Closed-loop box reuse

Closed Loop Box Reuse, as opposed to closed loop recycling, is the process by which fiberboard, (also called cardboard) or corrugated plastic containers are reused before they are transported to recycling centers or disposed of in landfills. Efficient and secure closed loops are difficult to generate with single package shipping from vendors to consumers (B2C). Thus, the closed-loop box reuse term applies primarily to the movement of goods between one or more spots on the same business property or, in a B2B setting, between two or more premises where shippers routinely drop off goods and are readily able to pick up and return the same full or empty cartons to their origin. This is a form of reusable packaging.

The “closed-loop” phrase requires that temporarily closed or open boxes or cartons can move back and forth between various points in the supply chain on a regular basis without damage or destruction to their integrity from tape, glue, bands, or folded flaps.

Description

File:Close Loop Box Reuse Single Site Packaging Process.png

This single site box transport process illustrates waste that could be eliminated with environmental and financial savings to be with closed loop box reuse when boxes are not destroyed by tape.

This multisite, circular loop illustrates waste that could be eliminated with closed loop box reuse.

This multisite, circular loop illustrates waste that could be eliminated and savings had by implementing closed loop box reuse.

Corrugated plastic box can be used and reused many times. Most PSA tapes can be removed without damaging the surface.

When closed loop supply chains exist or can be created, cartons are frequently opened to remove contents for inspections, calibration, testing, quality assurance, powder coating or other purposes.

Flaps can be held open and down temporarily at this point for removal and/or insertion of goods using various types of clips, Hook-and-loop fasteners, tape, etc. They can also be stacked and stored open or moved about on carts while remaining open. When filled, the clips are removed and flaps on these cartons closed for transport to “work in progress” locations or manufacturing assembly cells via forklifts, or conveyor systems.

Their relocation may be within the same building, between buildings in close proximity, or back and forth between distant locations with regularly scheduled deliveries. In order for the closed loop to function, boxes require a removable and reusable device that clips the flaps open and/or latches them closed without damage to the contents or the cartons. Security in the B2B world is established by placing these cartons in sealed containers or on secured pallets.

At endpoints in these single or multi-site linear or circular closed loops, the devices are removed for reuse and boxes taped for shipping to their next or a final destination.

Alternatively, these fiberboard boxes may be collapsed with their closing devices attached and returned to the loop origin in a flattened manner. This reduces time and spares human injuries caused by cutting tape on tops and bottoms. It also lowers costs for freight and allows for speedy reconstruction of cartons in a tapeless, closed loop.

High quality corrugated boxes can now be reused dozens of times before disposal or recycling. This leverages supply chain cost savings at the same time it embraces supply chain sustainability.

History

The term “closed loop box reuse” was first coined by Jack D. and James F. Wilson, coinventors of supportive devices developed to keep cardboard box flaps closed or held open without the use of tape. The closed loop term describes a circular life for boxes and cartons made possible by the help of such supportive devices. These inventions have been developed and are sold by companies in the US as well as Japan.

Closed-loop box reuse is the process by which packaging materials can be used and reused to minimize waste. Similar and overlapping terms commonly used are closed-loop recycling, returnable packaging, reusable packaging, sustainable supply chains and circular economy. Laws have been passed in Maine and Oregon to make it the responsibility of producers of waste to pay into a fund based on the amount and the ability to be recycled of packaging associated with their products. These funds will be used to reimburse municipalities for eligible recycling and waste management costs, make investments in recycling infrastructure, and help citizens understand how to recycle.

A circular economy is a large-scale model that involves the sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling of existing material in a global environment. Reverse logistics is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (take, make, waste). It seeks to reduce waste, recover resources at the end of a product's life, and channel it back into production, thus, significantly reducing pressure on the environment. Closed-loop box reuse shares similar goals and perspectives but is specific to the circular life cycle of fiberboard boxes in systems where reuse is the focus.

Environmental impact

The goal of closed-loop fiberboard box reuse is to reduce waste and pollution. The supply chain accounts for more than 90% of the environmental impact experienced by most consumer goods companies, more than 800 million tons of cardboard and paper are disposed of yearly in the USA. Reusing one ton of fiberboard boxes saves 390 kWh of energy, 46 gallons of oil and 700 gallons of water.

Recycling (or reusing) that same ton of cardboard produces less than 50% of sulfur-dioxide than if made from raw materials and saves more than 9 cubic yards of landfill. In 2018, over 17 million tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in the U.S. It is the largest component of municipal solid waste.

Closed loop box reuse allows companies to meet their Circular Economy, ISO, Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing or Zero Waste goals. Closed loop opportunities exist in assembly lines, pick and pack fulfillment centers, kitting operations, warehouse management systems, and moving and storage businesses.