You may have noticed that more and more businesses and industries are switching to heavy duty plastic bulk containers over cardboard, paper, plastic, and disposable or recyclable packaging materials.
There’s a reason for that. In fact, there are several. In this article, we will explain the many benefits of reusable bulk containers and why your business should consider using them starting right away.
Environmental Benefits
Perhaps the biggest reason so many companies are switching to reusable plastic bulk containers is the increased focus on sustainability.
Plastic bins and other bulk containers can be used over and over again many times. Unlike cardboard boxes, they don’t need to go through the recycling process before they can be reused.
Instead, they can simply be sprayed clean, air dried, and put back into circulation — a process that takes just a few minutes rather than several weeks or even months.
And unlike disposable packaging, reusable plastic bulk containers don’t take up valuable landfill space and help preserve valuable resources. And because they are made from recyclable plastic, at the end of their useful life they can still avoid the waste stream.
Logistical Benefits
Bulk containers are stackable, so they can increase storage capacity in warehouses, docks, and other storage facilities.
Given their strength, many plastic bins can be stacked six to eight high. Try doing that with cardboard containers and you will have a mess to deal with, not to mention damaged products or supplies.
With bulk containers, you can optimize cube efficiency in cargo containers and trucks as well.
Capacity and Storage Benefits
Many of today’s reusable plastic bulk containers have weight capacities up to 2,500 pounds. Compared to cardboard boxes, bulk containers offer astronomically more weight and bulk capacity.
They also provide more protection for their contents than cardboard boxes. Plastic bins usually won’t crack, dent, or break under normal use circumstances. Instead, they provide maximum protection during storage, handling, and transit.
Moisture and Durability
Unlike cardboard boxes, plastic containers are weatherproof, non-absorbent, and resistant to most chemicals. This type of durability provides longer life, superior protection, and increased chances that your products or supplies will get where they are going in exactly the same shape as when they left your facility.
Add to that a higher return on investment, their ability to be opened without box cutters or other potentially dangerous tools, and their high degree of customization, and it’s clear that your business should consider switching plastic bulk containers for most or all of your storage needs.