Every year, at least 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean, which has resulted in businesses changing their operational processes to become more environmentally friendly. With less than a fifth of all plastic being recycled globally, 170 countries have pledged to “significantly reduce” the use of plastics by 2030.
With consumers becoming more aware of the issues around single-use packaging, businesses need to be doing more to eliminate plastic from the beginning of the operational process. By doing this it would help reduce the 40% of plastic packaging that is disregarded after just one use. Supply chains are largely underestimated and a major contribution to plastic waste, with McKinsey saying 90% of companies’ impacts on the environment come from supply chains. Returnable packaging is the route more and more companies are taking to stay in line with the green shift.
Over the last few years returnable packaging manufacturer, Loadhog has seen its customers increase investment, not only in its reusable packaging range but especially in products made from recycled material. As a company it uses around 3780 tonnes of PP per annum and almost every product in its range can be manufactured from recycled material. The in-house testing facility has been investigating how it can maximise the percentage of recycled material embedded in its reusable solutions as well as look into expanding what types of recycled material feeds can be incorporated into its products. Therefore not only do Loadhog’s solutions remove carbon from supply chains year on year, but the initial carbon rating of the product has now also been minimised.
The Loadhog Pallet Lid is one of the company’s most sought after single-use packaging replacers, a perfect eco-friendly reusable substitute to stretch wrap and now it can be manufactured with recycled materials. Sky has committed to be carbon zero by 2030, and the group, therefore, tasked Unipart Logistics to remove all single-use plastic from their supply chain for the movements of Sky products. With the implementation of the Loadhog Pallet Lid, Sky managed to eliminate 10.2 tonnes of plastic wrap each year, which is the equivalent of 79,200 pallets of single-use plastic.
Along with helping to prevent plastic from entering the oceans and landfills, Loadhog’s multi-use solutions are capable of doing numerous trips whilst safely securing goods. Compared to single-use wrap, the Pallet Lid lasts up to 10 years and can be serviced regularly to extend its life span. The Pallet Lid can be set on top of any load and provides a safe system for transporting goods on a pallet, Pally or Dolly. With the pallet sleeve innovation, the load no longer needs to be flat, and the Lid can secure various loads and containers across a range of sectors and its supply chain needs.
Sky is not the only forward-thinking company looking to become greener, sooner rather than later. Sustainable concerns are on the rise and issues around single-use plastic packaging are becoming more apparent, driving action towards a circular economy. The Global Circularity Report states that only 8.6% of the world is circular meaning the other 90% of raw materials used globally does not make its way back into the economy.
The EU’s new circular action plan is just one of the many worldwide strategies to create a cleaner planet and Loadhog’s returnable solutions are a step closer to making supply chains greener. The international group, Böllhoff, have been able to optimise their supply chain in all aspects through the application of Loadhog solutions. The company has eliminated plastic stretch wrap, reduced working hours and transformed into a circular supply chain, resulting in a huge saving of €125,000 annually.
The Pallet Lid was the first product Loadhog designed and manufactured, and some would even say it was ahead of its time. Becoming an increasingly popular solution in forward-thinking supply chains, Loadhog invested in two of the largest moulding machines they own, developed by Engel which uses Mucell technology to form the products.
Loadhog originally targeted the UK market, which was producing 220,000 tonnes of stretch wrap every year. Since then, the Pallet Lid range is now globally recognised and the company manufacturers UK, Euro, Half Euro and US footprints and is also able to develop custom sizes. The robust pallet lid solution has retractable straps and an integrated tensioning mechanism that creates waste-free security, helping closed-loop supply chains become more sustainable while saving time, money and labour. The Pallet Lid has been known to increase vehicle fill by up to 40%, and when used in conjunction with the Pally, this system provides a better footprint than a roll cage.
Source: Loadhog