The food packaging industry is a £300bn global industry growing at a rate of 12% per year and increasingly favouring polymer or polymer-based materials. This generates 58m tonnes of "plastic" packaging waste annually in the EU and poses significant challenges for management given existing legislative constraints and increasing concerns surrounding the environmental impacts. The government, consumers, food retailers and pressure groups are all driving the demand for biodegradable packaging from renewable resources that can be disposed of with reduced impacts to the environment. Green Peace has devised a pyramid classification system of "Poisonous Plastics", which ranks plastics in terms of their harmfulness to the environment. They are campaigning against the use of oil-based materials and advocating the take up of biodegradable materials. The market for biodegradable food packaging is expanding rapidly but is still in its early stages of development and has not reached a critical mass to achieve significant market penetration. This is predominantly due to a lack of suitable materials that meet all environmental, functional and economical requirements. Whilst the long-term solution requires continued efforts in materials research and development, in the shorter term, changing working practices can abate the environmental impact of the industry. This research project tackled the challenge of environmental packaging from several directions: A novel starch-based material was developed that would fill the current gap in the food packaging market and facilitate recovery of the used materials by home composting. Using the sponsoring organisation as a case study, it was proved that by changing working practices by increasing rework and re-processing waste material for use in lower grade applications, both manufacturing costs and environmental impact can be reduced, thus benefiting both industry and the environment. A Life Cycle Assessment of selected biopolymers and oil-based polymers confirmed Green Peace's damning view of PVC and highlighted the need to develop biopolymers further. A domestic composting study of a range of commercially available "biodegradable" polymer materials revealed that a number of biodegradable packaging materials may typically biodegrade well in industrial high-temperature composting systems but fail to biodegrade under a low-temperature home composting environment and thus alerted the potential pitfall in waste management of some biodegradable polymers.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

In an attempt to have medicines available in patient-ready packs (PRPs) prior to the dispensing process, the provincial medicine depots in South Africa have, for many years, been repackaging bulk medicines into PRPs. Notwithstanding the fact that bulk medicine packages may have been the only packages available from the manufacturers to service the Primary Health Care (PHC) sector, the main aim of this process was to ensure that medicines were available in PRPs for dispensing to patients, thus, minimising the time spent on each prescription by the pharmacist, pharmacist’s assistant or Nurse. Currently, some medicines are being procured in PRPs from the manufacturers, whereas others are still procured in bulk packs which must be repackaged into PRPs. After a thorough literature search, it was established that, up until this point in time, no studies have been performed to compare costs of repackaged medicines from bulk packs with costs of medicines procured from manufacturers in PRPs. There was very scanty literature comparing the use of medicines procured either in PRPs or bulk packs. However, literature on cost comparison between repackaging and purchasing of commercially available manufacturer-prepared PRPs was not identified.

The growing e-commerce industry and online shopping is increasing the demand for transportation services world-wide. This expanding industry is beneficial for the economic aspects of society, but the transportation of packages is also causing major environmental impacts along the supply chain. The environmental impact of waste and emissions attributed to the manufacturing and shipment of packages are concluded by many scholars, stressing the importance of sustainable alternatives and innovations. Environmental concerns perceived by customers, governments and other stakeholders are increasingly pressuring companies to develop sustainable products, packaging and shipping. And yet, many customers still demand low-cost and fast shipping, making the development of green packaging and shipping uncertain as an investment. New legislations entering in effect year 2021 will successfully reduce the plastic waste in world-oceans and landfill, but at the same time limit the use of effective fit-to-use packaging which will inevitably result in larger packages occupying more space in transportation vessels. This study will examine the daily practice of e-commerce companies in Sweden, studying their knowledge and thoughts regarding green packaging development with an emphasis on the maximum fill rate of the secondary transit packaging level. Interviews with five companies were conducted, studying their daily practices. The analysis of the empiric data was conducted using transcriptions, to minimize bias, all analysis was collectively interpreted by the researchers. Our result show that companies consider low-cost, protected and fast shipping to be the most important demands of their customers, the companies view sustainability as a bonus rather than a competitive advantage. The results also suggest that air in packaging is viewed as extra protection for the goods, and the negative impacts are overseen. The available studies and prior works describing green packaging development actions are quite clear, however, the companies neglect the opportunities to develop green packaging due to economic barriers and perceived customer demands, thus creating a gap between practice and theory.

No description available.

Förpackningslogistiken är en viktig del av försörjningskedjan men den får ofta för lite tid och tanke. Att fokusera på förpackningar redan i ett tidigt skede i utvecklingen av produkter kan ge kostnadseffektivare förpackningar som ger produkten det skydd den behöver. Genom att lägga ner tid på utformningen och vilka egenskaper förpackningen ska ha, kan företag minska kostnader, produktskador och miljöpåverkan. Därför är syftet med denna studie att utveckla kunskap gällande förpackningslogistikens roll och betydelse på strategisk, taktisk och operativa nivå och därigenom svara på frågeställningarna kopplat till syfte där vi avgränsar oss till primärförpackningar och förpackningslogistikens övergripande roll och betydelse på strategisk, taktisk och operativ nivå med hjälp av ett fallföretag. Utifrån syftet har en fallstudie på ett möbeltillverkande företag genomförts. Fallstudien har utförts med hjälp av observationer, intervjuer och packaging scorecard för att skapa en bild av nuläget på fallföretaget och därefter jämfördes resultatet med en litteraturstudie av befintliga begrepp om förpackningens roll och betydelse på strategisk, taktisk och operativ nivå. Resultatet visar att det tidigare funnits ett större fokus på förpackningar inom fallföretaget men inte längre eftersom andra aktiviteter anses viktigare och prioriteras. Det har lett till att förpackningarna inte har utvecklats och inga speciella insatser har inrättats. Resultatet av packaging scorecard indikerar att fallföretagets förpackningsprestanda underpresterar på de flesta kriterierna. Studien har kommit fram till att det kan finnas mycket att vinna genom att se över företagets förpackningslogistik och börja se förpackningen som en värdeskapande aktivitet. När förpackningslogistiken får det utrymme och fokus som den förtjänar kan företag skapa värde genom kostnadseffektivitet, transportsäkerhet och minskad miljöpåverkan. I studien har även en tabell tagits fram som kan hjälpa företag att börja arbeta med förpackningslogistik och därefter överväga och utreda hur företaget kan arbeta med dem olika kriterierna / Packaging logistics is an important part of the supply chain, but it often gets too little time and thought. Focusing on packaging at an early stage in the development of the product can provide more cost-effective packaging that gives the product the protection it needs. By spending time on the design and what characteristics the packaging should have, the company can reduce damaged goods, get safer shipping and reduce its storage costs.   The purpose of the study is to develop knowledge regarding the role and importance of packaging logistics at strategic, tactical and operative level and thereby answer the relevant questions.   Based on the purpose, a case study of a furniture manufacturing company has been carried out. The case study was performed using observations, interviews and a packaging scorecard to create a picture of the current situation at the case company and then the findings were compared with a literature study of existing concepts on the role and significance of packaging at the strategic, tactical and operational level.   The results show that there has previously been a greater focus on packaging within the case company, but now other activities are considered more important and prioritized. As a result, the packaging has not been developed and no special efforts have been made. The result of the packaging scorecard indicates that the case company's packaging performance underperforms most criteria. The study concluded that there could be a lot to gain by reviewing the company's packaging logistics and start seeing packaging as a value added activity. When packaging logistics gets the space and focus it deserves, companies can create value by cost reduction, fewer damages and less environmental impact. In the study, we have also developed a table that can help companies start working with packaging logistics.

La question des effets des actions promotionnelles sur la perception et sur l’intention d’achat du consommateur a marqué son emprunte dans la littérature. Généralement, les chercheurs l’ont traitée de deux manières. Certains d’entre eux ont étudié l’influence globale de la promotion sur le consommateur. D’autres ont exploré l’influence des techniques promotionnelles sur le consommateur. En revanche, jusqu’à présent, le packaging promotionnel n’a pas fait l’objet de véritables investigations dans la littérature. Ce travail tente alors (1) d’explorer ce volet de la promotion, (2)identifier aussi les attributs du packaging promotionnel qui interviennent dans le traitement de la promotion et (3) vérifier l'existence ou non d'un packaging promotionnel efficace en termes d'intentions comportementales. A la lumière de ces objectifs nous aboutirons à notre but principal de notre recherche soit : expliquer les effets du packaging promotionnel sur l'attitude et sur les intentions comportementales du consommateur. / In the context of sales promotions, promotional packaging – that is, the packaging of promoted products- reveals as one of the most relevant elements that retailers and brands work on to make the products more attractive and stimulate consumer’s purchase intention. While research on the topic is lacking, this research aims to:1/ to propose a theoretical framework allowing the identification of the attributes of the promotional packaging which leads to a definition of the notion of promotional packaging.2/to study the effects of the perceived value of the promotion (through promotional packaging) on ​​the attitude towards the promotional packaging and on the consumer's purchasing intentions. Promotional packaging, which has been included in the study survey, is based on a study conducted on 145 promotional packagings offered by a French distributor in 2013. Based on a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), the existence of 6 main types promotional packaging is revealed.3/to check if there is a promotional packaging more efficient compared to others in terms of relations between the promotion's perceived value , attitude and behavioral purchase intentions.The results of the study conducted with 299 consumers confirm the existence of effects of the perceived value of the promotion materialized by the promotional packaging on the attitude towards promotional packaging and the behavioral purchase intentions of the product in promotion. . Theoretical, methodological and managerial contributions are then discussed.

Technological advancement has thrust MEMS design and fabrication into the forefront of modern technologies. It has become sufficiently self-sustained to allow mass production. The limiting factor which is stalling commercialization of MEMS is the packaging and device reliability. The challenging issues with MEMS packaging are application specific. The function of the package is to give the MEMS device mechanical support, protection from the environment, and electrical connection to other devices in the system. The current state of the art in MEMS packaging transcends the various packaging techniques available in the integrated circuit (IC) industry. At present the packaging of MEMS includes hermetic ceramic packaging and metal packaging with hermetic seals. For example the ADXL202 accelerometer from the Analog Devices. Study of the packaging methods and costs show that both of these methods of packaging are expensive and not needed for majority of MEMS applications. Due to this the cost of current MEMS packaging is relatively high, as much as 90% of the finished product. Reducing the cost is therefore of the prime concern. This Thesis explores the possibility of an inexpensive plastic package for MEMS sensors like accelerometers, optical MEMS, blood pressure sensors etc. Due to their cost effective techniques, plastic packaging already dominates the IC industry. They cost less, weigh less, and their size is small. However, porous nature of molding materials allows penetration of moisture into the package. The Thesis includes an extensive study of the plastic packaging and characterization of three different plastic package samples. Polymeric materials warp upon absorbing moisture, generating hygroscopic stresses. Hygroscopic stresses in the package add to the thermal stress due to high reflow temperature. Despite this, hygroscopic characteristics of the plastic package have been largely ignored. To facilitate understanding of the moisture absorption, an analytical model is presented in this Thesis. Also, an empirical model presents, in this Thesis, the parameters affecting moisture ingress. This information is important to determine the moisture content at a specific time, which would help in assessing reliability of the package. Moisture absorption is modeled using the single phase absorption theory, which assumes that moisture diffusion occurs freely without any bonding with the resin. This theory is based on the Fick's Law of diffusion, which considers that the driving force of diffusion is the water concentration gradient. A finite difference simulation of one-dimensional moisture diffusion using the Crank-Nicolson implicit formula is presented. Moisture retention causes swelling of compounds which, in turn, leads to warpage. The warpage induces hygroscopic stresses. These stresses can further limit the performance of the MEMS sensors. This Thesis also presents a non invasive methodology to characterize a plastic package. The warpage deformations of the package are measured using Optoelectronic holography (OEH) methodology. The OEH methodology is noninvasive, remote, and provides results in full-field-of-view. Using the quantitative results of OEH measurements of deformations of a plastic package, pressure build up can be calculated and employed to assess the reliability of the package.

The diploma thesis focuses on optimizing the flow of returnable packaging within the group. Based on the analysis of storage, information flow and management of returnable packaging in a chosen company and evaluation of present theoretical approaches to the packaging management suggest a modification in the packaging management to optimize logistics costs.