Advancing Container Technology for Commodity Protection - Essay Sample

Introduction

Currently, people and companies are changing how they pack different commodities with advanced technology. There are various factors which are being considered before arriving at the best kind of container, for instance, the value of goods, their weight, and strength as well as if the package will be prone to different conditions such as moisture among others. Therefore, if a company is uncertain of the degree of the protection its commodities requires, it should select the most effective shipping container. This is significant in the effective transportation of goods, particularly via a supply chain distribution. Thus, there are various alternatives available among which a company may select from including as paper-based, plastic-based, and wood-based shipping containers. It is also essential to understand their respective pros and cons before selecting the best container to use. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is a comparison of different packaging materials such as paper-based, plastic-based, and wood-based shipping containers by focusing on their advantages and disadvantages.

Paper-Based Containers

It is a cost-efficient and multipurpose approach for transporting, protecting, and preserving various products. It is developed to be strong, though light, and designed to meet clients- or product-specific requirements. They have various advantages and disadvantages which ensure they are widely used as transportation packages.

Advantages

They are cost-effective packaging materials compared to wooden- and plastic-based materials. Raw materials used to produce paper-based shipping containers are cheap than those used to make plastic-based materials (Khademi Kord & Pazirandeh, 2008). Paper-based shipping containers also have less weight unlike wooden-based container which is heavy with high density. Therefore, their relative density and weight make them advantageous in shipments because they lead to insignificant ratio of the net weight of the load. Another merit which may be associated with paper-based shipping containers is cost-efficiency. They are manufactured in in large numbers, which ensures that the transportation company and other in parties in the supply chain enjoy economies of large scale and shipping containers are adequately available. Since they can also be easily be recycled and reused, this increases their cost-effectiveness (Khademi Kord & Pazirandeh, 2008). Thus, a transportation firm does not have to buy new paper-based containers when shipping similar products in future.

Disadvantages

Despite their appealing merits, paper-based shipping containers have some disadvantages such as high moisture sensitivity, being fragile, and having low resistance values. Paper-based containers, unlike plastic-based shipping containers, which exhibit high moisture sensitivity. This aspect affects them since they make them lose their durability quickly. Besides, their low resistance values ensure they are less effective in averting outside temperatures (Khademi Kord & Pazirandeh, 2008). Therefore, unlike in wooden-based shipping containers, this may impact the thermal sensitivity of commodities being transported. Additionally, unlike wooden-based containers which are strong, they are highly fragile. Therefore, paper-based shipping containers can crack and break easily, for instance, when placed above each other during transportation. Furthermore, in case they easily break during transportation, they can lead to additional losses to the shipping company or individual in terms of damages to the cargo.

Wooden-Based Containers

Some products are too heavy to use paper-based or plastic-based shipping containers. Thus, they necessitate employment of wooden-based containers for further protection of goods during transportation (Khademi Kord & Pazirandeh, 2008). This is due to some of its significant advantages.

Advantages

According to Sathre and Gonzalez-Garcia (2014), unlike paper-based containers, wood-based shipping containers display high endurance abilities to stress. This is because of their design, which results in steadier and stringer packaging results. Also, their distinct design ensures they can resist mechanical stress, which may emanate from their storage, transportation, and packaging (Biji, Ravishankar, Mohan & Gopal, 2015). Therefore, they are essential in instances where mechanical stress experience is expected to be overwhelming compared to other types of packaging approaches such as plastic and paper-based containers.

Wooden-based containers can also be used to ship heavy products which need substantial strength to lift. They can evenly distribute the total weight of a product, which results in easy shipments. However, this is different from other forms of shipping containers such as plastic-based containers which have limited weight endurance (Khademi Kord & Pazirandeh, 2008). Besides, in case there is an uneven distribution of weight in plastic-based container, they can not only damage the shipping container but also goods being transported.

Disadvantages

A crucial demerit of wood-based shipping containers is that they deteriorate while used for long. This is experienced via wear and tear since the container may break, crack, or splint, particularly when used beyond limits (Sathre & Gonzalez-Garcia, 2014). Remarkably, wooden-based containers undergo a natural deterioration despite being treated, for instance, using moisture repellants. Therefore, they require rapid replacement compared to plastic-based containers. Wooden-based containers are also subjected to infestation of termites, and ants among others insect which attacks and eats wood. This, in turn, makes them weak daily. Another disadvantage is that the products being transported to the risk of being contaminated because they encompass some pathogens. According to Adetunji and Isola (2011), the most prominent pathogens include bacteria such as Listeria, E. Coli, and salmonella which easily search their entry into wooden-based containers. Therefore, this is a severe risk to the transportation of medical and food products (Souza & Fernando, 2016).

Plastic-Based Containers

Advantages

They are also one of the preferred packaging containers due to their cost-efficiency and sturdiness. They last for long unlike paper- and wooden-based containers even when thrown and tossed during the shipment. They are stronger and just like wooden container, do not easily break. This is because unlike paper containers, plastic can withstand high pressure exerted on them, for instance, during shipping (Biji, Ravishankar, Mohan & Gopal, 2015). They are also less costly to manufacture unlike wooden based shipping containers since synthetic raw materials used are less expensive and easily available, unlike wood which may be expensive to acquire due to strict regulations imposed by different states (Souza & Fernando, 2016). They can also be manufactured in large quantities just like paper-based containers. This ensures that the shipping companies enjoy economies of large scale hence reducing the costs of acquiring them. Paper-based containers are also durable because they have a higher resistance value than paper-based containers. Thus, they can hold products under extreme conditions, contrary to paper-based materials (Khademi Kord & Pazirandeh, 2008).

Disadvantages

Plastic-based containers, just like wooden based shipping containers, are subjected to wear and tear, which makes them degrade (Biji, Ravishankar, Mohan & Gopal, 2015). Excess cracking, scratching, dents, and light severely impact them. Therefore, where a transportation process consumer more time, this possess high risk to plastic-based containers through buckling and cracking. However, this does not happen when using wooden-based containers. Also, similar to paper-based containers, it is not recommendable to ship medical and food commodities using plastic-based shipping containers. This because plastics tend to absorb smell and tastes, causing deteriorating effects on food and medicines being transported (Souza & Fernando, 2016). Plastics are also associated with environmental and health complications (Souza & Fernando, 2016). For instance, because they are non-biodegradable, they tend to cause soil pollution through contamination. Additionally, plastic has a chemical known as bisphenol A that possess a high risk to human health (Erler & Novak, 2010).

There are forms types of shipping containers mostly employed globally. They include paper-based, plastic-based, and wood-based shipping containers linked with different advantages and disadvantages. For instance, paper- and plastic-based shipping containers are cost-effective and light with less relative densities and can be produced in large quantities while wooden-based have high-stress endurance and can be used to ship heavy products. However, while paper-based shipping containers have high moisture sensitivity, fragile, and low resistance values, plastic-based containers are subjected to wear and tear and cause soil contamination, both can cause contamination of shipped medical and food products. Wood-based containers are also subjected to wear and tear as well as infestation of termites, and ant. Therefore, a shipping company should select the best shipping container based on its budget, weight of transported products, shipping conditions, and geographical distance of shipment delivery to ensure they enjoy their respective advantages while reducing their disadvantages.

References

Adetunji, V. O., & Isola, T. O. (2011). Crystal violet binding assay for assessment of biofilm formation by Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria spp on wood, steel and glass surfaces. Global Veterinaria, 6(1), 6-10.

Biji, K. B., Ravishankar, C. N., Mohan, C. O., & Gopal, T. S. (2015). Smart packaging systems for food applications: a review. Journal of food science and technology, 52(10), 6125-6135.

Erler, C., & Novak, J. (2010). Bisphenol a exposure: human risk and health policy. Journal of pediatric nursing, 25(5), 400-407.

Khademi Kord, H., & Pazirandeh, A. (2008). Comparison of Different Packaging Materials and Solutions on a Cost Basis for Volvo Logistic Corporation.

Sathre, R., & Gonzalez-Garcia, S. (2014). Life cycle assessment (LCA) of wood-based building materials. In Eco-Efficient Construction and Building Materials (pp. 311-337). Woodhead Publishing.

Souza, V. G. L., & Fernando, A. L. (2016). Nanoparticles in food packaging: Biodegradability and potential migration to food-A review. Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 8, 63-70.