Reusable shipping assets are items in a shipment that are used to help package and transport your goods safely. They're usually made of plastic, metal, or other composites, making them more durable than conventional packaging like cardboard boxes or other flimsy materials, and therefore, more likely to survive a trip and be reused.
A number of companies and industries are shifting from conventional packaging and shipping assets to the reusable kind in their supply chains because:
- They protect goods better in transit.
- They're sturdier, making them better for bulk handling.
- They make supply chains more environmentally friendly by reducing packaging waste like paper, plastic, and cardboard.
While it makes sense to switch over from conventional packaging and shipping items to the reusable variety, there are a few problems that are preventing more widespread adoption, chief among them being:
- They're really expensive
- They're really easy to lose
The cost of reusable shipping assets isn't really a problem; they can more than pay for themselves through their reuse as well as the other supply chain savings possible only through the use of durable packaging.
The real problem is that they're hard to keep track of, and hence, easily lost.
In this infographic, we'll examine
- Why so many reusable shipping and packaging assets like pallets and crates are lost.
- The impact of these losses, both financial and functional.
- The benefits of tracking shipping asset and packaging, and the industries that stand to gain from it.
