“2009 is the perfect storm that will accelerate the reuse of materials throughout the supply chain across all industries.” That’s according to Bob Klimko, chairman of the board for the Reusable Packaging Assoc. (RPA, www.choosereusables.org) and director of General Industrial Marketing for ORBIS Corp. (www.orbiscorporation.com).

“The recession is driving businesses to reduce costs wherever possible,” Klimko continues. “At the same time, there is a global awareness that businesses must truly change their practices that deplete the earth’s resources. These two forces are creating the perfect storm that will result in a significant increase in the adoption of reusable packaging, both as a solution to decrease costs and to drive supply-chain sustainability.”

To help encourage companies to incoporate reusable packaging, this year, the association says it plans to provide businesses with examples, case studies, measurement tools, and resources to help them meet their sustainable packaging initiatives.

In addition, the RPA plans to continue to broaden its membership, adding more and more-varied expertise to the association. This year, its focus will be on bringing in stakeholders such as end users, government agencies, reusable packaging providers and suppliers, university leaders, and key environmental groups. Already this year, the RPA says it has expanded its board to include two additional seats.

“Many companies are struggling to truly understand, define, implement, and measure their sustainability objectives,” said Klimko. “The issues are exacerbated because there are many partners in a given supply chain, from suppliers to manufacturers to retailers. The RPA will address these challenges by bringing together the collective expertise of all the players within the supply chain so that we can advance the entire industry. It is too difficult for a company to do this in isolation.”

Current initiatives
The RPA is in the process of defining its complete list of initiatives for 2009. However, some projects currently under way include:
• Publishing the results of the RPA RFID study that was started in 2007 and is entering its final stages of completion.
• Creating a new end-user advisory group to help bring more packaging user perspectives to RPA programs and services.
• Establishing a public policy subcommittee to serve as a focal point and clearinghouse for public policy issues impacting the reusable industry.
• Seeking new working partnerships with municipalities, federal government agencies, and other related trade groups to promote the use and understanding of reusable packaging and systems in commerce.

The concept of reuse is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov) as a way to prevent waste from entering the waste stream. According to the EPA Web site, “Source reduction, including reuse, can help reduce waste disposal and handling costs, because it avoids the costs of recycling, municipal composting, landfilling, and combustion. Source reduction also conserves resources and reduces pollution, including greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.”

The RPA defines reusable packaging as pallets, containers, and dunnage designed for re-use within a supply chain. These items are constructed for multiple trips and extended life. Due to their reusable nature, they offer a rapid return on investment and a lower cost per trip than single-use packaging products, as well as efficient storage, handling and distribution of products throughout the supply chain.

To view a related article on the Reusable Packaging Assoc., see “Reusable transport packaging comes of age.”