable packaging can be a good option, but companies need to do the math to ensure that it makes sense in all scenarios.”

Novation is working to replace “limited-life” transport packaging materials such as corrugated boxes, wood pallets, and plastic film with durable, reusable alternatives. Serving the members of VHA Inc., UHC, Children’s Hospital Association, and Provista LLC, the supply chain contracting company is working with Practice Greenhealth and the “Use Reusables” campaign, a joint project of public agency StopWaste.Org and the Reusable Packaging Association, with financial support from U.S. EPA’s Climate Showcase Community program.

Novation is working to replace “limited-life” transport packaging materials such as corrugated boxes, wood pallets, and plastic film with durable, reusable alternatives. Serving the members of VHA Inc., UHC, Children’s Hospital Association, and Provista LLC, the supply chain contracting company is working with Practice Greenhealth and the “Use Reusables” campaign, a joint project of public agency StopWaste.Org and the Reusable Packaging Association, with financial support from U.S. EPA’s Climate Showcase Community program.

By John V. W. Howe, COO/CTO, Intelligent Thermal Solutions LLC
and Dwight Musgrave, President, Thermal Visions Inc.

One of the most common mistakes in preparing products for the cold chain is using the wrong shipping profile, reports Gary M. Hutchinson, formerly director of global transportation at Amgen. “As a result, companies could be over designing or under designing their packaging systems.” Such a mistake means that companies could be spending far too much on their systems—or protecting their products far too little.