Arlington, VA, November 17, 2010 – The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) provided a wide-range of in-depth resources for Pack Expo attendees interested in reusable transport packaging.
A steady flow of show attendees visited the RPA’s Reusable Packaging Pavilion that showcased 13 companies that joined together to provide a comprehensive, one-stop source for packaging professionals interested in economic sustainable packaging solutions. In addition, about 70 attendees participated in the RPA workshop on the Fundamentals of Reusable Packaging. RPA presenters, including Jon Kalin of Rehrig Pacific, Bob Klimko of ORBIS Corporation, Lane Pence of CHEP USA, Drew Merrill and Keith Schall of Container And Pooling Solutions, and Lyle Schmitt of John Deere Company, outlined for attendees the first of four phases of implementing a reusable packaging strategy into a supply chain. The content covered included:
• Introduction to Reusable Packaging
• Economic Modeling and Metrics
• Financial Alternatives
• Asset Management
“We received a lot of positive feedback from attendees about the value of having all the suppliers exhibit together, and on our instructive workshop,” said Jon Kalin, RPA Chairman of the Board, and Sales and Marketing Manager for Rehrig Pacific. “We really furthered the RPA’s mission of educating companies about the proven economic and environmental benefits of incorporating reusable transport packaging into their supply chain.”
“The Pavilion at PACK EXPO was a great success for our member companies,” said Jerry Welcome, President of the RPA. “Everyone experienced more booth traffic than previous years, and we had several attendees express serious interest in joining the RPA.”
Member companies that exhibited in the RPA Reusable Packaging Pavilion included: The Kennedy Group, iGPS, IFCO SYSTEMS, ORBIS Corporation, Container and Pooling Solutions, Polymer Logistics, CHEP, Schoeller Arca Systems, Inc, IPL Products, Ltd., Green Line Armor, Trienda, Rehrig Pacific and Buckhorn.
The RPA workshop is an outgrowth of a four-part curriculum being developed by the RPA to help end users learn how to identify opportunities and then implement reusable packaging solutions to improve their supply chain operations. Kalin opened the session with an introduction to reusable packaging, and defined some of the terminology and initial steps a company must go through to successfully adopt a reusable solution.
Klimko and Pence discussed the role of economic modeling and the key measurements necessary for building a program. Both presenters stressed the need for attendees to “think like a CFO” and build solid and data-driven models in order to demonstrate the Return on Investment (ROI) of reusable packaging. They also encouraged attendees to take a holistic view of their supply chains to determine the impacts, savings and benefits across the entire supply chain. The most effective reusable packaging solutions will positively impact all three financial categories of revenue enhancement, capital utilization, and operating expenses. The presenters directed attendees to the RPA Reusables Cost Comparison Tool at https://reusables.org/library/calculators.
Merrill, Schall and Schmitt discussed financial options for reusable packaging systems, and management systems used to track and manage a reusable asset program. Finance options include owning or renting reusable assets and pooling services. The presenters gave detailed scenarios to help attendees determine which model would best suit their supply chains. They also detailed different aggregate and individual tracking methods and technologies available to track reusable containers and their contents throughout the supply chain. Item level tracking includes bar code scanning, passive RFID tags, active RFID tags and iGPS. Schmitt then gave an overview of John Deere’s complex and worldwide integrated logistics system. To view the workshop presentations, click here.
About the RPA
The Reusable Packaging Association is a collaborative effort between manufacturers, poolers, distributors, retailers and educators to promote the environmental, safety, and economic benefits of reusable packaging. The RPA serves as the collective voice of the industry and uses its knowledge of the members’ products and services to advance the adoption of reusable packaging and systems throughout the supply chain. The RPA is focused on promoting the expansion of reusables as the preferred packaging solution across supply chains in all industries. For more information, visit https://reusables.org or call (703) 224-8284.
Media contact: Jerry Welcome
1100 N. Glebe Rd, Suite 1010
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: 703-224-8284 Fax: 703-243-5612
Email: info@reusables.org
Website: https://reusables.org