Sustainable Packaging Starts with a Journey: Measuring Canada's Distribution Hazards

The way products are transported plays a crucial role in determining how packaging is designed. Our research focuses on the measurement and analysis of distribution environments for developing sustainable packaging solutions. By quantifying hazards like shock, vibration, compression, and climatic conditions (temperature and humidity), we can characterize specific supply chains and create packaging structures tailored to the unique challenges they face.

Why Does This Matter?

Two common issues arise in packaging design when the distribution environment is not fully understood: overpackaging and underpackaging.

• Overpackaging: This is a problem everyone can recognize, receiving a small product encased in an oversized box filled with excessive cushioning materials (bubble wrap, void fill, etc). This practice not only increases material use, but also generates unnecessary waste, contributing to environmental burdens.
• Underpackaging: On the other hand, when packaging lacks sufficient strength or cushioning properties, products can be damaged during transit. This results in costly returns (additional transportation emissions) or the direct disposal in landfills, both options increase waste and carbon footprints.

Striking the right balance in packaging design requires an understanding of the hazard’s products face during distribution. Without accurate data, it's difficult to design optimized solutions that protect goods while minimizing waste.

The Gap in Canadian Data

For over 30 years, researchers worldwide have studied distribution hazards. However, Canada has lacked such data, particularly for its two most critical overland shipping modes: truck and train transit. These modes form the backbone of Canadian logistics, and the absence of hazard-specific insights has led to a reliance on generic standards that don't fully reflect the challenges of Canada’s expansive and diverse transportation landscape.

Our research addresses this gap by investigating the Canadian distribution environment, specifically:

• Truck routes: From London, Ontario, to Lachine, Quebec, along Highway 401 (the busiest highway in North America)
• Train routes: From Vaughan, Ontario, to Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, on the Canadian Pacific Railway.

These routes represent significant portions of Canada’s supply chain, making the findings highly relevant for real-world applications.

What’s Involved?

To quantify these hazards, our team uses triaxial data loggers to record shock, vibration, temperature, and humidity along these routes. Once the data is collected, we simulate these conditions in a controlled lab environment using equipment like:

• Drop testers for impact shocks
• Vibration tables for replicating road and rail vibrations
• Compression testers for simulating stacking pressures and durations

By recreating the distribution journey in a lab setting, we can systematically test and refine packaging designs. Using various materials, including differing corrugated configurations (i.e. flute size, liners, double-wall vs single wall), we aim to identify the most effective and sustainable packaging structure for each distribution channel.

Looking Ahead

As we continue to gather data on key Canadian distribution channels, we’re building a foundation for sustainable packaging solutions tailored to Canada’s transportation challenges. This research doesn’t just help businesses save costs and improve efficiency, it addresses broader environmental challenges by reducing waste, conserving resources, and preventing unnecessary product losses.