Question

You are going to compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of a paper- based shipping container, a wood-based shipping container and a plastic-based shipping container for use as a distribution package (a non-retail shipping package). You must consider the entire supply chain in your response. Ensure your assignment is in APA format and must include a properly formatted reference list. Your paper must be 1000-1200 words, excluding title page and reference page. Ensure your assignment is posted as a word document attachment.

Answer 1

1. Wood based shipping container: this is considered to be one of the most popular packing containers are used for manufacturing pallets & pallet boxes.

Advantages:

• They are very flexible. These containers can be customized to fit any shipping requirements.
• They require only simple procedures & tools because of which they can transport a variety of goods.
• Wood is strong & durable as a result of which they can last for years.
• Wood based containers are not prone to compulsive environments. Consequently they can keep the commodities fresh.
• Containers made of wood can bear the load of commodities. Hence compared to other materials wood can withstand heavy shopping loads.

                    Disadvantages:

                    Apart from the above advantages, they also have the following disadvantages:

• Wood is bulky & takes a lot of storage space. Bulky containers occupy a lot of shipping space that could have been used to transport extra cargo. Consequently this can increase the transportation cost which would be passed on to the consumers.
• Wood based containers are highly sensitive to moisture that can lead to warping. It can also lead when exposed to excess moisture. Leaking& warping can damage the commodities under transportation.
• Untreated wood can produce fungi & bacteria. Treating woods is risky as it can contaminate the goods under transportation.
• Trees are the ones that are used to manufacture the shipping containers. Hence cutting trees can lead to deforestation that can result in global warming & climate change.

2. Plastic based containers: these are popular for their reusability. Additives can make the plastic based shipping containers robust. Following are the advantages:

Advantages:

• Because of their character of reusability, companies can cut on their shipping costs.
• Although plastic containers are expensive when compared with wood or paper based containers, they have a long lasting life which can make the running costs minimal.
• Hard & smooth surfaces of these containers can make the cleaning job easy& it can also protect the commodities under transportation.
• They are available in different sizes & shapes which can be used for transportation of different types of commodities.
• They are weather friendly as they are water resistant. Hence these are considered to be more appropriate for shipping in humid climate.

                      Disadvantages:

Following are some of the disadvantages of plastic containers:

• They have hard surfaces that can damage the commodities under transportation. For this purpose liners can be used but liners increase the cost of transportation.
• Plastic based containers can expose the commodities to pilferage. Majority of these containers don’t have covers that increase the risk of transporting in these containers.
• Expensive plastic containers seem to increase the cost of goods to the customers.
• Reusability of plastic crates can add onto the extra cost of transporting the empty crates back.
• Plastic based containers are bulky which can occupy lot of space that could take extra cargo which again adds to the cost.
• They are not flexible unlike wood based containers to be modified to the changing shipping needs.

3. Paper based containers.

Paper-based containers are becoming increasingly popular. Cartons, for instance, provide shipping solutions to fruits and other perishable commodities.

Advantages:

An advantage of paper-based containers includes their ease of use. Compared to wood-based containers and plastic-based containers, paper-based containers occupy minimal space. This means that they leave as much space as possible for transporting commodities. Consequently, the cost of transporting commodities using paper-based shipping containers is low. Reduction in shipping costs also results from the fact that these containers are not reusable. This eradicates the cost of returning empty containers. Unlike wooden creates, paper based containers do not require chemical treatment. This means that transporting commodities using these containers guarantees safety. However, paper-based shipping containers have are not always the best for transporting commodities.

Disadvantages of paper based containers:

Paper-based shipping containers lead to environmental degradation. Since the paper that makes these containers comes from trees, relying on paper-based containers is a detriment to the environment. In addition, these containers are not reusable. This means with every shipment, the environment loses several trees. That these containers are not reusable means that using them is expensive. Procuring new containers every other time is costly. Importantly, paper-based shipping containers are not resistant to moisture. Subjecting cartons to water impairs the commodities under transportation. For this reason alone, transporting commodities using paper-based containers attracts high insurance costs. When these costs pass to the consumers, products transported using paper-based shipping containers become unaffordable.

Conclusion:

              Deciding on the type of shipping container to use is crucial in the shipping business. When selecting among paper-based, wood-based, and plastic-based containers, the nature of the commodities to transport, the prevailing weather conditions, and the costs of shipping need to be considered. The materials and nature of these containers influence their relative appropriateness. Each of these shipping containers has its advantages and disadvantages.