Case Studies and Success Stories: Sorted by Industry
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More case studies at |
- Automotive, Engines and Appliances
- Chemicals and Cleaning Products
- Grocery and Agriculture
- Hardware and Retail
- Metals
- Office
- Technology, electronics, medical, etc.
- Textiles
Automotive, Engines, and Appliances
Altec Electronica wanted to implement a returnable packaging solution as a way to reduce costs associated with purchasing, storing and disposing of large volumes of expendable packaging. | Orbis
CAMI Automotive Inc.'s objective in 1995 was to convert its entire manufacturing operation to returnable containers as part of the company's lean manufacturing methods. Improving packaging, transportation and lineside presentation of containers were specific goals of the returnables program. They contracted with ORBIS to implement the program. | Orbis
Chrysler | www.menashaservices.com/case_chrysler.htm
Ford of Europe | Packaging Industry Awards 2001
Frigidaire Freezer Products (St. Cloud, Minn.) implemented a new reusable transport packaging system in 1994. This included working with one of their suppliers to switch from wooden pallets to covered, collapsible, plastic palletized containers. Frigidaire prevents 12,000 pounds of waste and saves approximately $5,200 annually.
General Motors reduced packaging waste at assembly plants by 50% during 1993-94 through a combination of redesign, reuse and recycling. | U.S. EPA WasteWi$e Update, Sept. 1995
Tennant Company (Minneapolis, Minn.) manufactures commercial floor maintenance equipment. They eliminated 32 tons of cardboard and 53 tons of wood waste when they switched to reusable shipping packaging in 1997. Tennant expected a payback period of less than nine months. They will achieve annual savings of $54,000 on an investment of only $43,800 in reusable containers. | MnTAP
Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals
The Clorox Company and one of its suppliers saves 200 tons of corrugated cardboard and increases productivity each year thanks to a new bulk gaylord corrugated box. | U.S. EPA WasteWi$e Update, April 1998
Dow Corning Corp. "reconditioned steel drums in 1995, saving nearly $2.3 million and conserving 7.8 million pounds of steel. In addition, Dow Corning saved $530,000 in 1994 by repairing and reusing 1.7 million pounds of wood pallets." | North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance
Grocery and Agriculture
Transport Packaging: Cost-Effective Strategies for Reducing, Reusing and Recycling in the Grocery Industry. Useful for any large user of transport packaging. Includes information on pallets, corrugated cardboard, and plastic film. | Minnesota OEA
Feasibility Study: Reusable Plastic Containers (RPCs) for Shipping and Displaying Produce. This project worked to determine if RPCs offer enough advantages to grocers. Grocers are thought to be the primary beneficiaries of these advantages and initiators of a switch to RPCs. | Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board
Albertson's | www1.albertsons.com/corporate/ourcomp/oc_recycle.asp?cat=2&subcat=5
Anglo Beef Processors Ltd. | www.logtekusa.com/pressreleases/press_001.htm
Coors Brewing
"Reusable bin does double duty for Coors", Packaging World, Feb. 1997, p. 28
Herr Foods
"A reusable case for automation", Packaging World, Sept. 1996, p. 30
Oregon Chai
"Sweetener packaging is sweetened by reusable IBCs", Packaging World, Oct 1998, p. 24
Pepsi-Cola saved $44 million by switching from corrugated to reusable plastic shipping containers for one liter and 20-ounce bottles, conserving 196 million pounds of corrugated material. | North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance
Royal Crest Dairy packages milk in returnable plastic containers. They also switched to a new supplier who would reuse drums in which cleaning chemicals for the milk were delivered. | U.S. EPA WasteWi$e Update, April 1998
Hardware and Retail
OEA Study: Retail Hardware Best Practices for Waste Management
This manual documents costs and benefits of "best management practices" for waste reduction and pollution prevention in the operation of a retail hardware store. Based on pilot projects at four Minnesota Ace Hardware stores, over 40 waste management practices were monitored and documented in terms of their cost savings and waste reduction by weight and volume. | Minnesota OEA
Ace Hardware
"Integrated pallet system enhances efficiency and safety", Modern Materials Handling, Aug. 1998
Home Depot took a bold step in 1995, requiring its vendors to ship products to Home Depot stores on slip sheets instead of wooden pallets. Home Depot now has fewer wooden pallets to dispose of, while vendors benefit from the long-term economic savings that result from using less expensive slip sheets to unitize their loads and from the reduced freight of palletless shipping. | California Integrated Waste Management Board
Target reuses corrugated boxes and has made other efforts to reduce packaging waste. | Minnesota OEA
Metals
BTD Manufacturing (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) manufactures stamped metal parts. Since 1995 they have used collapsible plastic boxes for deliveries to major clients, including Arctic Cat. Their clients agreed to switch to reusable, collapsible boxes instead of paying $9/box plus the disposal costs for the previous containers. In most cases, the client and BTD shared in the purchase costs of the boxes. BTD saves thousands of dollars in cardboard box purchases, and eliminates 260 tons of box waste per year. | Source: Minnesota Waste Wise
Clow Stamping Co. (Merrifield, Minn.) manufactures a variety of metal parts. They have replaced cardboard gaylord containers with reusable fiberglass containers to ship parts within their plant, to metal plating operations, and to one of their major customers, John Deere. Clow saved $6000/yr. in cardboard box purchases and $14,000/yr. in disposal costs. Twelve tons of box and pallet waste have been eliminated per year. | Source: Minnesota Waste Wise
Northland Screw Products (St. Francis, Minn.) manufactures metal products. They have used reusable transport packaging for decades. They use a variety of RTP products inside and outside their plant, including wooden boxes, and plastic and metal crates and totes. Some of the containers are forklift compatible without the use of a pallet. They have had good success working with their customers to develop reusable containers. They save thousands of dollars annually in avoided cardboard box purchases and are able to pass the savings on to their customers. | Source: Minnesota Waste Wise
Office
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance used a variety of source reduction and packaging reuse strategies to reduce waste. | U.S. EPA WasteWi$e Update, May 1995
State Street Bank & Trust Co. saved thousands of corrugated boxes during a move by renting plastic crates instead. | U.S. EPA WasteWi$e Update, September 1995
Technology, electronics, medical, etc.
Dataserv, Inc. (Chanhassen, Minn.) reuses corrugated paper boxes to ship circuit boards. In one division, the same boxes are reused three times; in another, they are reused twice. Reusing boxes saves Dataserv more than $26,000 a year in purchase costs. Reusing custom foam cushioning saves the company another $17,775 a year when compared to single-use cushioning. Dataserv's total savings from reusing transport packaging is almost $44,000 a year, and this action eliminates over a ton and a half of waste.
Lexmark International (Lexington, Kent.) manufactures computer printers and related products. | Packaging World, April 1999, Material Handling Product News, October 1999
3M applied source reduction and used reusable packaging for videotapes. | Packaging World, December 1997
Network Systems Corporation (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) provides computer networking and encryption equipment to a global customer base, and has implemented many waste reduction programs. NSC replaced single-use corrugated boxes with reusable corrugated containers, saving $33,000 in one year and eliminating disposal costs of 3,600 pounds of corrugated boxes per year. They reuse a corrugated box from one of their component suppliers to ship their finished product to retailers. This "pass-through" container is then given a new label, eliminating the need for a new box, saving over $4,000/year and eliminating 9,200 pounds of waste. Finally, now that a vendor stocks fasteners such as screws, nuts, bolts and washers in refillable bins on a cart on the factory floor instead of supplying them in individualized disposable packaging, NSC saves $3,050 in decreased material and disposal costs, plus $3,200 in labor. | Minnesota OEA
Perkin-Elmer manufactures analytical equipment for life sciences. In 1994, they instituted a return program for their boxes and packaging, with a shipping incentive for customers. The company saved $95,000 that year and reused 62 tons of corrugated and foam packaging. | U.S. EPA WasteWi$e Update, September 1995
Pitney Bowes | Packaging World, August 2000
Unisys Corp. (Roseville, Minn.) replaced single-use foam, plastic wrap, paper and cardboard transport packaging with reusable containers&3151;a "kit" containing all assembly components, and use of a computer frame itself as a container for parts. The increase in packaging efficiency saves $868,000 each year.
Universal Hospital Services, Inc. rents medical equipment such as aspirators used to aid breathing. These delicate, precise instruments were being shipped out of Minnesota's distribution center in single-use corrugated containers with loose-fill cushioning, but with frequent shipping damage. After researching the problem, UHS purchased 182 reusable corrugated plastic containers with custom foam padding. Product damage decreased so significantly that the reusable containers paid for themselves in less than two months. Customers also appreciate the ease of returning the product to UHS in the reusable container. In addition to cost savings in avoided damages, these containers prevent more than 1,200 pounds of waste a year. The waste from an average of 1,100 single-use boxes each year is now avoided. The Pack-Lite containers are expected to last at least 10 years. In that time, UHS's cost-effective decision to go reusable will prevent their need to manage more than six tons of waste. | Minnesota OEA.
Textiles
Dan River Inc. eliminated 175 tons of corrugated cardboard waste per year by switching to reusable plastic pallets for shipping yarn spools. The pallets last for 60-540 uses and are then recycled. They use only 5 tons per year of stretch wrap and recycle it. | U.S. EPA WasteWi$e Update, May 1995
Southern Mills started a drum reuse program with its dye and chemical vendor, saving over 42,000 pounds of metal and fiber drums. | U.S. EPA WasteWi$e Update, September 1995
| Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | www.pca.state.mn.us |
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