All-cardboard option holds 800kg with ease

Cardboard has found favour with a nuts and bolts exporter in Johannesburg, proving that even heavy automotive components with little or no load structure can be packaged this way. According to Jan Vreken, director of CX Pallets, a specialist manufacturer of cardboard pallets and boxes, the need for more environmentally friendly packaging led the exporter to his door. “The company’s European client was demanding packaging that was environmentally friendly and would meet the stringent requirements of that country. Having previously used wood, an alternative had to be found,” Vreken told FTW. The exporter had been placing a wooden frame in each box to prevent bulging when exporting about 800kg of steel nuts and bolts per box to Germany. “Effectively complaints were being received about the rust on the steel parts caused by the wet wood. We addressed this problem by developing inserts made from cardboard that fulfilled the same role as the wooden frame. On top of this, when it came to recycling the box at the receiving end, the client could now pulp the box and inserts together. Previously, the process of separating the outer cardboard box and the inner wooden frame was very labour-intensive and expensive.” According to Vreken, to ensure an even more environmentally friendly packaging, a cardboard pallet capable of not only holding the 800kg per box but also strong enough to be stacked four boxes high, was developed for the client. “It has been two years since we provided this total cardboard solution – and there have been no glitches. Not only has money been saved in terms of recycling, but there have also been added benefits of not having to fumigate any of the pallets or inner frames to comply with international shipping regulations concerning raw wood,” he said.