Unleashing the Sustainable, Protective Power of the Box

The following article was written by Sealed Air's Product Care Division President Ken Chrisman and originally published by the Charlotte BizJournal (Charlotte, N.C., USA) on Nov. 15, 2018:

When it comes to product packaging materials, few things are as prevalent as the corrugated box. Its versatility and functionality have made it the most used packaging material in the world. In fact, the worldwide demand for corrugated boxes is expected to reach 170 million tons and $300 billion by 2023.

Corrugated’s packaging-of-choice position could also be attributed to its widely recognized environmental friendliness. Natural, renewable, 100 percent recyclable and biodegradable, corrugated packaging can be made, used, reused and ultimately disposed of sustainably.

Sealed Air recognizes the value of this renewable resource. That’s why all of our suspension and retention packaging is manufactured using a standard corrugated fiberboard frame that can be easily recycled in the corrugated waste stream worldwide.

For many companies that might be good enough. At Sealed Air, sustainability does not end with responsible sourcing and disposal.

Sealed Air’s 2025 sustainability and plastics pledge requires that we be bold and daring not just in reducing our environmental impact, but in how we innovate and operate with renewable resources to re-imagine sustainable solutions for our customers on a daily basis.

While corrugated may be a mature resource, it’s not just for the retail backroom anymore. The rise in online shopping and consumer demand for frustration-free packaging has created a space for premium packing material solutions. Corrugated’s protective qualities and ability to be shaped into just about any design makes it an ideal solution for e-commerce — or any product being shipped directly to the consumer.

Sustainability conscious e-commerce brands are looking at ways to present their products in packaging that is as good for the environment as it is for the customer experience. Sealed Air is responding to that need with innovations such as Korrvu — a recyclable, engineered solution that suspends products in the air space of a corrugated container using resilient low-slip film.

Korrvu’s high-performance design keeps the product protected throughout the shipping journey, provides an aesthetically pleasing consumer experience and can easily be reused for product returns. All without compromising its sustainability.

As a packaging material, the inherent value of a corrugated foundation lies in making sure our customers’ products get into the hands of the consumer undamaged. The science and engineering we’ve put into re-imagining solutions that use this renewable resource ensures superior protection against damage, eliminates production waste, conserves resources, reduces material and cube size and decreases the energy needed to transport products.