Packaging

Case Studies

Businesses in Oregon and elsewhere are saving thousands – sometimes even millions – of dollars every year through packaging improvements.

• ANG Newspapers PDF
  Reusable plastic pallets improve safety and efficiency while reducing waste and purchasing costs.
• Aveda PDF
  A redesign of bottles for hair care products reduced materials use, increased post-consumer content, and improved recyclability, with subsequent reductions in environmental packaging fees in European markets.
• Nike (Distribution Center) PDF
  Carton reuse in an order fulfillment center saves more than $50,000 annually.
• Nike (Shoe Box Packaging) PDF
  A redesigned shoe box trims more than 5,000 tons of corrugated use each year, while avoiding glues and coatings and increasing post-consumer content.
• Norm Thompson PDF
  Packaging waste prevention saves Norm Thompson $1.6 - $1.8 million annually. This case study highlights 17 different actions in the areas of vendor relations, internal stock management, and shipments to customers.
• OfficeMax PDF
  OfficeMax's Portland distribution center has switched to bags for local shipments, reuses cartons, and has reduced its use of void fill, saving more than $46,000 a year.
• Panasonic Shikoku Electronics Corporation of America PDF
  Returning transport packaging to an overseas vendor and reusing packaging in-house saves more than $600,000 per year at this manufacturer of multimedia displays and TV/VCR/DVD combos.
• PolyVision PDF
  Drop tests and packaging redesign have reduced polyurethane and polystyrene foam by 40% in protective electronics packaging.
• Rejuvenation PDF
  This manufacturer and direct marketer of period-authentic lighting and house parts re-uses vendor cartons for shipments to stores, other vendor, and customers.
• Set-N-Me-Free PDF
  Extensive packaging reuse at this web-based retailer of skin care products saves thousands of dollars every year.
• Toyota Logistics Center PDF
  Processing and outfitting hundreds of thousands of vehicles annually, Toyota's West Coast Vehicle Distribution Centers demonstrate the benefits of reusable containers.
• Traex Food Services Supplies PDF
  Reusable pallet bands replaced pallet wrap for internal pallet stabilization at this manufacturer, saving almost $50,000 a year.
• Williams-Sonoma PDF
  Box scoring, optimizing box sizes, and reducing double-bagging are all waste prevention strategies adopted by this high-end retailer.
• Wrigley PDF
  By eliminating a layer of chewing gum packaging, Wrigley reduced the total weight of a 5-stick pack of chewing gum by approximately 37%, with corresponding savings in international packaging fees.
• Xerox PDF
  At a manufacturing site in New York, Xerox required all parts suppliers to use standard sizes of corrugated cartons, thus making it easier to separate the cartons for reuse.

[print version]