Cardboard packaging is fast becoming one of the most ever-present materials we dispose of daily. Often discarded with no further thought, cardboard is dismissed as a necessary solution to transport a product from A to B.

We are here to showcase how the humble piece of cardboard can be elevated, demonstrating its creative potential.

Many people don’t realise but cardboard emerged as an art medium in the early 1900s during the cubist movement where it was famously used in Pablo Picasso’s Still Life with Guitar.

Now, we are not saying our cardboard creations are up there with arguably one of the most famous artists in history, but we think we might be close. Take a look at our latest cardboard creation for Star Wars Day, May the 4^th.

Here are more of our favourite cardboard creations, created by other artists using this unexpected medium.

Josh Gluckstein

Warren King

Greg Olijnyk

Monami Ohno

One of the more exciting results of using cardboard as a form of art is that you are repurposing materials that otherwise may have gone to waste.

It’s clear that the use of corrugated cardboard has continued to increase in the modern art world. The material itself is resilient and incredibly versatile, and it is widely accessible to almost everyone, meaning budding artists can often find it free of charge or at a very reasonable price point.

There is no end to the variety of artistic creations, the beauty of using such an unexpected material allows for creative freedom.

What would you create?

Follow along on our socials, each month we showcase some of the many amazing creations from artists around the world.

The past few years have seen major disruption to many businesses and their supply chains, the uncertainty and logistical issues have cost many businesses thousands in losses.

According to the Office for National Statics, almost one-third (30%) of businesses in manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade reported global supply chain disruption in 2022.

The pandemic and the end of the EU transition period account for some of the impact on the UK’s international trade flows, as well as causing disruption to global supply chains (1).

Additionally, we are likely to feel the impact of the last few years for many more to come as we move into more uncertain times. The cost of everything from fuel, energy, raw materials, labour, and consumer items are rising significantly, resulting unsurprisingly, in businesses needing to make a tough decision; increase their own prices in an attempt to offset the rise in cost or take a hit to their bottom line.

The question many are now asking is whether the choice is unavoidable or whether there are any ways businesses can overcome the price rises.

One way you can save on your bottom line and mitigate cost increases is through your packaging design.

Packaging is often an afterthought in many businesses and is often dismissed with no real impact on savings to be had, but we know that packaging inefficiencies can often lead to several issues that can quickly develop into sizable costs.

If you begin by analysing your current packaging solutions, establishing what materials you use, and how much waste you create, you will be able to truly evaluate the cost of your packaging and where you can save.

The packaging market is very dynamic, with new systems being launched regularly and materials constantly improving. By reforming your packaging, choosing the correct materials, and ensuring it is at the optimum specification, you can achieve significant cost savings on an annual basis.

How can Panotec drive your costs down?

Panotec systems allow companies to reduce their packaging costs by around 30%. They offer tailor-made solutions for different packaging requirements built on specific customer needs based on shape, size, and format.

Some of the ways Panotec systems can improve your business and reduce your costs:

1. Reduced storage & distribution costs
2. Less wastage
3. Distribution of skills
4. Sustainability
5. Increased productivity
6. Flexibility to upscale

One business that has benefitted from Panotec is Kudos Shower Products. Learn how they streamlined their packaging process and saved on their bottom line.

Any company looking to optimise their business and reduce their costs should be looking at streamlining their packaging design and process. By ensuring your packaging is as lean and efficient as possible, you are likely to see significant gains in cost performance – helping to balance out the unavoidable factors currently driving prices up, as well as serve as an opportunity for growth and improved service levels.

Contact us today to see how our packaging can benefit your business.

With climate change being a focus for many businesses, it comes as no surprise that it is also a heavily discussed topic in the cardboard industry. Many companies make conscious efforts to reuse and recycle their cardboard- but FEFCO believes, as an industry, we can do more.

FEFCO have created a roadmap for the cardboard industry to reach climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest. In the roadmap, FEFCO detailed the industry’s carbon footprint, as well as the steps that the industry can take to achieve carbon neutrality.

According to FEFCO, the European corrugated cardboard industry produced 55,7 Billion m2 of corrugated board in approximately 700 plants located all over Europe, across 400 companies. Corrugated cardboard as an industry is important; which is why it is widely used as a packaging material. FEFCO also report that corrugated cardboard scores strong on several sustainability dimensions.

Some of these include:

• Corrugated cardboard is a highly-circular and easy-to-recycle material, and on average, it has 88% recycled materials
• It is made from a renewable source
• It is biodegradable

However, it is not all good. The FEFCO report also predicts that the industry’s output of carbon emissions has grown in recent years, and it will continue to do so, especially since the increase in technology to order items. It is predicted that the industry’s carbon footprint could increase to 17,6 Mt CO2 by 2050.

Can climate neutrality be achieved?

For this ambitious pledge to be achieved, the industry will need to make significant efforts. The FEFCO roadmap details three key areas where this needs to happen: improving material efficiency and circularity, improving energy efficiency and decarbonising the energy mix, and supplier engagement. You can read more about what the FEFCO report recommends in each of these areas here.

How can Ribble’s Right Size technology help?

At Ribble we are always looking to reduce our carbon footprint and protect the future of the planet. That is why we pride ourselves on our Right Size solutions.

With our Right Size solutions, customers are only receiving the exact amount of cardboard they need. This reduces their use of plastic, void fillers, and excess cardboard. There is no waste, your products are packaged to fit them exactly, and you are helping the environment too.

Right Size solutions combine Ribble’s industry-leading Fanfold material and state-of-the-art technology to create the perfect size box for all your products.

We have a simple 4-step process for our Right Size solutions.

1. Enter your box style and dimensions.
2. Select how many you require.
3. The box is produced within seconds.
4. Your products are packaged in the perfect-sized box.

Ribble’s Right Size technology allows our customers to do their part to try and meet the ambition of FEFCO to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. We continue to do all we can to meet this and do the same for our customers.

If you want to help with the climate neutrality goal, contact Ribble today to discuss our Right Size packaging solutions.

Packaging Automation is the process of packaging products without the need for manual human intervention. Over the years, automated packaging systems have transitioned from singular machines that automate one step in the packaging process to now integrating all steps seamlessly into the entire packaging process.  There are several factors driving automation. These include labour shortages, manufacturing speed, and the safety of products and workers and we can’t see this changing.

Panotec Automation provides end- to- end automation systems even for the most complex requirements. Its reliable, customised, cutting-edge solutions are our key to success in the automation industry.

Panotec automation solutions

Panotec has various different systems to handle different box styles. These systems include 0410 box style, 0401 box design, 0201 box design, and base and lid. So no matter which style box you use, they all deliver solutions to your packaging needs.

What’s more, they are highly customisable, with some having the ability to produce 10 perfectly sized boxes per minute.

0410 BOX STYLE

The 0410 box style system was specifically designed to handle the boxes F410 or similar (e.g. 427, 411, etc.), which have longitudinal as well as front and back flaps that can be closed on the outside of the box.

0401 BOX DESIGN

This system was specifically designed to handle the boxes F401 or similar (e.g. 402, 403, etc.), which are sealed lengthwise in the centre and with front and back flaps to be closed on the outside of the box.

0201 BOX DESIGN

This system was specifically designed to handle the boxes F201 or similar designs (e.g. 203, etc.), the traditional American boxes that are generally used to pack assembled furniture, or to ship goods in the e-commerce and logistics industry.

BASE AND LID

This system was specifically designed to handle bottom and lid designs. It is also perfect to pack furniture in kits/disassembled furniture, assembled units (bottom and lid form additional protections on the sides of the unit), big doors, mattresses, filters and radiators for the automotive sector.

By combining this technology with Ribble’s industry-leading Fanfold material, you can create the perfect size box for all your products. Find out more here.

In 2021, a consultation which continued a previous consultation from 2019 started. The consultations aimed to reform the Packaging Producer Responsibility system. In the second consultation, the government set out its final proposals for the new system. The new system focused on the specific mechanisms for the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) hopes to incentivise producers to design packaging that is easy to recycle by ensuring that they pay the full net cost (FNC) of managing their packaging once it becomes waste. This is a significant change from the current system, which only covers the recycling of packaging waste.

The full net cost (FNC) includes the cost of collection, recycling, disposal, the clearing-up of littered and fly-tipped packaging, and communications relating to recycling and tackling littering.

Who will pay the EPR tax?

Under the new Extended Producer Responsibility tax, companies will pay based on the amount of packaging that they use throughout the year. The tax, which will come into effect on 1^st January 2024, will be an extra incentive for businesses to use the right size packaging for each product, as they will be charged more for excess packaging.

There are going to be 2 types of obligations for companies under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):

1. Obligation to pay the full net cost (FNC)
2. Obligation to report where packaging is placed on market (POM)

In a change to the current system there will no longer be a packaging activity chain (Manufacturer, Convertor, Packer/Filler, Seller, and End User). Instead, there will be a single point of compliance.

This single point of compliance will require companies to pay the full net costs (FNC) and include:

• Brand owners (those whose brand is on the packaging) or the packer/filler
• Importers of packaging or filled packaging
• Distributors/Wholesalers selling packaging to companies under the thresholds
• Online Marketplaces selling goods surrounded by packaging into the UK
• Service Providers who rent, hire or lease packaging

Under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), anyone selling packaged products in the UK will be obligated to comply with mandatory labelling requirements regardless of the size of their company. In addition, companies who supply people who remove the packaging from goods (end users) will have a new obligation to register and report the amount of packaging placed on market (POM) by nation.

The cost to business is set to rise substantially with the current system costing UK companies between £200-£300mil a year. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is set to cost somewhere in the region of £1.7bn, this coupled with a single point of compliance will mean costs for companies could easily increase 10 to 30 times.

How can Right Size packaging help?

With the Extended Producer Responsibility costs expected to soar, it will be crucial for businesses to review their packaging costs and where they can be reduced. Right Size solutions allow you to reduce waste, ensuring your packaging fits your product exactly, all while helping the environment too.

Right Size solutions combine Ribble’s industry leading Fanfold material and state of the art technology to create the perfect size box for all your products.

We have a simple 4-step process for our Right Size solutions.

1. Enter your box style and dimensions.
2. Select how many you require.
3. The box is produced within seconds.
4. Your products are packaged in the perfect sized box.

By saving on fuel and transport costs, regaining warehouse space, saving on labour costs, you can reduce your packaging costs by 30% and support our planet.

Find out more about our Right Size solutions.

The Government has recently announced that, from October 2023, there will be a ban on a range of single-use plastics that add to pollution levels. This is in addition to the plastic packaging tax that came into effect in April 2022.

The ban will include single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers.

According to estimates, England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery — most of which are plastic — and 721 million single-use plates per year, but only 10% are recycled.

Plastic pollution takes hundreds of years to break down and inflicts serious damage to our oceans, rivers and land. It is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, from the production and manufacture of the plastic itself to the way it is disposed.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

“We all know the absolutely devastating impacts that plastic can have on our environment and wildlife. We have listened to the public and these new single-use plastics bans will continue our vital work to protect the environment for future generations.”

Reducing single-use plastics waste and littering in England

It is expected that banning these items will have a significant impact in reducing plastic waste and littering in England. The Government is also carefully considering further measures around other commonly littered and problematic plastic items, including wet wipes, tobacco filters and sachets, following the call for evidence on this issue.

Future steps that could be explored include banning plastic in these items, and mandatory labelling on packaging to help consumers dispose of these items correctly. A new research project will also look into the impact of wet wipes on blockages in the sewage system, and will inform any future policy actions.

Through the Environment Act, the Government is bringing in further measures to tackle plastic pollution and litter. This includes a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers to recycle billions more plastic bottles and stop them being landfilled, incinerated, or littered via a small deposit on drinks products to incentivise people to recycle, and plans for Consistent Recycling Collections for every household and business in England.

What can your business do to reduce plastic?

At Ribble, one of our key focus areas is the environment and leaving the planet a richer place than we found it. All of our packaging products are 100% recyclable and, can be used again and again through the supply chain.

Our business is heavily focused on not just maintaining our own standards of environmental responsibility but helping our customers to develop their packaging processes to operate more sustainably.

By using our services, you can eliminate the need for plastic void-fill packaging and create a more sustainable packaging process while saving money at the same time.

Contact Ribble today to reduce your business’ plastic usage.

A recent consumer behaviour survey by Deloitte shows that 61% of customers are avoiding products that use single-use plastics. This includes choosing sustainable materials for both the products and packaging.

In the past, it was thought that reusable packaging was best for the environment, however, a recent FEFCO study has highlighted that this may not be the case.

The findings of the FEFCO study

The three studies released by FEFCO were conducted by an independent consultancy (Ramboll) and a research institute (VTT). The studies evaluate the impact of recyclable corrugated board packaging compared to reusable plastic packaging and revealed a series of important conclusions.

The peer-reviewed comparative life-cycle assessment compares the environmental impact of corrugated cardboard boxes and plastic crates when transporting produce over average distances in Europe.

Key findings show that:

• The corrugated board system is more beneficial in 10 out of 15 impact categories, including climate change, total resource use including fossils, minerals, and metals.
• The break-even analysis shows that plastic crates would need to reach a minimum of 63 rotations to outperform corrugated boxes in the climate change impact category. According to the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), the average reuse rate of plastic reusable crates is 24 rotations which is below the break-even.

Recyclable corrugated v reusable plastic solutions

The hot spot analysis of the e-commerce logistic chain evaluates recyclable corrugated versus reusable plastic solutions. The study identified 51 hot spots, or stages in the life cycle, which account for a significant proportion of the environmental impact of the packaging within the supply chain.

The top 3 hot spots are:

• Real number of uses for multiple-use solutions is the most important parameter, as official EU data does not exist, and available data is not always transparent.
• Logistics parameters are ranked second, indicating the transport distances have a major impact notably on emissions and will continue to influence the life cycle of the product.
• Percentage of recycled material used in production is another key point as the data for recycled content of reusable packaging is limited.

Conclusion

The white paper provides a critical view on packaging recycling and reuse in the European Circular Economy. The study conclusions are:

• The concept of ‘fit for purpose’ packaging should be central in the Commission’s proposal of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) as it contributes to achieving circularity and climate neutrality while reducing waste.
• Both recyclable corrugated and reusable packaging solutions could provide appropriate solutions depending on the packaging requirements and should be considered by the European Commission when proposing legislation.
• The waste hierarchy should be improved based on life cycle thinking, as reusable packaging is not always the most sustainable solution.
• Environmental impacts may simply shift, not disappear, as a result of scaling up reuse systems.
• There is no obvious best choice when selecting between recyclable and reusable packaging solutions as results vary significantly on a case-by-case basis. This demonstrates a clear need to avoid a one-size-fits-all policy and rather focus on fit-for-purpose solutions.
• The shift to reusable systems involves substantial initial economic investments thus creating new costs related to washing, repair etc. while burdening the environment, with no guarantee of success.

The three studies demonstrate that both recyclable and reusable packaging play a valuable role in the Circular Economy. They also provide evidence that there could be unintentional consequences should the EU prioritise scaling up reuse at the cost of recycling.

Packaging is vital to almost all businesses. It sets a precedent for your customers and ensures their products get to them safely and in one piece. It might be surprising to learn that so many businesses still get their packaging wrong!

Packaging design is the one thing that is stopping you from leaving a good first impression on your customers. It may even lead to them overlooking your product entirely. That’s why it’s important to get your packaging right.

The biggest mistake many businesses make is their use of void fill. The most common form of void fill is plastic, but there are other types of void fill, for example packing peanuts. We have previously written about plastic packaging, the plastic packaging tax, and how to eliminate plastic packaging from your business, but many businesses still default to plastic packaging. Not only is this extremely wasteful, but it can also be damaging to the planet and not to mention your brand.

The problem with plastic packaging is that there’s so much of it, and it can take up to 1,000 years to degrade naturally. Plastic ends up in our oceans, rivers and lakes, and all too often we see it littering our streets.

Much of this plastic waste is single-use plastic. This is the real reason that plastic is seen as bad for the environment, we don’t recycle and reuse enough of it. Reducing the plastic your business uses, and recycling what you do use, is one way to improve your packaging.

Another issue businesses have with their packaging is not using the correct size packaging for their products. Not having the correct size packaging is wasteful, but it can also cause product damage, which leaves a bad impression on your customers.

How can you improve bad packaging?

Some of the worst packaging that people see has a lot to do with volume. A grossly oversized box, or excess fillers. While a lot of that may be cardboard, it still all ends up as waste.

By using a correctly sized box for your product, you can cut down on the number of materials you use – and therefore, the number of materials you buy and the amount of storage space you need.

The best way to improve your packaging is by using Right Size solutions. There is no waste, your products are packaged to fit them exactly, and you are helping the environment too.

Right Size solutions combine Ribble’s industry-leading Fanfold material and state-of-the-art technology to create the perfect size box for all your products.

We have a simple 4-step process for our Right Size solutions.

1. Enter your box style and dimensions.
2. Select how many you require.
3. The box is produced within seconds.
4. Your products are packaged in the perfect-sized box.

By saving on fuel and transport costs, regaining warehouse space, and saving on labour costs, you can reduce your packaging costs by 30% and support our planet.

To stop your business from making packaging mistakes, use Ribble’s Right Size packaging. Contact us today for a quick chat.

July is an important month in the calendar for the environment; it’s plastic-free July. Plastic-free July is a global movement that started in 2011. It helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution. One of the biggest aspects of this is through cutting down on, or eliminating, single-use plastics.

Getting rid of plastics from your business’ everyday practices can make a huge impact, and it’s easy to do with a few small changes.

How can your business reduce plastic packaging?

One change your business can make is changing the way you procure packaging materials. Many businesses find that amending their procurement policies is a powerful way to reduce single-use plastics. This might include asking suppliers to pack without plastic and requesting reusable/returnable/sustainable packaging such as recycled cardboard boxes or ‘jackets’ to replace plastic wrap on pallets.

If that’s not possible, you might want to look beyond your current suppliers and see if there are others out there offering more sustainable packaging and solutions.

When it comes to doing business, you can make a difference by offering reused packaging to your customers. Many retailers, instead of throwing out cardboard boxes, keep them on hand for customers who forget their bags. Some companies that ship orders use shredded paper to protect products instead of bubble wrap.

How Ribble can help you reduce your plastic usage

Our Right Size packaging is an easy way to reduce the amount of packaging you use, and therefore reduce the amount of waste. Right Size solutions combine Ribble’s industry-leading Fanfold material and state of the art technology to create the perfect size box for all your products.

We have a simple 4-step process for our Right Size solutions:

1. Enter your box style and dimensions
2. Select how many you require
3. The box is produced within seconds
4. Your products are packaged in the perfect sized box

There are also various benefits of using our Right Size solutions. These include up to a 30% reduction in packaging costs, labour savings, increased warehouse space, elimination of void fillers, and more.

To find out more about how Ribble’s Right Size solutions can help your business reduce or eliminate its plastic packaging usage, contact us today.