Product packaging has proved to be a major problem for large companies that have to ship items. The packaged products come in huge boxes even for small products and also the protective Styrofoam, of which, recycling such products proves to be a problem.
Also, when it comes to big businesses that usually deal with large orders, sometimes it proves difficult to manage the large volume that is consumed by the boxes and also packaging materials. Packaging improvements are a key factor to reduce waste and space.
Innovations In Packaging Computer Design
To overcome this factor that proves to be a major problem for some, Dell has been dedicated to the development of solutions that are innovative to reduce packaging waste. As a result, Dell came up with the 3Cs strategy of packaging that mainly focuses on the content, the curb, and the cube.
Cube: Reduce Packaging Size
In the year 2008, Dell decided to venture into reducing the volume of packaging products by a certain percentage before the end of 2012. The venture was known as the “cube” goal that intended to reduce the packaging size. Ahead of the expected deadline, Dell was able to achieve its goal by 12.1 percent. Such an achievement came about as a result of designs that were innovative and also cushioning that’s streamlined.
Also, they were able to come up with another innovation known as Multipack. Multipack entered into existence with the sole aim of reducing unwanted packaging for any business. With multipack, multiple products can be combined in one box for large orders, therefore, reducing packaging as well as transportation cost, deployment time, and storage space.
A good example illustrating the efficiency of Multipack is whereby your company can ship in a single box, a chassis that’s fully configured. As a result, you have the freedom of unpacking and starting up another blade server in just a short time of approximately 15 minutes.
As for larger consumers, with Multipack deployment time is reduced by 47 percent. Since the launching of the “Cube” project, $53.3 million is the amount saved, and a significant amount of weight adding up to 31.3 million pounds has been avoided. The project is still working miracles and will continue to benefit society.
Content: Use Recycled Or Sustainable Materials
The Dell packaging team is made up of engineers always tasked with the assessment of each and every element that contributes to packaging life cycle that seems complicated. Hence, they can determine the materials that will ensure the maximum protection of your products while also reducing the effects of environmental hazards. Besides, the choice of packaging materials for packaging occurs with a preference for each and every region.
Choosing packaging material is mostly carried out in criteria that involve the use of materials that are locally available, can be able to generate jobs locally, and also cut the carbon footprint of the packages.
In FY15, Dell started using Shock Response Spectrum and Finite Element Analysis so as to recognize new opportunities that will allow optimization of packaging configurations and allow the use of secondary materials.
These tools come in handy too when it comes down to the design of packaging products. They also have the ability to help to determine how and where the goods need protection when packaging. The packaging engineering team was able to develop up-to-date configurations within the boxes that enhance the reduction of the amount of material required when packaging.
Also, the new settings help in the reduction of the size of the boxes, and as a result, fitting more boxes on a pallet during shipping. Also, through the configurations, you can streamline the number of cushion forms and boxes we use, therefore assisting in a better standardization of a major set of source materials at a larger scale.
Hence, Dell is always in the constant search for eco-friendly materials.
Curb: Make Packaging Easily Recyclable
As soon as you receive your goods, Dell has decided to make sure that you will be focused on using the products and also be enjoying them instead of looking for ways to get rid of or store the packaging materials.
Hence, multiple options for recycling goods avail themselves at the convenience of either your business or your home. In the pursuit of recycling products, Dell has met its goal by being able to recycle 75 percent of packaging material at the curbside.
Dell has been able to achieve its goal compostable and recyclable packaging materials through the use of the following; Recyclable boxes, High-density plastic material, and also the use of mushroom and bamboo.