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Click
Here for
MEMBERSHIP
INFORMATION
MEMBERSHIP
APPLICATION
Associate Membership
to the CCCA is open to any company actively involved
in the corrugated box industry by way of manufacture or supply
but does not operate a corrugator.
To
request an
information package, contact us by
e-mail:
or
write to:
CCCA
45 Sheppard Ave. E.
Suite 900
North York, ON, M2N5W9
or call us at:
Tel: (416) 590-9471
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CORRUGATED
Facts for Retailers, Growers, Meat Packers and Supermarket Chains |
| Among
the topics covered in this presentation are: |
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Why
Corrugated Containers make sense |
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Advantages
of corrugated from a cost perspective |
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Corrugated
versus plastic containers |
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Why
the Corrugated Common footprint is a good packaging solution
for fresh produce (corrugated versus RPCs) and case ready meats |
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Environmental
considerations |
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Corrugated
is a packaging made-to-measure solution, made to answer your
most exacting requirements from everyday transport boxes to
promotional boxes, to specialized boxes for merchandise requiring
optimal protection.
This summarized presentation looks at the inherent advantages
of corrugated, and discusses the
Corrugated Common Footprint with its distinct
modular characteristics. |
| Questions
often asked when considering to move away from a corrugated
shipping system to returnable plastic crate system are: |
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Does
it make sense to switch from a corrugated container system
to a plastic crate system: from both the practical and
economic points of view? |
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And,
what are the differences between a corrugated container
system and an equivalent plastic crate system? |
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For
the sake of argument, let’s assume the scenario that there
is a belief that replacing an existing corrugated container
system with a plastic tote system could save your company considerable
money.
There might even be a plan to use both a corrugated and plastic
system in tandem.
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| Here
are just some of the obstacles you could face: |
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If
you are using both corrugated and plastic, you would have parallel
systems to contend with. One of the biggest drawbacks of a plastic
tote system is that storage is required at both the user and
vendor locations. |
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Corrugated packaging takes up little room when it arrives at
the supplier in a knocked down, baled condition. It remains
cube-efficient until it is needed for the packaging of the product. |
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The administration of a returnable crate system requires detailed
monitoring of containers to ensure timely collection and delivery.
Ordering new crates and managing the necessary deposit/refund
accounting can be time-consuming and requires considerable financial
expertise. |
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Pilferage
of plastic crates remains a real problem because they make ideal
storage containers and can be costly if they keep going missing. |
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The washing of plastic crates, often with harsh chemicals, is
not particularly environmentally friendly! |
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Worn out or broken crates can not be recycled like corrugated
and most often land up in land fill. |
| Other
advantages of corrugated containers |
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It is engineered for stackability – as is evidenced with
the industry’s modular Corrugated Footprint Standard,
discussed later. |
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Corrugated withstands top and side pressure, is crush resistant
and passes burst strength testing. |
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It cushions and protects produce during shipping and can be
customized to provide extra protection if needed. |
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In some cases, fresh produce travels better in corrugated containers
than plastic because of better temperature control during shipping. |
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It
is highly “designable” and can be cut and folded
into an infinite variety of shapes. |
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Corrugated is impact, drop and vibration-resistant, yet light
in weight. |
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Innovations in flute design increase the number of structural
designs available to packaging designers. Jumbo-flute, micro-flute,
diagonal-flute, wave-flute (waves that go in multiple directions)
and double-fluted corrugated are just some of the recent advances
in flute design that offer structural and strength-to-weight
ratio advantages over other packaging materials. Since the fluting
is denser there is less ripple effect on the linerboard, making
the packaging more receptive to high-quality, direct printing. |
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High-resolution,
full-colour graphics can be printed directly on corrugated boxes.
Printing is readily available and at reasonable cost, even on
short runs which allows customers to advertise and label goods
in an attractive and cost-effective manner. We all know the
importance of advertising and that good graphics sell. Silk
screening directly on packaging is also available. In addition,
graphically pleasing corrugated containers can be used as in-store,
point-of-sale promotions. |
We
don’t want to send the wrong message here and acknowledge
in certain instances plastic crates make perfect sense for shipping
commodities, as in certain closed loop situations or short freight
distances.
So the bottom line is: Does it make sense to ship commodities
like fresh produce in Returnable Plastic Crate system instead
of using corrugated containers?
In reality, corrugated still remains the shipping medium of
choice. And, in recent years, the decision to stay with corrugated
has become even more attractive and advantageous with the introduction
of the Standardized Corrugated Footprint. |
The
Corrugated Common Footprint Standard is a modular corrugated
container system that allows containers to be stacked uniformly
on pallets with interlocking tabs.
The standard was initially applied almost exclusively to corrugated
containers used to ship produce from the growing or initial
packaging location to the retail outlets. However, its use is
now being expanded to other industries, like Case Ready Meats.
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| This
voluntary standard establishes industry compatibility and provides
a uniform platform for ongoing design creativity to satisfy
individual customer needs in marketing and distribution. |
| In
brief, the Corrugated Common Footprint benefits the user by
retaining economical, low-cost packaging solutions and recyclability,
optimizing cube utilization, ensuring product protection through
custom design, and offering a wide variety of box designs and
material constructions. |
| For
the Retailer/Distributor, it decreases labour costs in the distribution
centre and the retail store by reducing training and handling
requirements. In addition, it facilitates distribution for global
sourcing since the standard is compatible with the European
Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers’ (FEFCO)
Common Footprint Standard for boxes produced in Europe. |
| The
common footprint also reduces shrink by limiting the need to
handle the product in store and provides display-ready options
including direct-to-display tables, special displays and end
caps. |
| Summarized
benefits of the Corrugated Common Footprint:
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| For
Growers and Shippers in fresh produce it provides: |
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An
economical, modular, low-cost packaging solution. |
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Guaranteed recyclability. |
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Optimized cube utilization. |
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Product protection through custom design. |
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A variety of modular footprint designs and material constructions. |
| For
the Retailer/Distributor in fresh produce it: |
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Decreases labour costs in the distribution centre and the retail
store by reducing training and handling requirements. |
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Facilitates distribution for global sourcing since the standard
is compatible with the European Federation of Corrugated Board
Manufacturers’ Common Footprint Standard for boxes produced
in Europe. |
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It reduces shrink by limiting the need to handle the product
in store and provides display-ready options including direct-to-display
tables, special displays. |
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It can be used in tandem with a RPC system – Footprint
boxes conform in most cases to existing RPC systems. |
| For
the Consumer the Corrugated Common Footprint: |
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Delivers consistently fresher, more attractively displayed produce |
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Reduces
the handling of product before it reaches the store. |
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As we
said earlier, the footprint is adaptable to other industries
such as the Case Ready Meat Industry where its use is being
explored. |
Often
overlooked is Corrugated’s environmental record. Essentially
made from a renewable resource: corrugated is made from a natural,
environmentally friendly material that is recovered and recycled
more than any other packaging material. Ongoing research continues
to develop wax alternatives water-resistant fibers and repulpable
waxes in an effort to replace the relatively small percentage
of conventional, non-recyclable, waxed corrugated boxes.
Recycling corrugated is one of the many steps corrugated producers
are taking to reconcile environmental concern with the need
for strong and versatile yet lightweight packaging. For more
environmental attributes of corrugated, visit Paper
and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC)
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