PACKING MATERIALS COMPARISON (Research Paper Sample)

Comparison of packaging material Name Course Institution Instructor Date Comparison of packaging material Introduction Packaging materials are basic commodities to different manufacturing industries because their products have to reach consumers in perfect condition. While choosing a packaging material, the industry considers the supply chain which is a network or suppliers, distributors, storage facilities, transporters and retailers who participate in the production, sale and delivery of a product to consumers. Plastic based shipping containers refer to the closed head containers that are gust molded with improved presentation characteristics of elevated molecular mass high thickness polythene. Paper based shipping containers are made up of corrugated fiberboard consisting of one or two flat linerboards and a fluted corrugated sheet. Wooden based shipping containers refer to storage containers made from wood. The woods used for construction of the containers include timber, engineered woods, plywood amongst others  ADDIN EN.CITE Miller20082(M. Miller, 2008)226Miller, M.2008 Indianapolis, IndQue( HYPERLINK \l "_ENREF_2" \o "Miller, 2008 #2"
M. Miller, 2008). In other instances, decorative wood are used. This discussion is focused on comparing and contrasting the advantages and disadvantages of the identified types of shipping containers used as a distribution package. Plastic based materials The plastic based shipping containers are one of the fastest growing packaging materials for use in the distribution channel by most industries. This could be attributed to the development of the on-line shopping industry and producers would like their products to reach consumers in different parts of the world in faultless condition. First, the characteristic of the material from which they are made from enables the containers to withstand the severity of distribution and allows a variety of filling temperatures. The containers are also corrosion resistant and accommodate a variety of products from food stuff to hazardous chemicals. The containers are absolutely self-supporting with selected features that accommodate standard emptying and filling devices. Plastic shipping drums have an ultra violet inhibitor, can be used either vertically or horizontally and can be stacked 3 high  ADDIN EN.CITE Selke19973(Selke, 1997)336Selke, S. E. M.1997MunichHanser( HYPERLINK \l "_ENREF_3" \o "Selke, 1997 #3"
Selke, 1997). In other words the material is not fragile, convenient, and effective, weighs less and is durable. The disadvantage of the plastic based shipping containers is that when the package product for example, food clings onto the plastic and therefore become less tasteful. It is also possible for the process of compound transfer to occur between the contained item and the plastic packaging. In addition to the identified disadvantages, is the fact that during the process of manufacturing, a lot of pollutants are released to the environment which becomes very harmful to the surroundings leading to more destructive processes  ADDIN EN.CITE Miller20121(G. T. Miller & Spoolman, 2012)116Miller, G. T.,Spoolman, S.2012CaliforniaBrooks/Cole Cengage Learning( HYPERLINK \l "_ENREF_1" \o "Miller, 2012 #1"
G. T. Miller & Spoolman, 2012). This has however been addressed by the adoption of more eco-friendly manufacturing processes. Paper based materials The paper based shipping container is the most eco-friendly packaging material. The corrugated linerboard and medium are made of a paper like material called a containerboard usually over 0.25 millimeters thick are used to make the transport boxes. The advantages include the manufacturing process is cheap and the products are incredibly cheap  ADDIN EN.CITE Twede20054(Twede & Selke, 2005)446Twede, D., Selke, S. E. M.2005LancasterDEStech Publications( HYPERLINK \l "_ENREF_4" \o "Twede, 2005 #4"
Twede & Selke, 2005). The disadvantages include fact that the containers do not offer protection from micro-organisms, moisture and oxygen and therefore not ideal for packaging products that have a short shelf-life. Wooden based materials The wooden based shipping containers offer the function of a protective outer packaging. The strength of a wooden container is determined by the weight it carries before the top is fixed. The performance is influenced by the type of fasteners, design of the container, type of wood, workmanship amongst other considerations. The production of wooden containers is easy since the materials are easy to acquire and designed according to the customers specified requirements. The containers are acquired on a low price as compared to other transporting materials such as the plastic based containers. The wooden based containers are anti-theft proof attributed to the process of nailing the pieces together which proves difficult to open by unauthorized personnel. The wooden containers just like the plastic based containers have good stacking properties and often portray high tolerance for upright strain when uniformly distributed  ADDIN E...