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CHEP’s reusable plastic containers, IsoBins and IcoQubes provide greater protection from damage, are optimized for ocean containers, reduce waste and allow for savings across the supply chain

COLOGNE, Germany, May 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shipping is the preferred transport option of the automotive industry and optimizing shipping containers is not a new topic. In simple terms, the more optimized the container, the cheaper the transport costs.

One of the least polluting options in terms of merchandise carried, shipping is also an environmentally sound choice, and so CHEP wondered why companies were still shipping air and stepped in to offer solutions.

The logistics company, leader in pooling solutions, has developed re-usable plastic containers – IsoBins and IcoQubes – that provide much greater protection from potential damage during transportation and can be used time and time again. Importantly, the biggest advantage of reusable, plastic packaging is the higher cube utilization of ocean containers as they allow for a higher stacking height.

Based on the circular economic principals of re-use and recycle, many intra-OEM shipments are starting to favor this sustainable option, but widespread adoption is slow.

“Adopting circular models when it comes to packaging can dramatically reduce waste and allow for savings across the board. CHEP is also integrating technology into the reusable plastic bins to monitor interference, or simply rises in heat or humidity, all useful when transporting electronic equipment of value or delicate items such as batteries,” says Murray Gilder, Vice-president CHEP Automotive.

The problem – and answer – lies in packaging

Many companies still use single-use cardboard packaging, only adding to the air shipped and making for additional redundant space within the package itself. Moreover, cardboard packaging exposes contents to potential humidity, shocks, and additional handling. What can seem a wise financial option often incurs damaged stock or additional labor costs.

In an industry driven by lower costs, particularly in the race to make Electric Vehicles affordable, there is even a tendency to minimize the strength of this one-way cardboard packaging.

Reluctance towards reusable plastic packaging lies in the extra cost of returning the packaging after delivery. Alongside reusing and recycling, another key tenet of a truly circular economic model is the notion of sharing. To counter backhaul shipments in closed-loop operations, rather than companies investing in their own IsoBins or IcoQubes, CHEP provides them via a global sharing concept and the continuous rotation of those bins around the globe.

CHEP is one of the world's most sustainable logistics businesses, offering a share-and-reuse model for its 345 million+ pallets, crates and containers and serving the FMCG, fresh produce, beverage, retail, automotive and general manufacturing industries. Employing 11,500 people, CHEP is part of the Brambles Group and operates in approximately 60 countries. www.chep.com │ www.brambles.com

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