DHL Develops Environmentally Friendly Containers

DHL, the international logistics company, announced earlier this month that its Japanese supply chain division developed "multipurpose returnable containers" (MRCs) to ship precision equipment. What is the big deal about the MRCs? They are durable enough to be reused up to 100 times, unlike the previous containers used to ship precision equipment which were used only once. The MRCs use hardboards made from recycled paper for the frame that supports the two layers of urethane film that are used for shock absorption. That reduces the containers weight by about 50 percent from the previously used containers. The MRCs also have a maximum load capacity 2.5 times bigger than previous containers.

The MRCs reduce about four tons of carbon emissions and 3.7 tons of packing materials a year, which means less of an environmental footprint. They can also be used for products of different sizes. In other words, they are highly versatile. When not being used, the MRCs can be folded up to half of their size, which means they take up less room when being stored.

DHL has a three-year agreement with DHL Supply Chain Japan to use the containers in Fujitsu Limited's IA server repair service, and filed an international patent for them. DHL Supply Chain is responsible for managing more than 55 packaging operations in Asia Pacific.

"By providing eco-friendly packing solutions, we are supporting our customers' promotion of environmental management in their transportation requirements," said Shuichi Kawamura, President of DHL Supply Chain. "As a global leader in the logistics industry, we continue to develop solutions and services by offering added value to support our customers' business."

"With the strength of our Japan Team in eco-packaging and packaging design and an increasing demand for more sustainable and cost effective packaging solutions from our customers, we will offer many innovations in the coming years in multi-purpose and customized reusable containers," said Jerome Gillet, Vice President of Consumer and Packaging, DHL Supply Chain Asia Pacific.

Last year, DHL Supply Chain Japan developed a reusable packing material, the "two meter version of GreenEcoBelt," with EcoBiz to transport Fujitsu laptops. It is durable enough for repeated uses and for tall freight, and reduces carbon emissions by approximately seven tons a year.

Image credit: PR Newswire