{"id":577,"date":"2025-08-05T10:13:25","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T10:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/?p=577"},"modified":"2025-08-05T16:02:56","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T16:02:56","slug":"corrugated-crates-helping-businesses-be-more-sustainable-and-lower-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/05\/corrugated-crates-helping-businesses-be-more-sustainable-and-lower-costs\/","title":{"rendered":"Corrugated crates: Helping businesses be more sustainable and lower costs\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-beyondwords-marker=\"88227032-0223-416b-a211-e6c82e379e37\" data-beyondwords-player=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<h4><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-562823 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\" width=\"860\" height=\"516\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.circularonline.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ecorrcrate-2.jpg?resize=860%2C516&amp;ssl=1\"><\/h4>\n<h4>Garrett Quinn, Chief Sustainability Officer of Smurfit Westrock, explains how Ecorrcrates are making it easier to recycle shipping packaging while reducing costs at the same time.<\/h4>\n<p>Wooden shipping crates have long been the standard for transporting non-consumer goods, thanks to their durability and strength.<\/p>\n<p>While made from a sustainable and biodegradable material, wood shipping crates aren\u2019t often disposed of in the most responsible way. Once used, businesses usually have one of a few disposal options:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Store them for reuse if possible.<\/li>\n<li>Work with a third party for recycling or shredding.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Transport them to a landfill.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Limited space means storing them isn\u2019t always a viable option, and recycling through third parties depends on whether a business has access to local vendors. This means the easiest way to dispose of wood crates is often via landfill.<\/p>\n<p>However, <a href=\"https:\/\/ecorrcrate.com\/\">Ecorrcrates<\/a>\u2019 shipping crates, that use corrugated board instead of wood, are now making it easier for businesses to recycle their packaging.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to increasing circularity and reducing waste, users are also reporting that Ecorrcrates are reducing costs.<\/p>\n<h2>Innovating the shipping crate<\/h2>\n<p>Working in the packaging industry, President of <a href=\"https:\/\/depininc.com\/\">Depin, Inc. <\/a>Dan Bonebrake frequently encountered shipping pallets made out of corrugated material, and that exposure eventually gave him an idea.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought, \u2018<em>I wonder if we could make shipping crates out of corrugated board<\/em>,\u2019\u201d said Bonebrake. \u201cBack then, I wasn\u2019t thinking about producing and selling them, but maybe licensing the idea to another business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Depin was already providing wood crates to customers, so Bonebrake understood their limitations and how a corrugated crate could overcome them.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond recycling challenges, wood shipping crates are heavy and take time, tools and manual labour to assemble and move.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese heavy wooden crates drive up costs in multiple ways \u2013 from freight expenses to labour inefficiencies \u2013 and they\u2019re cumbersome to handle,\u201d said Devin Gressel, who made the switch to Ecorrcrate as an aerospace industry professional and now works as a sales representative for Ecorrcrate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEcorrcrate offers a smarter alternative: lightweight, durable crates that reduce operational costs and improve warehouse productivity.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_562809\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-562809\" style=\"width: 472px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-562809 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\" width=\"472\" height=\"261\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.circularonline.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Corrugated-crate-image-1.png?resize=472%2C261&amp;ssl=1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-562809\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A warehouse worker stacks another pallet on top of the Ecorrcrate.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite frustrations with wood crates, no one was interested in Bonebrake\u2019s idea without proof of concept. So, he began the arduous task of developing and manufacturing the perfect corrugated crate, and the Ecorrcrate was born.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Since shipping crates are often exposed to the outdoors and environments that lack temperature control, Depin knew it needed a corrugated material that could stand up to the elements.<\/p>\n<p>WetTech\u00ae, a papermaking technology from Smurfit Westrock, can lower the water intake of paper fibres, making it ideal for products that are exposed to wet and humid environments. WetTech board is recyclable, and Depin now uses it to make all of its Ecorrcrates.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDepin\u2019s integration of WetTech in Ecorrcrate is outstanding and represents what\u2019s achievable when customers and suppliers prioritise sustainability in packaging and collaborate to deliver high-performing solutions,\u201d said Don Sparaco, Smurfit Westrock president of Corrugated Packaging, North America.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>The need for circularity and recycling<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_562812\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-562812\" style=\"width: 354px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-562812 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\" width=\"354\" height=\"264\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.circularonline.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/crate-image-2.png?resize=354%2C264&amp;ssl=1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-562812\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a demo video from Depin, the Ecorrcrate stood up to being left outside in the rain overnight and drenched with a hose.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Today, Depin supplies Ecorrcrates to customers in industries such as aerospace, automotive, construction and defence.<\/p>\n<p>The Depin team can customise the crates by fixing padding or straps or customising the sizes to fit various types of mechanical equipment, whether it be parts for planes, cranes or rockets.<\/p>\n<p>An aerospace company designed its own Ecorrcrate to include straps and padding.<\/p>\n<p>Bonebrake says many new customers in these industries approach his team because they\u2019re looking for greater sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>According to Depin\u2019s research, a little over half of the landfills in North America will separate wood waste for incineration, but the rest do not.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_562815\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-562815\" style=\"width: 472px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-562815 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\" width=\"472\" height=\"248\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.circularonline.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Crate-image-3.png?resize=472%2C248&amp;ssl=1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-562815\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerospace company designed its own Ecorrcrate to include straps and padding.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cOver half of our new customers come to us with a primary or secondary goal of achieving greater sustainability,\u201d said Bonebrake. \u201cWhether for brand alignment, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) targets, or reducing environmental impact, sustainability is part of their strategic goals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Depin\u2019s customers also found that wood crates are difficult for their customers to handle, impacting customer experience and satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ecorrcrate.com\/blog\/mcneil-printing-impresses-customers-with-the-switch-to-ecorrcrate\/\">Customers of a signage company<\/a> were often faced with having to find labourers to handle signs just delivered in crates, as well as not knowing how to dispose of a wood crate once they removed the sign.<\/p>\n<p>Now those who buy signage can recycle their Ecorrcrates along with their other corrugated boxes.<\/p>\n<h2>Sustainability that saves<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to ease of recycling, Bonebrake says Ecorrcrates weigh anywhere from 40-to-75% less than wood crates. That\u2019s a significant difference that can impact the costs and emissions associated with shipping and transportation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bonebrake says their customers often save 30% or more in shipping costs thanks to Ecorrcrate\u2019s lighter construction compared to traditional wood crates.<\/p>\n<p>Also, when a crate weighs much less, a plane can transport more cargo on the same amount of fuel, potentially reducing carbon emissions related to shipping.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, if businesses can recycle the corrugated material, then they don\u2019t have to pay the landfill costs associated with disposing of wood crates.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_562816\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-562816\" style=\"width: 472px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-562816 size-medium lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"\" width=\"472\" height=\"273\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.circularonline.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Crate-image-4.png?resize=472%2C273&amp;ssl=1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-562816\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a side-by-side assembly demo, assembly of the corrugated crate is complete while the wood crate is still being assembled.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One of <a href=\"https:\/\/ecorrcrate.com\/blog\/aerospace-professional-leaves-industry-to-join-ecorrcrates-mission\/\">Depin\u2019s major aerospace customers<\/a> was able to save six figures on its disposal costs in one year after switching to Ecorrcrate.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a side-by-side assembly demo, assembly of the corrugated crate is complete while the wood crate is still being assembled.<\/p>\n<p>Businesses can also save on labour, which is what a quarter of Depin\u2019s new customers are searching for when they ask about using Ecorrcrates.<\/p>\n<p>If a business is doing a large amount of shipping, the time spent on assembling crates can be significant. Assembly of Ecorrcrates poses multiple benefits compared to those made from wood:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Assembly time for a corrugated crate is two minutes; it\u2019s at least double or more for a wood crate.<\/li>\n<li>No tools are needed for assembly.<\/li>\n<li>Assembly poses less risk for injuries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The future of Ecorrcrates<\/h2>\n<p>As businesses adopt Ecorrcrates for greater sustainability and efficiency, Depin is continuing to grow and expand its reach to accommodate customers worldwide, something Smurfit Westrock is equipped to handle.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s part of our mission to help our customers improve sustainability in their packaging supply chains, so we\u2019re happy to partner with Depin to help businesses do exactly that,\u201d said Garrett Quinn, chief sustainability officer at Smurfit Westrock.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a global supplier of sustainable packaging, we hope to continue our partnership as they expand to other regions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Depin team is preparing to open another office location in the Southeastern U.S. and will soon partner with an Asian manufacturer to better serve Asia and Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Additional office locations in North and South America will soon follow as the Depin team continues to try to meet growing demand from customers like Gressel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI still shake my head thinking back on all we put up with using wood crates when I worked in aerospace,\u201d Gressel said. \u201cUsing Ecorrcrates is a simple choice that I wished I had made years before I did.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.circularonline.co.uk\/case-studies\/corrugated-crates-helping-businesses-be-more-sustainable-and-lower-costs\/\">Corrugated crates: Helping businesses be more sustainable and lower costs\u00a0<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.circularonline.co.uk\">Circular Online<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 Garrett Quinn, Chief Sustainability Officer of Smurfit Westrock, explains how Ecorrcrates are making it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":579,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=577"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":578,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577\/revisions\/578"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}