Advantages and Disadvantages of Paper, Wood, and Plastic Shipping Containers (Essay Sample)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Paper, Wood, and Plastic Shipping Containers
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Paper, Wood, and Plastic Shipping Containers
The packaging materials that are used by different organizations are vital in ensuring that the products reach to their final destinations safely. The types of packaging materials that are used can either be wood-based shipping material, paper- based shipping materials or plastic-based shipping materials. Although these materials tend to differ in terms of quality and durability, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages of using these containers. When selecting the appropriate packaging container, a company has to put into consideration the entire supply chain (Martin, 2013). This consists of distributors, suppliers, transporters, storage facilities and retailers who are involved in the sale, production and delivery of the goods to clients. This document compares and contrasts the benefits and limitations of wood, paper and plastic-based shipping containers as distribution packages.
Wood-based shipping containers are some of the most commonly used transportation materials. Organizations use wood to manufacture the pallet boxes. The main advantage of wood-based material is that it is flexible. This implies that the containers can be customized in accordance to different shipping requirements. Second, when amorphous materials are being transported, the wooden crates can be designed to accommodate the products. Only simple tools and procedures are required to design, implying that the containers can transport a wide range of commodities (Korish & Tomaino, 2014). In addition, wood is durable and strong thus enabling the containers to last for several years. The insulation properties are further enhanced by fibers. Moreover, wood is non-corrosive, implying that goods remain fresh. Unlike, paper and plastic-based containers, wood does not bend irrespective of the weight of packaged materials. It can also withstand the weight of shipping loads.
The main disadvantage of wood-based materials is that it is bulky and occupies huge amount of storage space. Therefore, these containers tend to increase the total cost of transportation and this is consequently passed to customers. Moreover, when wood is subjected to moisture, it results to warping. Leaking and warping usually damages the transported commodities. Wood that is not treated harbors bacteria and fungi. The problem with treatment is that the used chemical may lead to contamination of the commodities (Martin, 2013). When these risks are put in perspective, insurance companies charge high premiums to transport the commodities thus increasing the shipping cost. Manufacturing wood-based containers degrades the environments since trees have to be cut down thus leading to deforestation
On the other hand, plastic-based shipping containers are popular due to their reusability. The containers are manufactured using polymeric materials like high-density polyethylene (HDPE). In addition, plastic containers are robust due to the incorporated additives such as anti-oxidants. Such materials enable the containers to withstand the shipping rigidities. Another advantage is the plastic containers can be reused thus reducing the total cost of shipping. When compared to wood and paper-based containers, plastic containers are more expensive but also durable (Twede, et al., 2013). They can also be cleaned easily and this protects the commodities from contamination. Since they can be manufactured in different sizes, plastics can transport a variety of goods. Most importantly, these containers are weather friendly and water resistant compared to water and wood-based containers.
There are several disadvantages of plastic-based shipping containers. First, these containers are made of hard and rough surfaces which may damage the packaged goods. For this possibility to be avoided, liners are used to cover the rough surfaces and this increases the cost of transportation. Plastic also exposes commodities to pilferage. Therefore, just like wood-based containers, plastic containers are subjected to high insurance premiums thus increasing the total transportation costs (Twede, et al., 2013). Moreover, these containers are bulky, a factor that occupies more space that could have been used to transport additional goods. Plastic containers are inflexible unlike wood-based containers that are highly flexible. Plastic containers cannot be modified to fulfill different shipping requirements. This implies that additional containers have to be procured to meet the needs of different commodities.
Over the years, the popularity of paper-based shipping containers has increased significantly. For instance, cartons are increasingly being used to transport and store fruits, vegetables and other perishable products. Moreover, plastic containers are easy to use compared to wood and plastic-based containers. Compared to wood and plastic-based containers, paper-based containers are not bulky and this implies that they occupy very little space. Therefore, paper-based shipping-containers provide an advantage to companies since the little space that is occupied leave extra room to ship additional commodities (Levinson, 2010). This is one of the main advantages of paper-based containers compared to wood and paper-based containers. Furthermore, the cost of shipping using paper-based containers is relatively low compared to wood and plastic-based containers since they are not bulky. In addition, these plastic containers cannot be reused and this implies that there is no extra cost of having to transport empty containers back to the company. Compared to wood-based containers, paper-based containers are not subjected to chemical treatment. This implies that the shipped commodities are not subjected o the risk of contamination.
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