Walker Logistics has slashed the amount of packaging it uses across its business, following a comprehensive review of internal processes at its 250,000 sq ft multi-user storage hub in Lambourn Woodlands.
The Berkshire-based online fulfilment specialist has reduced its packaging footprint by 5%, helping keep supply chain costs down at the same time as helping the environment.
Sales director William Walker said the business analysed every aspect of its operation to ensure orders were safely packed in the most time-efficient and environmentally responsible manner possible.
“Everything from the materials used to the packaging flow process - including the design of packaging stations and the point in the fulfilment process where the job of packing certain lines is undertaken - was reviewed,” he said.
“Where it has not been possible to reduce the amount of packaging, we have sought to introduce more environmentally friendly forms of material.”
The company would, wherever possible, remove the use of infill materials, for example, and replace them with recycled and shredded cardboard produced on-site.
Effective use of packaging was one of the keys to keeping supply chain costs down, Walker added.
“As a logistics company that dispatches tens of thousands of items ranging from cosmetics to garden furniture every day, it is clearly essential that we balance the need for product protection with environmental concerns,” he said.
“Third-party logistics companies have a responsibility to their clients and, indeed, to the planet, to take a pro-active approach and strive to drive cost efficiencies and cut waste from business processes wherever possible.”
He added that the introduction of new packaging materials and packing methods had allowed it to accelerate its pick, pack and dispatch operations and achieve a saving of two-and-half hours in the time it takes to process a thousand orders.
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