Big retailers are rolling out machines in their e-commerce distribution operations that make packages sized specifically to fit the items being shipped, potentially reining in some of the big volumes of cardboard generated as online shopping has grown.
Walmart said it has installed machines that churn out custom boxes at 12 of its fulfillment centers, and plans to add the technology to more. It has been able to cut down the amount of cardboard and filler material it uses per order by making individual boxes.
Amazon has also been increasing its use of made-to-fit packaging to ship items from books to shoes. It started using custom packaging in 2016 and is expanding its use of the technology.
Retailers traditionally have used boxes of set sizes to fill online orders, many of them not suited to the enormous array of products now available online. The push to deliver goods faster has also put a premium on speed in fulfillment centers, leading workers to stuff goods in the closest available boxes. But the speed and functionality of machines that make custom boxes has improved in recent years.
The accumulation of cardboard in households, trash heaps and recycling centers has been one visible result of the surge in online shopping in recent years. Each order has added to the boxes reaching Americans’ doorsteps, including containers that can be far bigger than the items inside.
Besides being better for the environment, the made-to-fit boxes can help companies cut shipping costs because the shipments take up less space in trucks and delivery vans.
Classroom discussion questions:
- How do companies benefit from better packaging?
- Are there other ways to improve packaging beside machines such as the one shown above?