Outer packaging

Outer packaging: essential for the handling of goods

The better production and distribution are linked and coordinated, the more efficient the associated logistics will be. The aim of outer packaging as part of packaging logistics is to leverage optimization potential and make logistical processes more cost-effective. A typical example is containers or EUR pallets, which are used as loading aids in freight shipping or in the transportation of goods in general.

With outer packaging, the so-called volume utilization rate can be increased, which is primarily made possible by using a standardized container concept. A distinction is usually made between transport packaging, load units and load carriers. Essentially, the aim is to increase the ratio of product volume to packaging volume (i.e. more volume used) and to utilize as much of the available capacity as possible during transport.

Typical packaging systems in logistics:

• Primary packaging (the packaging that the consumer receives)
• Secondary packaging (consisting of several primary packaging units)
• Tertiary packaging (consisting of several primary or secondary packages, combined e.g. on EPAL carriers or in containers)
• Transport packaging (designed for efficient production and processing, transportation and storage of packaging)

Important: In many cases, marketing influences the packaging, e.g. the optical “deception” of larger packaging in relation to the actual contents. Around 1/3 of the plastics produced in the EU are used for packaging, so the savings potential is correspondingly high in terms of resource consumption and capacity requirements, but also in terms of the recyclability and sustainability of such outer packaging.