News channels are awash with stories detailing the continued impact of climate change, including the extreme weather conditions and the knock-on effects such as wildfires

As a result, sustainable practices are rightfully a hot topic for different businesses. Those companies operating warehouses and supply chains are now under growing pressure to demonstrate their environmental credentials, including cutting warehouse waste.

For many operations managers, “sustainability” may conjure up images of costly overhauls, such as new machinery and entire process redesigns. However, some of the most effective ways to green your supply chain cost little to nothing at all. Cutting warehouse waste is certainly one of the easiest places to start. In this blog, we share some of our top tips to reduce waste across your facilities.

Why it is important to cut warehouse waste

The latest available annual figures from Defra illustrate the size of the task at hand, with the government department stating that Commercial and Industrial (C&I) waste generation, specifically in England, stands at a whopping 32.6 million tonnes. This paints a bleak picture, whilst making it clear why sustainability needs to sit at the centre of everything we do.

The case for tackling warehouse waste goes beyond the environment too. Cutting waste saves money and time, while making day-to-day operations noticeably more efficient. That means fewer wasted materials, fewer wasted hours, and less waste to handle or dispose of in general.

It matters commercially too. More and more companies are now choosing to exclusively work with suppliers who can demonstrate genuine green credentials – as part of their own Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies. Waste not disposed of properly can cause real harm to the environment, from landfill overflow to pollution, and they want to actively avoid being associated with such practices.

Finally, poor waste management often goes hand in hand with poor housekeeping, including cluttered aisles, trip hazards and overflowing bins. All of these will naturally increase the risk of accidents across warehouses and fulfilment centres. Minimising days lost to health and safety incidents is incredibly important when looking after the people who keep your facilities running. Operating a safe workplace is fundamental when it comes to positive staff engagement.

Walk the floor, identify problems and conduct a waste audit

Before rolling out any new processes or signing off capital on new equipment or initiatives, take the time to walk your warehouse floor and watch how work actually gets done. How do staff manage waste? Where does packaging pile up for no good reason? How much single-use packaging are you getting through? Where has stock been sitting untouched for months? These waste walks cost nothing but time, and you will be surprised how quickly you will identify a handful of fixable problems.

A waste audit could also examine…

  • any office space: Encourage staff and your external contacts not to needlessly print out emails
  • the bathrooms: Invest in hand dryers to avoid single-use paper towels
  • kitchen areas: Avoid sending food waste to landfill by composting

Invest in long-term reusable packaging

Cardboard has always been the cheap, easy option, but it comes with a hidden cost. Every box that gets crushed, damaged by damp or torn after a handful of trips has to be replaced, and that means ordering more, storing more and disposing of more on a constant loop. Reusable plastic boxes and containers are built to survive hundreds, even thousands, of cycles without that same wear, which dramatically reduces packaging waste. These products also hold up far better in the conditions a lot of warehouses actually deal with – damp, temperature changes, heavier or oddly shaped loads. This means you are not having to replace any stock damaged by failed packaging either. Of course, the upfront cost is higher than a bundle of cardboard boxes, but the cost per use drops sharply once you look at it over the lifespan of the container, and it removes the constant cycle of reordering that cardboard demands. They also reduce dust and contamination, plus they can be seamlessly integrated across different automation systems.

Over the past year,  we have seen many of our customers replace cardboard boxes with our Euro plastic boxes and GoSmartEuro boxes, and are already seeing a better ROI as a result. Here’s an in-depth look at the reasons why more businesses are switching from cardboard to plastic boxes.

Pack products efficiently and use the right size packaging

Take the time to better understand how you are currently packing products. Oversized boxes and excess void fill do not just waste materials, they also waste money. Some delivery carriers also charge based on dimensional weight rather than actual weight, meaning a small, lightweight product shipped in a box that is too big can end up costing significantly more. Therefore, businesses that fail to size their packaging correctly are paying to ship fresh air.

When packaging, try to use the smallest box that will safely protect each product. This reduces the amount of cardboard, void fill and tape being used across your operation, while also freeing up valuable space on pallets, in vehicles and across the warehouse floor itself. Fewer shipments also means fewer vehicle movements, which helps to reduce your overall carbon footprint. A good place to start is by reviewing your most commonly shipped products against the box sizes used to ship them.

Choose smarter solutions to cut waste

Packaging shouldn’t be the sole focus when it comes to cutting waste. How you store items matters just as much. Once again, picking the right size of pallet box or container is key, as is making sure you are using all the available space inside.

There are now a number of innovative storage solutions out there worth looking at. Folding large containers and foldable sleeve packs are a good example, as they can collapse down to a fraction of their erected height when not in use. This makes a real difference when warehouse space is at a premium, since fewer empty containers taking up room means more space for stock that actually needs it.

We recently launched the CabCube XL range, which is built specifically for larger or more awkwardly shaped items that do not fit neatly into standard pallet boxes. Available in two sizes, both fold down to a fraction of their height when empty, achieving a return ratio of as much as 1:3.5. These products have been hugely popular with businesses that have been previously forced to use metal stillages or custom-built wooden crates, which take up far more room and cost considerably more to source.

If you currently use plastic pallet wrap to secure your products when in storage or during shipment, then making the switch to sleeve packs will boost your green credentials significantly. Approximately, it takes a football-sized amount of plastic pallet wrap to secure a normal UK-sized pallet. Once the pallet has reached its destination, the pallet is unwrapped, and the plastic is often thrown away because it can’t be reused and is difficult to recycle.

Essentially, explore the market for reusable storage solutions to help you store smarter. You will notice the long-term benefits in terms of space saved, costs reduced and the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Increase the number of recycling bins

This might seem obvious, but the more recycling bins you have, the more likely they will be used. If a member of staff has to walk the entire length of the facility to place waste into a recycling bin, then they may be tempted to ditch it elsewhere, especially if they are on a tight schedule. As well as strategically placing the bins, empty them at regular intervals. If they are only emptied at the end of each day, it could become a health hazard.

Educate staff on reducing waste

This follows on nicely to staff training. You will often find that substantial amounts of waste have been created within a warehouse environment because employees have not been trained properly in the correct processes. Brief the team on your expectations and use clear signage to indicate the closest bins.

Some businesses have also chosen to appoint an internal waste champion in order to maintain standards. Choose someone who can lead by example, would be comfortable flagging any issues as they arise, and could act as the go-to person when staff are unsure how something should be sorted or disposed of.

Partner with sustainable suppliers

By carefully choosing to work with suppliers who share the same commitment to sustainability, you are effectively extending your own environmental efforts beyond the four walls of your warehouse. It also sends a clear message to your own customers and stakeholders that sustainability is not just a box-ticking exercise, but something that runs through every partner in your supply chain.

Recycling schemes and community projects

To put it simply, if you want to cut waste, you have to “recycle, recycle, recycle”. Carefully select a waste management supplier with a good reputation, as well as explore what schemes are on offer with existing partners.

For example, we launched our own recycling scheme – the first of its kind across the sector – in 2019. Since then, we have extended this commitment by guaranteeing to take full responsibility for recycling all plastic pallets and boxes we supply, once they reach the end of their working lives. Over the last six years, goplasticpallets.com has recycled almost 3,000 tonnes of plastic, which is the equivalent of 530 truckloads.

You can also look closer to home. It is worth checking whether any local charities or community groups could put it to use instead. Animal shelters, schools and kids’ clubs, for example, are often crying out for materials like cardboard, and many are happy to arrange their own collection too.

Cutting warehouse waste doesn’t require a big budget

Cutting warehouse waste does not have to mean a big budget or a complete overhaul in the systems you use or the way you operate as a business. As detailed above, there are a number of changes you can make that cost little more than time, including walking the floor to gain a clearer picture, training the team adequately, and positioning your bins properly. Other initiatives, such as switching to reusable packaging and storage solutions, involve more upfront investment but pay for themselves many times over through reduced costs, less damage and far less waste heading to landfill.

If you would like to discuss how reusable plastic pallets, pallet boxes, folding large containers or foldable sleeve packs could fit into your own waste reduction plans – or if you would like more information on our industry-leading recycling scheme – get in touch with our team today.

You can call us on 01323 744057 or email sales@goplasticpallets.com

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