CORRUGATED
Facts for Retailers, Growers, Meat Packers and Supermarket Chains
Synopsis/summary
Among the topics covered in this presentation are:
Why Corrugated Containers make sense
Advantages of corrugated from a cost perspective
Corrugated versus plastic containers
Why the Corrugated Common footprint is a good packaging solution for fresh produce (corrugated versus RPCs) and case ready meats
Environmental considerations
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:
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?
And, what are the differences between a corrugated container system and an equivalent plastic crate system?
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.
Here are just some of the obstacles you could face:
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.
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.
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.
Pilferage of plastic crates remains a real problem because they make ideal storage containers and can be costly if they keep going missing.
The washing of plastic crates, often with harsh chemicals, is not particularly environmentally friendly!
Worn out or broken crates can not be recycled like corrugated and most often land up in land fill.
Other advantages of corrugated containers
It is engineered for stackability – as is evidenced with the industry’s modular Corrugated Footprint Standard, discussed later.
Corrugated withstands top and side pressure, is crush resistant and passes burst strength testing.
It cushions and protects produce during shipping and can be customized to provide extra protection if needed.
In some cases, fresh produce travels better in corrugated containers than plastic because of better temperature control during shipping.
It is highly “designable” and can be cut and folded into an infinite variety of shapes.
Corrugated is impact, drop and vibration-resistant, yet light in weight.
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.
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.
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:
For Growers and Shippers in fresh produce it provides:
An economical, modular, low-cost packaging solution.
Guaranteed recyclability.
Optimized cube utilization.
Product protection through custom design.
A variety of modular footprint designs and material constructions.
For the Retailer/Distributor in fresh produce it:
Decreases labour costs in the distribution centre and the retail store by reducing training and handling requirements.
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.
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.
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:
Delivers consistently fresher, more attractively displayed produce
Reduces the handling of product before it reaches the store.
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)