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The foldable crate revolution with RFID labels: sustainability for sensitive foods

In the world of food logistics, we are faced with a constant challenge: how can we transport sensitive foods such as fruit and vegetables safely, efficiently and, above all, sustainably? The answer to this question could lie in the innovation of folding crates with RFID labels, which, as reusable transport packaging, represent a direct alternative to conventional disposable cartons.

Sensitive foods require special attention during transportation. They are susceptible to damage, spoilage and loss of quality due to improper handling or inadequate protection during transportation. This is where folding crates with RFID labels come into play, offering a number of advantages, especially compared to single-use cartons.

1. sustainability: Disposable cartons are an essential part of conventional food logistics. However, the massive consumption of disposable packaging leads to considerable waste and environmental pollution. In contrast, collapsible crates are reusable containers made of robust material. They help to reduce the mountains of waste and reduce the ecological footprint.

2. protection and durability: Thanks to their solid construction, folding crates offer improved protection for sensitive food. Unlike disposable cartons, they are resistant to mechanical impact. This helps to maintain the quality and freshness of products during transport and minimize food waste.

3. efficiency through RFID labels: The integration of RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) labels on folding crates enables precise and efficient tracking of food products throughout the logistics process. This technology provides real-time information on the location of products, storage conditions and enables improved inventory management. As a result, supply chains can be optimized and the risk of loss or theft minimized.

4. adaptability and versatility: Folding crates are available in different sizes and designs and can be adapted to the specific requirements of different food types. They are stackable, saving storage and transportation space, and can be easily cleaned and sanitized, ensuring food hygiene and safety.

The introduction of folding crates with RFID labels in food logistics is a significant step towards sustainability and efficiency. By reducing single-use packaging and implementing intelligent tracking systems, they help to reduce environmental impact, minimize food waste and improve the quality of the products delivered.

All in all, folding crates with RFID labels offer a forward-looking solution to the challenges of food logistics. Their many advantages make them an attractive choice for companies that value sustainability, efficiency and the protection of sensitive foodstuffs. It is time for these innovations to gain wider acceptance and further expand their contribution to protecting our environment and optimizing food logistics.

Europe-wide pooling service provider appoints new Managing Director

With the start of the new year, WBG Pooling is reorganizing its management team.
Oliver Reinke, who has been an integral part of the company for over 10 years, has been appointed as the new and third Managing Director.
Alongside Florian Runden and Felix Borgerding, he will focus primarily on the international sales team and contribute his experience to the further development of the company, which is part of the Runden Group.

When Oliver Reinke started at WBG Pooling in 2013, he began in purchasing and sales. Since then, the company has grown and the departments have been restructured and expanded. In a very short time, he was responsible for sales for the entire German-speaking region and then for the whole of Europe.

„We love to optimize and close product and logistics cycles with our activities. And this is also where things come full circle for me personally – being able to work as Managing Director in a place where I have felt connected to the people for years and also strongly identify with the vision and mission is a great privilege for me,“ says Reinke.

The primary goal of his activities will be to expand and develop the international sales team in order to make food supply chains throughout Europe more sustainable and transparent.

WBG Pooling focuses on the direct replacement of disposable packaging with reusable transport packaging. In addition to this component, various logistics systems are offered that directly reduce CO2 emissions and also cut costs thanks to network effects.
Oliver Reinke has proven several times in recent years that he can identify with this business model.
Just last year, he visited the European Parliament in Brussels on behalf of WBG Pooling to offer practical insights into the conception phase of the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation.
His commitment to the circular economy and future-oriented logistics processes therefore goes far beyond the company’s day-to-day sales activities.
With the appointment of Oliver Reinke as a further Managing Director, WBG Pooling is setting the course for steady, international & sustainable growth. The company is looking forward to further consolidating its position as a pooling specialist with him.

About WBG Pooling: From the Oldenburger Münsterland to the world: over 30 years of experience make the pooling company an established authority when it comes to optimizing supply chain processes in the food industry. WBG Pooling can serve all food categories with various reusable containers and load carriers via its Europe-wide logistics network, thus establishing circular economy processes from the field to the end consumer’s plate.
Special smart labels and tracking technologies also enable the company to make supply chains transparent and sustainable.

Our review of the year 2023

When 200 people across Europe work on greener supply chains every day, a lot happens in a year, even outside of the typical day-to-day business.
We would therefore like to take you on a short journey through our year 2023 and present some highlights!

Right at the beginning, two major trade fairs came our way, and for the first time as exhibitors!
We presented our products and logistics concepts in close succession at FRUIT LOGISTICA in Berlin and BIOFACH in Nuremberg.
In addition to the volume reduction of load carriers, tracking using digital labels and platforms was also an exciting topic that we were able to inspire many visitors with.
We were present at both trade fairs together with companies from our parent company, the Runden Group.
We were also able to make excellent use of both events for an exchange with business partners – for example for the prototype of the „Eco Kiste“.

To round off what was already an intensive month, part of the team also visited the European Parliament in Brussels and took the opportunity to speak to some MEPs. The discussions focused primarily on the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation.

A big announcement was then due at the beginning of March – again, something we hadn’t done before, apart from the trade fairs.
However, we didn’t make the reveal quite so easy.

This was followed shortly afterwards by the dissolution: This year, we published our first German-language podcast called „MEHRWEG HEROES“. The aim: to raise awareness of circular economy issues.
The first episode went online on April 01, 2023.

But we’re not quite done with March yet: Internorga also took place this month and, of course, our category managers were there to find out about the latest trends and innovations in the sector.

At the end of April, we were then guests in Hamburg – where the „Branchendialog Fleisch & Wurst“ organized by GS1 Germany took place, where we were able to visit BLOCK HOUSE production and listen to exciting keynote speeches.

In May, we were back in the Hanseatic city for the „Hamburger Logistik Tage“ – together with other companies from the Runden Group, LHM-Pooling, Rubetrans Logistics and ecobyte, we exhibited here.

In June, our category managers held another interesting presentation for all participants at another event – this time focusing primarily on the baked goods sector.

Things continued in July with the LZ Strategietag Nachhaltigkeit & Verpackung.

And the next congress with a presentation was already on the agenda: Our Country Manager DE/AT/CH and Category Manager Fruit & Vegetables were on site at the German Fruit & Vegetable Congress in Düsseldorf.

As a pan-European pooling service provider, we naturally also went beyond national borders: at Fruit Attraction in Madrid, our German and Spanish colleagues were able to gain valuable insights.

Then there was the Austrian Summit for Retail & Branded Goods…

And the RIGA COMM…

…until all our international colleagues finally came together at ANUGA in Cologne! We were also exhibiting here for the first time this year and explained the economic and ecological benefits of reusable transport packaging in food supply chains.

Shortly afterwards, we were able to announce our second German-language podcast format, which focuses primarily on developments in the retail sector, more specifically food retail: RETAIL GUIDE.
While MEHRWEG HEROES is published weekly, there is always a new episode once a month on all podcast platforms and YouTube.

In October, our partner ecobyte also held an innovative, multi-day workshop with our load carriers. The main focus here was on the exchange of sensor data, low energy Bluetooth technology and full transparency within supply chains. This makes our reusable transport packaging smart and adds an important element to the already circular economy processes.

In November, we also had the pleasure of welcoming the Central Agency Packaging Register and taking the opportunity to discuss legal requirements.

In the same month, we went to the German Meat Congress in Mainz – where our Meat Category Managers Sofie Holt and Heinrich Kreymborg were also able to give a presentation on the opportunities of digital elements in supply chains with reusable transport packaging. Incidentally, we were able to exhibit here for the first time with a fresh logo.

Of course, our Spanish colleagues were also present at EMPACK.

We were able to experience the crowning glory of the year in the hectic pre-Christmas peak of the season – the handover of the converted car for Jonah in cooperation with Aktion Kinderträume e.V..
Instead of expensive customer gifts, we were able to put the money to good use and make everyday life much easier for one person.
The cooperation with the association of the German meat industry has existed for several years and is always something very special for us.

We can therefore look back on a thoroughly eventful year with many first-time experiences, great moments and fantastic development in many departments.

Follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and all podcast platforms to stay up to date!

 

 

 

Cradle to Cradle as a Basis for a Sustainable Future

Cradle to Cradle, also known as C2C, is a concept that can be applied to a variety of products. At its core is always sustainable product design and the recycling of resources – this works, among other things, for shoes, buildings, or re-usable transport packaging. If applied consistently, C2C certification can play a significant role in protecting our environment.

The Principle behind C2C

C2C is a design approach that was developed by Michael Braungart and William McDonough as early as the 1990s.
Conventionally at this time, the cradle to grave principle was still being thought of, which is based on the fact that products are disposed of at the end of their lifecycle. This is comparable to linear models in the economy – here, packaging or products are sometimes disposed of after a single (!) use.
In contrast, C2C designs the materials of products in such a way that they can be reused and returned to a biological or technical cycle at the end of their life cycle.
This creates a circular process that conserves resources and avoids high energy expenditure for recycling.
Braungart and McDonough explained the operating principle in the book “Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things” and coined the terms ecological efficiency and eco-effectiveness. In comparison to the pure life cycle assessment, this is about the materials cycle and its environmental effects from cradle to cradle, not to grave.

C2C for Returnable Packaging

Since 2020, we have continually certified our branded re-usable transport packaging to minimize environmental impacts within food supply chains across Europe. Key aspects of this include:

  1. Longevity: Returnable transport packaging is typically designed to be reused over many utilization cycles. The lifespan of a package organically reduces the need for constant replacement and recycling. Therefore, our products are ideally suited for the C2C approach and are in alignment with it.
  2. Material selection: This is crucial because our re-usable transport packaging needs to be food-safe and robust. To achieve C2C certification, some criteria must be met – one of which is that we always have an overview of the entire pooling cycle of each individual package to ensure that the packaging is used exclusively for food and is cleaned and disinfected after each use. This can be ensured by so-called Smart Labels equipped with RFID technology, a barcode, or DataMatrix code. The codes can be read by various devices and scanners.
  3. Repair and maintenance: Another crucial factor is the repairability of the returnable transport packaging. Anyone wanting to get their products C2C certified should design them so that they can be easily repaired. Our re-usable transport packaging can even be repaired multiple times over its lifecycle while still retaining its stability.
  4. Recycling: If the packaging is eventually beyond repair, it is ground down, and the recyclate flows completely back into an equivalent new product. This way, a new returnable transport package with a new GRAI is created, which significantly reduces the need for new raw materials.
  5. Environmentally friendly production: Another important factor is the focus on the production processes. C2C requires that environmental impacts from harmful chemicals are reduced and that producers pay attention to water usage and renewable energy. So, our manufacturer selection is accordingly based on the specified criteria.

The Added Value of C2C Certification

Packaging should not be seen as disposable products, but as valuable resources that can be circulated in a cycle.
The combination of reusable packaging and C2C certification has the potential to revolutionize the way we view packaging.

Shaping the world of tomorrow together – this vision is pursued by the C2C pioneer and our innovation partner EPEA from Hamburg.
With him, we carry out all certifications of our products.
This approach to a consistent circular economy has fascinated us from the beginning, and it was immediately clear that we aim for nothing less than to pursue this for our products, which we circulate throughout supply chains across Europe.

With the now even stricter 4.0 standard, we aim to set further milestones toward a complete circular economy of our products and are now in the process of additional certification processes to offer our customers the most environmentally friendly and robust load carriers their supply chain has ever seen.

The certificates of our previously certified packaging can be found here.

 

 

 

 

Save Food Study: Why Reusable Packaging is the Answer to Food Waste

Food waste is an urgent global issue that leads not only to the waste of resources but also to hunger and environmental damages.
Annually, 88 million tons of food are discarded in Europe alone, before they even reach our plates (source: European Parliament).
The Stiftung Initiative Mehrweg (foundation initiative reuse) has published an insightful study on this topic, providing concrete solutions to the problem.
The study was planned and conducted to investigate the impact of packaging on the quality of food in the supply chain. With a special focus on re-usable transport packaging, the study highlighted the effectiveness of reducing food waste.

The results of the study:

The study shows a clear correlation between returnable transport packaging and a significant reduction in food waste.
Several levels are considered here:

  1. Prolonged shelf life: Re-usable transport packaging protects food better from external factors such as moisture, temperature fluctuations, and mechanical stress.
  2. Reduction of damage: Food transported in returnable transport packaging is less susceptible to crushing and other damages due to the robust nature of the packaging.
  3. Optimized logistics and waste prevention: Due to their durability, re-usable transport packaging is not only more environmentally friendly, but also enables more efficient logistics. For example, folding crates used in reusable systems can be returned more easily due to their volume reduction and do not need to be discarded.
  4. Better storage: Returnable transport packaging often provides better storage options, which is especially significant in cold chain logistics. They are resistant to climatic changes and do not soften like cartons.
  5. Quality assurance: Smart Labels ensure the traceability of re-usable transport packaging, leading to better quality controls and more transparency in the supply chain.

What does this mean for the food industry and trade?

The save food study shows that returnable transport packaging can be an effective tool in the fight against food waste.
These findings should be utilized in industry and trade, as there are enough vulnerabilities for food waste throughout the entire supply chain, both in central warehouses and at the point of sale. This reduces long-term costs in purchasing as well as in disposal.

The specific results and savings potentials can be read about here.

 

Why “Packaging as a Service” is the Future

We often talk to customers about our so-called PaaS concept. Initially, many are not familiar with it, but rough ideas begin to form when we compare it to SaaS, or Software as a Service.

But why shouldn’t what works for IT services also be possible for supply chains and with re-usable transport packaging?
First, we would like to discuss the basic idea of the PaaS principle: Packaging designed to be reused – like our returnable transport packaging – is perfectly suited for a service model. The advantages for the user are particularly evident in the daily handling of reusable products:
While disposable solutions like boxes are simply discarded after use, reusable solutions require a few more steps in the process: After use, they may need to be recycled, cleaned, and disinfected.
These steps are fully taken care of within the PaaS offering, and the customer has no effort with it – this naturally includes the pure logistics with prior planning of the routes, all for one price, from one provider.

Currently, many still perceive the additional steps associated with reusable solutions as too great a hurdle and tend to opt for non-returnable packaging because the handling seems easier. The impact on our environment, the amounts of packaging waste, CO2 emissions, and energy used for recycling and the production of new packaging are usually not considered.

The advantages and opportunities at a glance:

  1. Environmental protection: The most obvious impact of PaaS is the reduction of packaging waste and the resulting environment protection.
  2. Cost efficiency: Packaging costs are reduced through the model, as it eliminates the need for constantly producing new packaging, instead utilizing, reusing, and repairing existing packaging.
  3. Customer satisfaction: PaaS ensures consistent service quality and the effort required to switch is minimal.
  4. Innovation: PaaS encourages innovations in the packaging industry and can support the sustainable ambitions of companies.

While sustainability is an issue increasingly concerning companies, not least due to the Europe-wide obligation for sustainability reporting, “packaging as a service” is the simple answer for easy process transformations.
The effort behind packaging handling is minimized, packaging waste is avoided, and sustainable management is promoted.
Sustainable processes don’t have to be costly, time-consuming, and complicated.

Want to learn more about PaaS and its possibilities? Feel free to contact us.