When it comes to the sustainable use of plastic, often what comes to mind is recycling it. However, as the packaging sector is one of the largest consumers of plastics, this material also is helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the industry by reducing carbon dioxide emissions during transportation.
“We have seen, through data proved by ORBIS RPM [reusable packaging management], that customers have plastic packaging in their supply chain that is 20 years old and has traveled 100 plus loops through the supply chain,” says Christopher Wood, pallet product manager at ORBIS Corp., Oconomowoc, Wis. “This sustainability of plastic packaging compared to a higher damage rate on wood packaging has allowed our customers to be more efficient for their operations and sustainable for the environment.”