There is sometimes considerable potential for improvement, even in supposedly simple processes, particularly from the standpoint of sustainability. Up to now, a Clariant operation at the location in Hoechst (Germany) has packaged loose pigment granules manufactured for paints and coatings first in paper bags and then placed several of these 10 kg to 25 kg bags upright in cardboard boxes. Twelve of these boxes were placed in a double row on a wooden pallet and then wrapped with plastic film. These pallets were usually transported from the Clariant warehouse by truck to the customer. The customer opened the boxes, removed the paper bags and poured the contents into their storage container.

This method has required lots of boxes up to now, which led to high costs and produced a significant amount of waste. In addition, the boxes could not be filled without gaps, so a lot of air was also »transported«. Moreover, the boxes made of cardboard were only stackable to a limited extent and one pallet could not be placed on top of another. Each box had to be opened by the customer individually and by hand – which created a risk of injury that should not be underestimated. Moreover, unpacking the boxes meant significant use of staff resources and time.

A project team thus began a pilot project for more economical and sustainable packaging. The starting point was an annual cost in a low single-digit million amount for packaging and transport.

As a solution, instead of boxes, only trays made of cardboard are used now. The paper bags are no longer placed into the cardboard boxes, but merely placed horizontally in a transport tray and then covered with another of the same. After wrapping with plastic film which protects it from water, the result is a very stable construction. Packaging material is saved by eliminating the boxes, then the required storage capacity in warehouses is reduced by 30% to 50% because up to three pallets can be stacked on top of one another, and likewise the unpacking process was simplified for the customer. Higher truck loads through double stacking additionally lowers costs and CO₂ emissions per transported kilogram. At the same time, risk of injury for employees decreased significantly.

The packaging and transportation costs were significantly reduced. Further potential exists by sharing this concept with units currently using similar packing and shipping concepts.