Two Japanese companies, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. and Starway Co., Ltd. have collaborated in developing returnable packing boxes as well as a recovery system for these boxes. Fuji Xerox began using the boxes to distribute spare parts to 500 domestic service locations and initiated the recovery system on August 28.

Prior to that, Fuji Xerox was using ordinary cardboard boxes to supply spare parts. These boxes could only be used for round trips, when delivering new parts and recovering used ones.

The new boxes, based on Starway's E-Star Pack (consisting of the 100% recycled paper material Pasco and special film), can be used over a hundred times due to their high durability. They can also be neatly folded so that nine fit into a single box, which means that ten boxes can be collected together as one set, thus reducing the cost of collecting empty boxes by up to 90%.

The total reduction in packaging materials after the introduction of returnable boxes will reach 1,294 tons (74 percent of the present amount), thereby reducing the material purchasing cost by 55, by 2010. The boxes are also expected to cut carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, which occur during material production and recycling, by a total of 658 tons and 0.82 tons, respectively, by 2010, thereby alleviating the environmental burden of the logistics sector.

http://www.fujixerox.co.jp/eng/headline/2006/0912_returnable.html

Posted: 2006/12/22 12:40:51 PM
Japanese version

TAG Manufacturing industry , Material reduction