Introduction
Packaging choice affects the supply chain and logistics involved in it in terms of cost and time. These effects can be felt or can apply directly or indirectly. When it comes to cost effects, note that the cost of material, internal handling, administration, and packaging are all added up together to the overall cost. Besides cost as a consideration when choosing packaging method, space is another factor that needs be considered (Markley & Davis, 2007). The design of a packaging container may help in maximizing or minimizing space for transportation. It should be noted that different materials have the ability and limitation to attain different designs. When choosing a packaging material, it is important to consider and compare the packaging cost, transportation cost, ease of handling, and environmental friendliness (Markley & Davis, 2007). This paper looks into a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of wood-based, paper-based and plastic-based packaging shipping containers.
Paper-Based Shipping Containers
Advantages of Paper-Based Containers
The paper-based shipping container has several advantages over the plastic based and wood-based containers. Paper-based containers are light. Its lightweight helps in lowering the price of shipment due to the light load it also accommodates (Mollenkopf, Closs, Twede, Lee & Burgess, 2005). The production of paper-based containers is quite easy, this production is done in bulk, ensuring a constant supply of these containers for distributors. Paper is also easily recyclable. This is a direct advantage for the manufactures (Mollenkopf et al. 2005). The availability of material for making paper-based containers also makes their cost cheap as compared to plastic-based and wood-based shipping containers.
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Disadvantages of Paper-Based Containers
A disadvantage of paper-based containers compared to wood-based and plastic based containers is that paper-based containers have low resistance to damage (Mollenkopf et al. 2005). Paper-based containers are easily destroyed by water, fire, and tear. Therefore, they need to be handled with extreme care. Thus, they cannot be used for a long period of time before the need for replacement arises. Also, they cannot be used in the transportation of delicate equipment that may be an easy target for theft (Mollenkopf et al. 2005). Paper-based containers cannot handle heavy loads as compared to plastic-based and wooden based containers.
Plastic-Based Shipping Containers
Advantages of Plastic-Based Shipping Containers
Plastic containers are a common material in the making of shipping containers. After wood, they are the next popular container material. Plastic container market demand accounts for up to 11%. Plastic containers have many advantages compared to their counterparts, wood, and paper-based shipping containers. Unlike paper-based containers, plastic-based containers have a high resistance to damage by water. They are free of damage by mold and pests, unlike wood and paper (Raheem, 2013). Equally, they do not have nails protruding and splinter thus they are easy to clean and cause less injury to handlers, and damage to goods. Plastic-based shipping containers are preferred and safer for transporting consumables due to their high resistance to water or moisture (Raheem, 2013). They do not absorb water and moisture from the exterior, thus they keep consumable dry as they need be.
Disadvantages of Plastic-Based Shipping Containers
However, plastic-based shipping containers have their disadvantages. Cost as one of the factors to consider is very high for plastic containers, compared to the cost of wood and paper-based containers (Raheem, 2013). This makes them unsuitable for short-term shipment, for instance, one-way shipment, or instances where the shipment is at high risk of disappearing. The cost gets even higher for customized containers.
Unlike wood-based shipping containers, plastic-based shipping containers are not so stiff. In some instances, this disadvantage may lead to bending of container products, thus compromising the quality of the product. This is usually a challenge when the right quality of container material is not used in the making of the container. When poor material quality is used in making the plastic container, it may decrease the containers resistance to fire.
Wood-Based Shipping Containers
Advantages of Wood-Based Shipping Containers
Traditionally, wood-based shipping containers have always been the most popular (Bulleit, 2007). Wood-based shipping containers come with a lot of advantages that make them popular and likable by people. According to Bulleit, (2007), the very obvious advantages are that they are strong, cheap and safe. Compared to plastic and paper-based shipping containers, wood containers are very strong, making them very ideal and suitable for the transportation of confidential products. They are not easily damaged by breaking ins, unlike their counterparts, paper, and wood-based containers (Bulleit, 2007). Their cost is also low due to their popularity which has made more container manufacturers focus on the manufacturing of wood-based containers.
Disadvantages of Wood-Based Shipping Containers
Wood-based shipping containers have their own disadvantages. As opposed to paper-based and plastic based containers, wood-based have protruding nails. These can lead to damage of products and injury to handlers. Wood-based shipping containers are prone to mold and absorbing moisture, thus they can easily cause moisture damage to products in transit (Bulleit, 2007). Another disadvantage of wood as a shipping container is that it harbors pests and insects, these pests include termites, snakes thus sanitation of wood-based containers leaves a lot to be desired. These disadvantages have slowly made wood-based shipping containers less popular while people opt for other options of shipment such as paper-based and plastic based containers.
Conclusion
Shipping container material is an important consideration to make in the supply chain. Different shipping container material can affect the cost of shipping, the safety of shipped goods as well as other factors in the supply chain. Every shipping container material has its advantages and disadvantages. These advantages meet the needs of individual distributors who opt to for one material type over the other. The disadvantages make one container material preferable over the other. The main contrast in these three material types apply on cost, safety, strength, and durability
References
Bulleit, W. M. (2007). Reinforcement of wood materials: a review. Wood and Fiber Science, 16(3), 391-397.
Markley, M. J., & Davis, L. (2007). Exploring future competitive advantage through sustainable supply chains. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 37(9), 763-774.
Mollenkopf, D., Closs, D., Twede, D., Lee, S., & Burgess, G. (2005). Assessing the viability of reusable packaging: a relative cost approach. Journal of Business Logistics , 26 (1), 169-197.
Raheem, D. (2013). Application of plastics and paper as food packaging materials-An overview. Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 177-188.
