Shipment Consolidation Techniques

Packaging Takes Off. Back in school, I was the self-appointed queen of paper planes. Naturally curious, I soon realised it wasn't about throwing harder... it was all in the folds. A good crease in the right place and that scrappy bit of paper could fly halfway across the classroom (and sometimes straight into detention). Fast forward, and that same thinking is reshaping packaging. Researchers at VTT and Aalto University in Finland have taken the Miura fold, a pattern originally used to fold satellites, and applied it to paper-based packaging. They've created packs that are lightweight, durable, and just as protective as plastic or foam. Only now, without the environmental baggage. These folds do more than look good. They absorb impact, reduce material use, and even cut shipping weight. No overengineering, just smart problem-solving. Think food boxes that don't need plastic liners. Ecommerce packaging that replaces bubble wrap. Luxury products wrapped in folds that feel more couture than carton. And this isn't just a designer's dream. These structures are scalable, cost-effective, and ready to run down existing production lines. Stora Enso is already testing the approach across everything from premium goods to everyday food containers, using recycled materials and cutting waste. But packaging is just the start. Origami principles are popping up in collapsible furniture, modular buildings, even interior design. Proof that good design isn't just about how it looks. It's how it works. Sustainability and functionality don't need to fight for space. With the right fold, they move together. Sometimes, the sharpest ideas really do start on paper. Time to unfold what's next. 📷VTT Technical Research Centre

Eliminating plastic waste in food packaging at a fraction of production cost? The food industry is a significant contributor to plastic waste, with packaging accounting for approximately 40.5% of all plastic produced in Europe. In the UK alone, supermarkets generate around 29.8 billion pieces of avoidable plastic waste annually, equating to over 1,000 pieces per household. This excessive plastic use not only leads to environmental pollution but also poses health risks, as microplastics have been found in various food products, potentially causing inflammation and other health issues. Transitioning to seaweed-based packaging offers several cost-saving benefits for the food industry: →Reduced Raw Material Costs: Seaweed is renewable and doesn’t need land, fertilisers, or fresh water, cutting production expenses. Example: Seaweed farming can yield up to 10 tons of dry mass per hectare annually. →Lower Waste Management Expenses: Biodegradable and compostable, seaweed packaging reduces disposal costs. Example: The UK spends around £700 million annually on plastic waste disposal. →Decreased Environmental Compliance Costs: Eco-friendly packaging helps meet regulations, avoiding fines. Example: The EU's Single-Use Plastics Directive drives sustainable packaging adoption. →Enhanced Brand Value and Consumer Appeal: Sustainable packaging boosts reputation and sales. Example: 74% of consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly options. →Potential for Government Incentives: Sustainable practices can earn grants or tax breaks. Example: The UK Plastic Packaging Tax incentivises biodegradable alternatives like seaweed. Example project is Citizens of Soil | B Corp that has introduced single-serve pipettes for their Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil, utilising Notpla's seaweed-based materials that are 100% natural, biodegradable, home-compostable, vegan, and even edible. This innovative packaging aligns with their commitment to sustainability, offering consumers a convenient and eco-friendly way to enjoy premium olive oil. By adopting Notpla's solution, Citizens of Soil aims to reduce their environmental footprint and address plastic pollution in the food industry. Good to the economy and the planet. #oliveoil #food #sustainability #decarbonisation #waste #wastemanagement

📦 Foldable packaging is a key enabler of closed-loop logistics. 💡 Closed-loop logistics = packaging assets circulate continuously between same partners (manufacturer, supplier, warehouse, customer) instead of being used once & discarded. This is where foldable packaging creates a measurable advantage: ➡️ Empty transport optimization In closed-loop logistics, empty packaging must return. Rigid containers move air. Foldable containers collapse — reducing return volume by up to 70–80%. ➡️ Lower total cost of ownership Foldable packaging reduces costs across the entire loop: Fewer return trips, Less storage space for empties, Lower handling time, Reduced transport emissions ➡️ Better warehouse flow Folded containers free space at every node in the loop — production, consolidation hubs, and customer sites — improving throughput without expanding facilities. ➡️ Built-in sustainability Closed-loop logistics eliminates single-use packaging.Foldability amplifies the impact by cutting unnecessary transport and CO₂ from the return flow. by ZAMKO & Paul de Jong #packaging Eduardo BANZATO Andrej Morocz

A client came to me spending $47,000 monthly on shipping costs for their e-commerce business. Six months later? They cut that down to $31,000. Same volume. Same delivery standards. Different approach. The problem wasn't their carrier rates or delivery zones. It was their packaging strategy eating into profits through dimensional weight charges. Here's what we discovered during our initial audit: → 67% of their shipments were being charged based on dimensional weight, not actual weight → Their standard boxes left 40% empty space on average → Custom packaging was costing 3x more than optimized alternatives We implemented a three-phase packaging optimization strategy: Phase 1: Right-sized their box inventory from 12 different sizes to 6 strategic dimensions that minimized wasted space while maintaining brand integrity through custom printing. Phase 2: Introduced flexible packaging solutions for soft goods, reducing dimensional weight by up to 60% for apparel items. Phase 3: Streamlined operations with automated packaging selection based on product dimensions and carrier requirements. The results after 6 months: → 34% reduction in total shipping costs → 28% improvement in packaging efficiency → Zero compromise on brand presentation → Enhanced customer unboxing experience This wasn't just about cutting costs. It was about optimizing the entire supply chain to work smarter, not harder. State-of-the-art facilities and strategic locations matter, but without proper packaging optimization, you're leaving money on the table with every shipment. What's your biggest packaging challenge right now?

RETHINKING PACKAGING FOR A FUTURE BEYOND 2028, Part 4 Circular Packaging: Why the Future of Packaging Is Refillable and Reusable Part 5: https://lnkd.in/gf4t3h7D Part 1: https://lnkd.in/gQ4Xiyez What if packaging never became waste Recycling was once seen as the fix for packaging waste. Yet most recyclable items end up unused in landfills due to poor systems and contamination. The real fix is eliminating waste entirely. Circular packaging rethinks how products are made and used, turning packaging into a returnable, refillable, and regenerative resource. Why Recycling Is Not Enough Recycling sounds good in theory. In reality, it is failing. Only nine percent of plastic ever produced has been successfully recycled. The rest is either burned, buried, or floating in the ocean. The Biggest Recycling Problems - Many materials are contaminated with food or mixed waste. - Most plastics lose quality after recycling and cannot be reused indefinitely. - Many cities lack the technology to process recyclable packaging properly. A better system is needed. Circular packaging offers a real solution. This is based on a simple idea. What if packaging never needed to be thrown away. Instead of designing disposable packaging, companies are creating materials that are meant to be reused or returned. Loop, https://lnkd.in/gE-i8PZH is working with brands like Nestlé and Unilever to create refillable stainless steel and glass containers. Customers return the packaging, which is cleaned and reused instead of thrown away. Algramo is introducing smart refill stations where people bring their own containers. Customers refill them with detergent, cooking oil, or other products. The Coca-Cola Company is testing universal reusable bottles—one design for all brands. This allows bottles to be refilled and reused across multiple product lines, reducing waste and simplifying production. Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics North America is eliminating packaging altogether. They have developed solid shampoos, conditioners, and body washes that require no plastic bottles. Regenerative Packaging: Turning Waste into Resources Some packaging does more than reduce waste. It improves the environment. New Materials That Help the Planet Notpla has created seaweed-based takeaway boxes. They break down naturally within weeks and leave no microplastics behind. Paptic Ltd is using wood-based flexible packaging. It feels like plastic but is fully compostable. Sway is developing algae-based polybags. These bags absorb carbon dioxide from the air, reducing pollution. What Comes Next - Refill stations that replace disposable containers. - Smart packaging that tracks itself and returns for reuse. - Compostable materials that biodegrade without harming the environment. The best packaging is the one that never becomes waste. #SustainableDesign #EcoPackaging #Packagingtrends #thedesignfuture #ZeroWaste #CircularEconomy

We slammed plastic packaging for killing oceans. But now, 300,000+ trees are cut every hour for paper packaging. Have we traded one environmental disaster for another? Plastic packaging: 🌊 Makes up 80% of ocean trash. ⏳ Takes 400+ years to decompose. 🐋 Kills over 1 million whales, turtles, and seabirds. And paper packaging: 🔥 Makes heatwaves and wildfires worse. 🌳 Destroys 3 million trees that clean our air. 💧 Consumes vast amounts of water and energy. The world’s ancient and endangered forests are being wiped out for pizza boxes. The solution? 1) Cut unnecessary packaging. We don’t need all that wrapping on fruits and vegetables. The U.S. wastes 1.6 billion pounds of plastic every year just on over-wrapped produce. Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics North America has even started selling unpackaged shampoo bars to cut waste, saving 6 million plastic bottles every year. 2) Switch to Next Generation materials. Use agricultural residues, recycled fibers, bamboo, hemp, and other sustainable alternatives instead of paper. If the total number of trees used for paper packaging each year were stacked end to end, they would wrap around the Earth 1,037 times. The real change starts with us. Let's rethink, reduce, and innovate. Video Credits: Canopy

Recently, I came across a small packaging optimization case that was quite inspiring. 👏 It was about packaging a foam roller.With the traditional method, securing the product required a large amount of air column bags, bubble wrap, and additional fillers to keep it stable inside the box. When you open the carton, you see a pile of #plastic.Yes, the product is protected — but the resource consumption is significant. By upgrading the internal box structure, simply redesigning how the carton holds the product, the same foam roller can now be securely fixed in place — without using any plastic cushioning at all. No extra materials.Just a different way of thinking. This made me realize again:Sustainability doesn’t always start with big slogans.Sometimes, it begins with a small detail. Optimizing a #packaging structure may mean: Reducing single-use plastic Lowering shipping weight Improving packing efficiency Cutting overall costs And when this kind of improvement is scaled across production,its impact multiplies.True sustainable design is not just about using “eco-friendly materials.”It’s about reducing unnecessary materials in the first place. One less filler. One less layer of overprotection.A bit more structural thinking. 🛍️ When people talk about sustainability, they often think about carbon emissions or energy transitions. But real change can start with something as simple as a box. Resource conservation doesn’t have to be distant. It can begin with one package.（video by Rollor Packaging ） #Packaging #FoldingPackaging #PackagingDesign #CustomPackaging #Opack #BrandPackaging #Clothingpackaging #cosmeticspackaging #PackagingManufacturing #PackagingInnovation #SustainablePackaging #PaperPackaging

Over the last few months, I've been teaching Claude how experienced accountants actually build IFRS Group Consolidation models. Not by feeding it generic accounting theory. But by iteratively refining prompts, testing outputs, correcting mistakes and giving it practitioner-quality examples until it consistently produced the standard I was looking for. The result? Claude can now generate a complete IFRS Group Consolidation pack covering both: ✅ IFRS 10 Subsidiary Consolidation ✅ IAS 28 Associate (Equity Method) Not as a classroom illustration, but using the trial balance approach that finance and audit teams use in practice. The workbook it produces includes: • Goodwill calculations • Non-Controlling Interest (NCI) • Fair value adjustments • Intragroup eliminations • Unrealised profit eliminations • Equity accounting for associates • Consolidation journals • Consolidated Trial Balance • Statement of Financial Position • Profit or Loss • OCI • Changes in Equity • Cash Flows • IFRS disclosure notes • Automated proof checks Even better... I converted everything I learned into a reusable prompt and skill. Replace the company names, ownership percentages and acquisition details with your own group, and Claude generates the entire consolidation pack—including subsidiary consolidation and associate equity accounting—from scratch. This wasn't about seeing whether AI could produce a spreadsheet. It was about seeing whether AI could produce something I would actually trust enough to review as an accountant. I think this is where finance is heading. The professionals who know IFRS and know how to guide AI will have a significant advantage over those who only know one or the other. If you work in Financial Reporting, Group Reporting, Audit or FP&A, this pack will save you hours. Comment GROUP and I'll send you: ✅ The complete Excel workbook ✅ The reusable Claude prompt and skill Both are free. If you spot a better way to handle any consolidation adjustment, let me know. The strongest versions of these tools have always come from discussions with other finance professionals.

VP Finance: Our budget consolidation takes an entire quarter. Me: How many cost centers? VP: 49. Me: Let me guess - different formats, manual chasing, no approvals? VP: How did you know? Me: Because every enterprise plays this same game. THE NIGHTMARE: 49 cost centers. 49 different Excel formats. One team at corporate chasing every single one. "Is this the latest version?" "Can you reformat this?" "Your numbers don't match last quarter." Upload to SharePoint. Extract files. Ping on Slack. Email for confirmation. Get a new version. Start over. Then comes the translation exercise. Take 49 formats and convert them into one "universally accepted by the leadership team." Then cost allocation. Each center has different allocation mechanics. All manual. By the time you're done? Quarter's over. Time to start again. THE MASSIVE COST: "This wasn't the team's original full time job. When we're automating this process, it's not like they're at risk of job loss. It's like they can actually finally do their real job." An ENTIRE finance team. Degrees from top schools. Years of experience. Reduced to spreadsheet shepherds. Their actual job - strategic analysis, finding opportunities, improving margins? Not happening. Too busy chasing Bob from Operations for his Q3 numbers. THE FIX: Acterys with Fabric and Power BI. Done. - One platform. One format. Period. - You log in, you see only your data - Automated cost allocation baked in - Real approval workflow (not "good job" emails) - System tracks who submitted: "47 of 49 done" - Automated reminders: "Submit your budget or you're in trouble" From an entire quarter to a matter of hours. RESULTS: Went live last month. Same team. Same people. COMPLETELY different jobs. Instead of chasing spreadsheets, they're doing finance. Already expanding to phase 2 - full P&L automation beyond OPEX. The absurd part? They have resources most companies dream of. They just spent them on manually copying and pasting between 49 Excel files. Every. Single. Quarter. TAKEAWAY: Your finance team isn't slow. They're stuck in 1995. The technology exists. But your best people aren't doing their best work. They're copying and pasting. Question is: How many more quarters will your team waste playing email tag?

No Two Beer Packs the Same – The Most Diverse Packaging Fixture in Retail Well, that’s not quite true – a few brands share similar designs – but you get my point! During a recent visit to my local Co-op in Finchampstead, Berkshire, I focused on secondary packaging for beer can multipacks. Bottles are for another time. What stood out most was how far the paperisation trend has come. Shrink film has almost completely disappeared, along with the once-ubiquitous plastic six-pack rings. This is now arguably the least standardised secondary packaging category in the UK supermarket aisle. Brands are taking very different routes to reduce plastic, with a variety of paperboard and adhesive-based solutions competing for dominance. Current systems developed include: - Graphic Packaging International Packaging – KeelClip and EnviroClip - Karl Knauer Group – box with 360-degree perforation - Smurfit Westrock – CanCollar X, CanCollar Eco Plus, Cluster-Pak, DuoWing and more - Krones AG & Karl Knauer Group – LitePac Top - Amcor – WaveGrip - ALZAMORA GROUP – LatCub - Carlsberg – glue-based Snap Pack - DS Smith – Round Wrap with rounded corners All of these are uploaded to ThePackHub’s Innovation Zone platform, where we track more than 10,700 real-world packaging initiatives. 👉 Check out the photo carousel for a look at how this transformation is playing out on Co-op shelves. This is a UK view, and I know things may not be the same in your market. Have you noticed similar shifts in your local stores? #PackagingInnovation #Paperisation #SustainablePackaging #BeerPackaging #PackagingTrends #Sustainability