A Case Study of Alternative Pallet Solutions at Tetra Pak Additional Materials
(2020) MTTM10 20182Packaging Logistics
- Abstract
- Pallets are the most common tertiary packaging solution with over 80% the world trade currently being carried out using pallets. The most widely used pallet type is the four-way wood pallet which accounts for 86% of the pallet production worldwide and the most common pallet size is the Euro Pallet. A department at Tetra Pak called Additional Materials (AddMat) is mainly using Euro Pallets, which have a low fill rate in containers, and almost all their pallets are made of wood, which could potentially have higher environmental impact and costs, as well as a lower food safety, compared to alternative materials. The purpose of this study was to analyse what pallet sizes and materials were best suited for each of AddMat’s product areas and to... (More)
- Pallets are the most common tertiary packaging solution with over 80% the world trade currently being carried out using pallets. The most widely used pallet type is the four-way wood pallet which accounts for 86% of the pallet production worldwide and the most common pallet size is the Euro Pallet. A department at Tetra Pak called Additional Materials (AddMat) is mainly using Euro Pallets, which have a low fill rate in containers, and almost all their pallets are made of wood, which could potentially have higher environmental impact and costs, as well as a lower food safety, compared to alternative materials. The purpose of this study was to analyse what pallet sizes and materials were best suited for each of AddMat’s product areas and to calculate the resulting savings, in terms of cost and CO2e emissions, from using the alternative pallet solutions. A case study with a single-case design was chosen as the research method. Qualitative data was gathered through interviews and a literature review. Quantitative data was gathered from internal data sources and from pallet suppliers.
To analyse pallet sizes currently used, the deck-area coverage of all pallet sizes in all means of transport was calculated and visualized with the help of a software called StackBuilder. New pallet sizes were invented, and these sizes were analysed in the same way. The study found that the invented size OP1 (1200 x 770 mm) performed the best, met all requirements from factories, and was the best substitute to the Euro Pallet. Switching the Euro Pallet to OP1 was calculated to give a 7,86 % reduction in transport costs and a 7,2 % reduction in CO2e emissions from transport. This change was mainly recommended for the product areas Closures and Straws. The product area Strips is recommended to keep using the Strips pallet (1200 x 750 mm). Rack compatibility and box adaptability are the most important factors to research before implementation.
The pallet materials chosen for comparison were wood, plastic, and paper. The recommended material for AddMat was paper, mainly due to the low price, the low tare weight, and the high food safety. Switching from wood pallets to paper pallets could lead to a 70,5 % reduction in pallet purchasing cost and a yearly reduction of 230 447 kg CO2e emissions from the transport phase, due to a lighter pallet weight. The safe racking load, durability, and water resistance of the paper pallet must be tested further. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9002861
- author
- Georgii Hellberg, Sten LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MTTM10 20182
- year
- 2020
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Case study, Pallets, Pallet Sizes, Deck-Area Coverage, Pallet Materials, CO2e emissions
- language
- English
- id
- 9002861
- date added to LUP
- 2020-01-29 11:40:57
- date last changed
- 2021-06-14 09:57:34
@misc{9002861,
abstract = {{Pallets are the most common tertiary packaging solution with over 80% the world trade currently being carried out using pallets. The most widely used pallet type is the four-way wood pallet which accounts for 86% of the pallet production worldwide and the most common pallet size is the Euro Pallet. A department at Tetra Pak called Additional Materials (AddMat) is mainly using Euro Pallets, which have a low fill rate in containers, and almost all their pallets are made of wood, which could potentially have higher environmental impact and costs, as well as a lower food safety, compared to alternative materials. The purpose of this study was to analyse what pallet sizes and materials were best suited for each of AddMat’s product areas and to calculate the resulting savings, in terms of cost and CO2e emissions, from using the alternative pallet solutions. A case study with a single-case design was chosen as the research method. Qualitative data was gathered through interviews and a literature review. Quantitative data was gathered from internal data sources and from pallet suppliers.
To analyse pallet sizes currently used, the deck-area coverage of all pallet sizes in all means of transport was calculated and visualized with the help of a software called StackBuilder. New pallet sizes were invented, and these sizes were analysed in the same way. The study found that the invented size OP1 (1200 x 770 mm) performed the best, met all requirements from factories, and was the best substitute to the Euro Pallet. Switching the Euro Pallet to OP1 was calculated to give a 7,86 % reduction in transport costs and a 7,2 % reduction in CO2e emissions from transport. This change was mainly recommended for the product areas Closures and Straws. The product area Strips is recommended to keep using the Strips pallet (1200 x 750 mm). Rack compatibility and box adaptability are the most important factors to research before implementation.
The pallet materials chosen for comparison were wood, plastic, and paper. The recommended material for AddMat was paper, mainly due to the low price, the low tare weight, and the high food safety. Switching from wood pallets to paper pallets could lead to a 70,5 % reduction in pallet purchasing cost and a yearly reduction of 230 447 kg CO2e emissions from the transport phase, due to a lighter pallet weight. The safe racking load, durability, and water resistance of the paper pallet must be tested further.}},
author = {{Georgii Hellberg, Sten}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{A Case Study of Alternative Pallet Solutions at Tetra Pak Additional Materials}},
year = {{2020}},
}