Addressing Movement in Transport and its impact on sustainability is crucial for reducing waste, cutting costs, and ensuring a more efficient and eco-friendly supply chain
In logistics, one of the biggest and most complex issues to overcome is Movement in Transport (MIT). With over 750 million pallet journeys each year, it is estimated that 82.5 million of these arrive at their destination damaged, leading to product rejection and thousands of pounds in unplanned costs.
Besides the unforeseen cost of product replacement and additional transport costs, damaged goods also significantly impact sustainability. As we strive toward net zero, many companies are instrumental in their efforts to cut plastic waste and reduce their carbon footprint, which MIT issues threaten to undo.
UK businesses use about 150,000 tonnes of stretch wrap annually. By implementing stability testing and optimising wrapping methods with the right pallet wrap, companies could reduce plastic consumption by up to 45,000 tonnes, saving money and cutting plastic waste and CO2 emissions.
Rick Sellars, Sales Manager at Lindum Packaging, explained how using the right wrapping materials and techniques to address MIT can save businesses money, time and reduce CO2 emissions.
“Road transportation in the UK is often the most efficient way to move goods, but it presents challenges. Factors including acceleration, deceleration, potholes, uneven surfaces, and harsh braking can destabilise pallets, potentially compromising the integrity of the plastic wrap and leading to product damage.”
He added: “To avoid MIT issues, we recommend taking a closer look at the goods you are transporting to determine which pallet wrap is most suitable. Pallet wrap is most commonly made from linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), but it comes in different varieties depending on the characteristics of the package. For heavier packages, a heavy-duty NANO stretch film might be best to ensure the pallet remains stable.”
Selecting the correct wrapping not only helps to mitigate the risk of MIT, but it also helps the environment. “We estimate that the UK could save over 41 million kgs of plastic stretch film each year just by using suitable wrapping,” said Rick, who continued: “At Lindum Packaging, we specialise in plastic wrapping and understand the challenges companies face when transporting goods. That is why we created a unique, onsite solution to identify and solve any pallet stability issues.
“In 2023, we invested £250,000 to create the UK’s first Mobile Test Lab. This self-contained unit uses an onboard accelerator bench to simulate the stresses a loaded pallet faces during road transport. A camera measures the pallet’s deflection and movement at various G-forces, and specialised software analyses the data to evaluate stability performance according to the EUMOS standard.”
Rick confirmed the Lindum team is then able to provide immediate feedback on how effective current wrapping procedures are and suggest any necessary changes to the materials or overall method.
“We also manufacture an innovative IoT device, known as Kontrol 4.0, which retrofits to any pallet wrapping machine. It provides real-time insights into stretch wrap film consumption and machine performance.”
The user-friendly dashboard displays consumption, costs, and CO2 emissions per pallet while highlighting issues like film breaks and deviations from defined tolerances.
Rick said: “By optimising wrapping techniques and leveraging solutions like our Mobile Test Lab and Kontrol 4.0, businesses can enhance pallet stability, reduce waste, and improve supply chain efficiency.”
As the FMCG sector continues to evolve, investing in smarter packaging solutions will play a key role in driving sustainability, cutting costs, and ensuring product integrity throughout transportation.
Visit: www.lindumpackaging.com
