Whilst there’s a tendency to think about the packaging industry as an entity that’s reliant on other markets, it’s actually a highly lucrative sector in its own right. In fact, studies show that the world’s packaging industry will achieve a cumulative value of $1 trillion by 2020, with this number having risen considerably from the 2015 total of $839 billion.
Increased consumerism and the diversification of the packaging industry is behind increased demand in the sector, with the latter perfectly embodied by a recent collaboration between couriers TNT Express and UK-based DS Smith.
But how did this collaboration manifest itself, and what does it tell us about the future of the packaging industry?
DS Smith Design a New Courier Box for TNT
One of the key trends in the modern packaging industry is the need for personalised and flexible containers, to meet the pressing demands of customers and different travel arrangements.
This was at the heart of the collaboration between DS Smith and TNT, with the former having designed a brand new courier box for their partners. The brief was to create customised plastic packaging that could meet extreme transportation conditions, the like of which TNT Express face on a regular basis.
DS Smith were also employed to develop a durable container that could enhance mail packing whilst simultaneously reducing packaging costs.
This firm was the logical choice for TNT, as it’s widely considered to be the biggest box maker in Britain. It also hit the headlines in March for selling its plastic division to the private equity group Olympus Partners for a reported $585 million, as it looks to streamline its venture in line with prevailing market trends.
For their part, TNT is headquartered in the Netherlands, and is a subsidiary of the globally-renowned FedEx brand.
It currently collects, sorts and transports packages in more than 200 countries, and regularly ships to some of the world’s most extreme corners.
What Does this Tell us About the Marketplace?
Whilst the container includes a number of telling design features, perhaps the most insightful is the fact that it’s made using 100% recyclable materials.
This means that the design is essentially a robust but completely reusable box that can last for decades, whilst at the end of this lifespan it can easily be recycled for an array of future purposes.
This is a major trend in the packaging industry, with reusable and recyclable materials helping couriers and their customers to minimise their carbon footprints whilst also slashing their operating costs considerably.
The flexible design can also fit across the entire supply chain including pallets, dollies and the conveyors of a distribution centre, so it can value to TNT Express at various stages of the packing and shipment process.
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