What is packing and why it is necessary?

Author: May

Mar. 07, 2024

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Tags: Packaging & Printing

Packaging, whether it is a food packaging, cosmetics packaging, electronics packaging or packaging of a piece of clothing, it has a purpose why it is there.

Take a moment to memorize the last item you bought. Was it something to eat, to drink, to apply or to wear?

Now that you have the item in your mind, could you tell what impression its packaging brings to you? What image comes first to your mind? Do you think about its safety, design or looks? Or maybe its temporary role as a protector of its contents?

What is similar with different everyday products is that inevitably they come in some sort of packaging. Packaging has many different roles. These include providing protection, safety, enhanced usability, attractive looks, optimal design and specific customer requirements, to name a few. However, what is often perceived with packaging, is single-use purpose. Packaging is there to fulfill its mission – one time only. Either it is pulled off in order to start using the product it holds inside, or it is thrown away as soon as the packaging content runs out. The result is the same. It is there just temporarily.

There is no doubt why packaging waste has become a big global problem. Our single-use culture has radically increased the amount of packaging waste we create by person on a daily, weekly, monthly and annually basis. Plastic, as a packaging material, causes harm to the environment by polluting the natural landscapes, decomposing into tiny microplastics and ending up to the oceans and marine biodiversity. Growing number of businesses, organisations and academy are trying to find renewable and more sustainable replacements for conventional packaging materials that can be fully and safely reused, recycled and decomposed.

Today, the everyday products have short lives but long-lasting impacts. Increasing materials circularity will decrease the amount of single-use packaging and increase the materials’ life cycle.

Next, I list the five most important reasons why packaging is important. Once you have read them, let me know in comments what do you think?

1. Protection

The primary purpose of packaging is to protect its contents from any damage that could happen during transport, handling and storage. Packaging retains the product intact throughout its logistics chain from manufacturer to the end user. It protects the product from humidity, light, heat and other external factors. This is the most important purpose of packaging. Because of that it is not unusual to end up with far more packaging than the actual product. Especially when ordering items from online stores. The amount of packaging waste the product leaves behind can be really staggering. All in all, packaging’s purpose is to protect, but there is a difference between an intelligent and well-designed packaging and a packaging with no fit-to-purpose design.

2. Safety

Above all, packaging has an important role in keeping its contents and consumers safe. Packaging should contain important information of the product and its safety. For example, for food products the packing date, best before date and a list of ingredients must be clearly visible on the packaging. No harmful chemical, smell, or taste should transfer from packaging materials to the food whether it is produced from virgin material or recycled material. Moreover, it must become clear from the packaging if it contains toxic substances. All these pieces of information add the product safety for the consumer. Too much information is always better than no information at all.

3. Attractiveness

Packaging counts an important part of the product brand and marketing. A unique packaging can increase the product attractiveness and thus affect to the willingness to buy the product. Packaging is as important as the product itself. Its purpose is to stand out from the shelf or website, enhance sales, provide relevant information on the product and augment interest. Two thirds of people say that the packaging has an effect on their buying decisions. A packaging can also tell a whole story about the business behind the product and the product’s environmental, social and economical impacts. It is a tool to communicate company’s values and great benefits that the product brings to the consumer.

4. Usability

Consumers are looking for fit-for-purpose packaging. They demand a functional, “life-saver” packaging that is incredibly user-friendly. The usability of the packaging is judged by the consumers only. A packaging which is simple to open and close, easy to fold and sort after usage, and which can be reused or recycled will satisfy some of the consumers’ requirements. In addition, optimal design enhances usability. Today’s trend in packaging usability has been seen to change direction from single-use culture back to buying products in bulk, in reusable packaging and own containers like before 1960s. Environmentally conscious consumers already bring their own empty jars, bags and containers to go to grocery shopping. Thus one big challenge remains in packaging usability. How many times the packaging can be recycled and is it made as simple as the consumer require?

5. Sustainability

More and more consumers are paying attention to the packaging materials’ carbon footprint, re-usability and recyclability before making their buying decision. In fact how sustainable packaging is perceived, the more positive impact it has to the sales numbers. The packaging design has a crucial role in defining how easy it is to separate the materials from each other and thus how easy the packaging is to reuse and recycle. Making more with less not only saves resources but also leaves less material for the consumer to handle properly.

Consumers are increasingly conscious about the environmental impacts of their actions. They evaluate the carbon footprint of the packaging before buying a product. The labeling on the packaging which gives clear information on the product’s and packaging’s environmental impacts and recyclability, will definitely catch consumer’s eye positively.

Closing the loop in packaging industry

A good packaging is fit-for-purpose, protects its content, saves resources and minimizes its carbon footprint by using energy efficient mode of production and sustainably sourced raw materials. In order to achieve this criteria, we cannot forget the importance of the optimal design, user-friendliness and effective materials cycle to reach the perfect environmentally friendly packaging.

Product packaging has many important functionalities. Now, is all packaging problematic? The answer is pretty clear. No. Packaging is a necessity for a range of different everyday products. Consequently, more innovative, reusable and sustainable packaging are being created every day. That is the current direction. Another direction is bringing your own bags and containers, in other words, reusing what you already have, and buying more products in bulk.

What a diversity of purposes a packaging can have. If you are interested to read more about recycling and waste management, check out my recent blog post here. In addition, if you want to have a good sense of what circular economy is and what opportunities circular business model provides, read my blog post Circular Economy – a Trillion-Euro Opportunity.

After all the packaging and especially plastic waste is an issue. The more you buy, the more you waste. So simple is that. Let’s choose to buy less and embrace the sustainable lifestyle together!

Packing in the warehouse is usually the operation that follows order processing: once picking has been completed, the operators carry out the tasks of packing, wrapping, and packaging to then ship the products to the end customer.

The packing operation is key for companies because the package is the first physical interaction of the customer with the goods they have purchased. In a logistics environment with increasing numbers of smaller orders, the packing process in the warehouse has become more crucial in recent years.

Packing in a warehouse: what does it involve?

Packing is the process of wrapping and packaging the items that make up an order. The main function of this operation is to foster the correct distribution of the products and to guarantee the safety of the goods during transportation. Poor packaging, wrapping, or packing of orders can lead to errors, delays, or losses in deliveries and affect your company’s logistics service.

The packing phase usually involves three operations:

  • Packaging: products are individually placed in containers or receptacles such as cans, bottles, jars, or aseptic cartons.
  • Packing: items are packed in a larger unit (e.g., cartons, containers, etc.).
  • Wrapping/load securing: the products are protected within an even larger unit load — e.g., strapped to pallets — to facilitate transportation.

Efficient packing operations increase productivity in the supply chain. Proper packing, packaging, and wrapping make storage and transportation of the goods in and out of the warehouse quicker and more agile.

How is packing done in a warehouse?

The packing operation is normally performed as follows:

  • Step 1: once picking has been carried out, the products are transferred to the packing area, where the items that make up each order are placed into the appropriate units.
  • Step 2: the operators secure these unit loads, using different materials depending on the type of product. For example, very fragile goods such as glass cups require bubble wrap and fill chips to protect them during transportation.
  • Step 3: once all the packaging is complete, operators enter the required data into the system to generate a delivery note with key information such as the list of items, weight, volume, and final recipient.
  • Step 4: operators print out the necessary documentation for each order, which is attached to the package for subsequent shipment.
Warehouse management software controls packing operations in a warehouse

Warehouses usually have an area dedicated to product packing and wrapping. A packing station helps operators place items in the assigned bin for subsequent dispatch. The design of this workstation depends on the volume of orders to be packed, the number of operators involved in the operation, and the nature of the items stored in the facility.

In addition to implementing an ergonomic packing station, companies often digitize the organization of packing, packaging, and wrapping operations to boost performance and eliminate the risk of errors.

Software for packing in the warehouse

A warehouse management system (WMS) organizes all the operations to ensure smooth, efficient, and trouble-free packaging, packing, and load-securing. The WMS optimizes routes and guides operators in packing operations through precise instructions via RF scanners, voice-picking devices, or workstations equipped with the software. During the packing process, the warehouse management software also automates the printing of essential documentation such as the shipping label or delivery note for each order.

The flow of goods to the packing stations can be automated using conveyors

Warehouse management software such as Easy WMS by Interlake Mecalux parameterizes the different packing methods based on the requirements of the logistics manager, the customer, or the assigned carrier. The WMS software coordinates operator tasks and the movements of the automated elements to increase the flow of products to the dispatch area. For example, the software manages the movement of the conveyors for boxes to supply the packing stations and subsequently transport the goods to the loading docks.

Easy WMS has a wide range of modules to meet the specific needs of each facility. The advanced Multi Carrier Shipping Software module increases the throughput of the packing, labeling, and shipping process in the warehouse. The module guides operators, showing them which items to pack and whether to do this as a single unit load or multiple ones. While the products that make up the orders are being packed, the software communicates with the selected transportation agency in real time to transmit shipment information.

Examples of packing with Easy WMS

Easy WMS coordinates and streamlines packing in warehouses in all types of sectors. Here are just two examples:

  • Aghasa Turis (Spain): at the company’s logistics center, the Mecalux WMS streamlines packing operations, indicating to operators which items to pack and in what order depending on their weight and size. The company dispatches 95% of orders within 24 hours and error-free, thus meeting the demands of its customers. Easy WMS enables Aghasa Turis to efficiently manage dropshipping dispatches. The software enables products to be packed in customer-specific boxes with packaging adapted to direct shipment.
  • Stand-Privé.com (France): the French fashion e-commerce retailer has a large area for packing 2,600 online orders per day. Easy WMS sends instructions to the operators on how to pack the products and generates and prints the labels to ship the orders. The orders are grouped by delivery agency so that when the carriers arrive, they only have to pick up the packages. “Our priority is to prevent errors and guarantee customer satisfaction. With Easy WMS, operators no longer make mistakes, and we’ve minimized customer returns,” says Julien Wang, founding partner of Stand-Privé.com.
Mecalux ‘s Easy WMS coordinates product packing in the Stand-Privé.com warehouse

Packing for an efficient warehouse

Efficient packing fosters error-free logistics. There’s no point in having productive picking methods if procedures are not in place to increase throughput in packaging, packing, and wrapping. Warehouse management software such as Interlake Mecalux’s Easy WMS streamlines the picking, packaging, and dispatch of goods to ensure on-time deliveries.

If you’re interested in boosting your warehouse performance and avoiding errors in operations such as packing, don’t hesitate to contact us. An Interlake Mecalux expert will advise you on the best logistics solution for your facility.

What is packing and why it is necessary?

The importance of packing in the warehouse

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