The UN bag-in-box (BiB) containers from Fenton Packaging Solutions offer a sustainable flatpack alternative to traditional rigid bulk liquid packaging. BiB provides all the benefits of a rigid container coupled with flexible sustainability in respect of transportation and storage requirements.

“Swapping to bag-in-box delivers major benefits, reduces costs, and improves a carbon footprint of a business,” says Chris Warren, Sales Development Director of Fenton Packaging Solutions, which is based at the Kinetic 45 development in Leeds. “Prior to filling, BiB saves up to 40% in warehouse capacity and takes up 90% less transport space, when compared to rigid alternatives. In addition, BiB creates 60% less non-recyclable waste.

“The plastic reduction is dramatic, as a typical 20 litre UN jerrycan weighs in at around 1,100 grams whereas a 20 litre UN bag with closure weighs in at just 110 grams – potentially offsetting some of the costs associated with the recently introduced 2022 Plastic Packaging Tax. The advantages don’t stop there. BiB is lighter in weight and easy to handle, plus there’s less risk of spillage when pouring and when using a tap, it is drip-free.”

“The pallet quantity of bags changes the requirements for a business’s incoming logistics, moving and handling, warehousing, filling, and packing for onward distribution. Using BiB significantly reduces the time and cost associated with the handling of rigid plastic packs. BiB is available in 5 litre, 10 litre and 20 litre sizes, but as a comparison, one pallet of 10 litre UN bags contains 3,000 bags which is very different to the pallet quantity for 10 litre UN jerrycans.

“It is the cost of acquisition that is interesting to companies adopting BiB products combined with the benefits available to their end customers when the pack enters its end-of-life phase.”

The sustainability advantages of BiB over rigid containers are clear. BiB packs consist of a cardboard box which is easy to recycle once the product has been emptied and a plastic co-polymer cube-shaped bag with gland and closure which weighs in at about 10% of the weight of the equivalent capacity jerrycan.

Cardboard goes into one waste stream and the bag will go into another recycling stream where it exists for the recycling of co-polymer containers. If the bag cannot be recycled it can be processed on the waste to energy ticket.

Caption: 

From left: Fenton Packaging Solutions Sales Development Director Chris Warren with Purchasing and Operations Director David Wilson