Reusable containers for a sustainable logistics

The word sustainability is fashionable, so much, that, often, empty of sense. Therefore, to what refer us when we speak of sustainable logistics? The Association of Logistical Operators of Reusable Elements Ecosostenibles (Areco) was cream in 2010 by initiative of a group of pertaining companies to the sector of the pooling, that manages containers, containers and pallets reusable in the distribution agroalimentaria. In the actuality form part of Areco the main companies of the sector (Ifco Systems, Euro Pool System, Logifruit, Chep and LPR), that represent practically 95% of this market. The aim of Areco, from his birth, has been to promote the use of containers and elements of reusable transport in the transport of foods from the producer until the distribution. But why the logistics agroalimentaria would have to use this type of containers and no others?

Traditionally the plastic, main material with which are manufactured the containers, containers and pallets (these last, also wooden) that manage the companies of pooling, has been a material questioned by not being biodegradable. However, this criticism arises of the ignorance of how employ these containers and plastic elements and of how treats the plastic at the end of his useful life.

To understand why the system of containers of reusable plastic is more sustainable that the ones of an alone use, the scientists explain it through the analysis of the cycle of life, a methodology that serves to evaluate environingingmentally a product or a service.

This evaluation realizar in all the chain of value of the product (from the raw materials to the management of the residue) and taking into account a group of environingingmental indicators, like the footprint of carbon or the footprint hídrica.

Different European studies, as the one of the Institute Fraunhofer of Germany (2009), have analysed, from the point of view of the cycle of life, the three more frequent systems used in Europe for the transport of fruit and vegetables in the distribution agroalimentaria, this is, containers and packagings of reusable plastic, wooden and of cardboard, these two last, of an alone use.

To compare the three systems of containers, the study takes like reference the transport of 1.000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables. For his distribution in boxes of cardboard and/or wood, that is to say, of an alone use, needs produce 3.333.350 boxes, whereas, in the case of the containers of plastic, since they can reutilizar until in 100 occasions, with a percentage of filled of 4,8 times to the year and an useful life average of 20 years, would need 66.667 boxes.

This supposes, of entrance, that needs manufacture a lot of less plastic boxes that of cardboard or wood, by what consume fewer resources —power, water, raw materials— and, therefore, realizar fewer broadcasts of CO₂ to the atmosphere, among others factors.

On the other hand, contrary to what believes , the plastic recycles to 100%, that is to say, all the matter of the boxes into disuse can take advantage of and, from them, manufacture the same container, whereas, in the case of the cardboard, for example, to do new boxes needs an important percentage of new matter that contribute the necessary resistance to transport products, like the fruit and vegetables, that generate humidity.

Therefore, to describe a system of logistics as more or less sustainable have to analyse no only the materials that uses, but how employ and how refuse .

But the advantages of the containers and elements of reusable transport no only have to see with the environingingment, but they affect, of positive form, to all the operators of the chain of supply.

The producer, in addition to saving costs in buying containers, has the guarantee that his products will arrive to the distribution in the best conditions, since the plastic boxes, firm and resistant, allow apilar the content without damaging it. And, when being open, favour the refrigeration of the product, what is especially important in the case of the fruit and the cool vegetables.

From the point of view of the logistics, the advantages of the reusable containers reside mainly in that they reduce the space for the storage, since the boxes fold ; they allow the standardisation, what increases the productivity; it minimises the necessary power for the cooling; and they offer greater hygiene and hygiene.

By his part, the distribution also goes out benefited of this system of pooling, since with him deletes the need of reenvasado (the product remains in the container in the linear) and reduce to zero the waste, since the logistics operators collect the containers, containers and pallets used. It is more, no only they collect them but they give them back to his plants of wash and conditioning. Once there, they wash them and higienizan and, in case that it was necessary, repair them until remaining smart for a next reuse until it finishes his useful life.

In definite, although this procedure applies fundamentally in the industrial field, supposes a revolution in the form to pose new habits of consumption that value the reuse in front of the “use and throw”, that has been the norm in the last decades.