application of disposable packaging in automotive supply chain

The future packaging trends in the automotive industry are turning towards an increased usage of disposable packaging in longer distance flows. however, there are concerns that disposable packaging material (often cardboard) will have a negative impact on the material handling, scrapping or recycling, and the level of cleanliness inside production plants, thus affecting the production quality. the aim of this article is to study the effects of an increased usage of disposable packaging in the volvo group’s receiving plant from goods receiving to point of use to waste handling, and to identify potential problems that arise from replacing the returnable packaging with disposable alternatives. to evaluate the packaging performance, the disposable packaging alternative provided by volvo group supplies has been analyzed from four different packaging requirements: the protective perspective, the handling efficiency perspective, the ergonomic perspective, and the information perspective. the main conclusions made from analyzing the disposable packaging based on these four perspectives are that the disposable packaging solutions could, in the rough, be handled in the same internal logistics processes up to the handling and collection of empty packaging. the breakdown of empty cardboard packaging does require new processes, as well as space and locations for the handling of empty packaging.