Folding bins: reconciling logistics, performance and sustainability
CONTENTS
1. Who are industrial folding bins designed for?
2. Folding bin VS rigid bin: a question of logistical efficiency
3. The advantages of Knauf Industries folding bins
4. Why EPP is the right material for industrial logistics
5. Flip-Box big: foldable, insulated container designed for reverse logistics
What you need to know about the folding bin
Article abstract:
- Knauf Industries’ foldable EPP industrial bins optimize storage, transport and reverse logistics to reduce costs and carbon footprint.
- Their lightness improves operator safety (fewer MSD), while their robustness and thermal performance protect sensitive products.
- Standard and customized solutions (Flip-Box Big, personalization, traceability) offer more agile, reusable and recyclable logistics, adapted to every need.
Who are industrial folding bins for?
Reducing the plastic carbon footprint is one of the major challenges facing companies in the years ahead. Between the energy transition and waste reduction, there is the question of transport and storage. Sustainable logistics contributes not only to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also to the economic and social performance of companies. A foldable bin is first and foremost a bin that takes up less space in a storage facility and on a transport truck.
And that’s not all! Storage, handling and transport tasks – the three logistical processes used by companies – present significant risks for health risks. According to the French Labour Inspectorate (Europe 2024), manual handling is the cause of 31.7% of workplace accidents, regardless of the sector of activity. We’re talking here about heavy physical effort, awkward postures, repetitive movements, vibrations, the complexity of the work… all of which occur just as much in the agri-food sector as in the furniture industry. There will always be a need to carry, deliver, push, pull, move and store loads… with or without a machine. A foldable bin, also means a lighter, easier-to-handle bin.
In terms of storage and transport, all European industries are concerned. Safety and environmental regulations now apply to the automotive industry (NAF 29), machinery and equipment (NAF 28), e-commerce, logistics, food processing, construction and healthcare.
To find out more, here’s how foldable bins meet the specific challenges of each industrial sector.
Agri-food: guaranteeing hygiene and the cold chain
- Compliance with health standards and easy cleaning
- Temperature maintenance for fresh and frozen products
- Adaptation to best-before date constraints
- Reducing disposable packaging (cardboard, film)
- Whether for meat packaging, fresh fish packaging or fruit and vegetable packaging, foldable bins can be customised to secure your flows
Automotive: protecting and streamlining parts transportation
- Protection and cushioning of sensitive components (bumpers, headlights, electronic parts)
- Resistant to shocks and vibrations during transport
- Reducing total of containers: optimizing transport and reducing CO₂
- Reusability over many logistical cycles (sustainability)
Pharma and health: ensuring product compliance and safety
- Strict compliance with pharmaceutical transport standards
- Securing heat-sensitive products (medicines, vaccines, medical devices)
- Easy cleaning to guarantee cleanliness
- Traceability-compatible solution (marking, QR code, RFID)
Logistics and distribution: optimizing reverse logistics
- Space-saving empty return (up to 60% less volume)
- Simplify transport flows and reduce logistics costs
- Foldable stackable bins = easy storage in warehouses
- Improved working conditions (fewer MSDs thanks to lightweight EPP)
- Our customized pharmaceutical packaging protect sensitive products and limit heat loss.
Specialist in protective packaging, technical parts and insulation products, Knauf Industries designs standard and made-to-measure products for all types of companies: food processing, automotive, healthcare, industry, construction… Discover our handling solutions lightweight and durable. We respond to the various challenges faced by professionals, in terms of safety, performance and durability. Talk to us about your project today!
Folding case vs. rigid case: a question of logistical efficiency
A company’s logistics costs represent on average 10 to 15% of sales. There are three possible ways to save on this item:
- Save space in storage areas;
- Choose lighter packaging (crates, bins, boxes, pallets…). lighter ;
- Reduce the number of transport operations.
A folding bin is the answer to all three problems. As it loses volume when not in use, you can save space on shelves and in empty trucks (60% in the case of Knauf Industries folding bins). Even more than the plastic bin, some materials, such as expanded polypropylene (EPP) are renowned for their remarkable lightness. This reduces fuel costs and facilitates manual handling operations. What’s more, folding bins made from EPP are reusable and recyclable.
On the contrary, a rigid, non-folding crate won’t save space on the logistical return journey, nor will it reduce MSD.
The advantages of Knauf Industries foldable bins
Say goodbye to bulky, stubborn bins, and welcome the new foldable bin solutions for reduced logistics costs and greater flexibility! These lightweight, durable packaging materials simplify storage, transport and organization, while reducing your environmental impact. They meet the needs of logisticians, supply chain managers, CSR departments and industrial innovators in all sectors of activity.
Choose Knauf Industries folding and customizable boxes for their versatility, performance and durability.
Significant space savings for your supply chain
The first great benefit of the folding crate is its ability to fold up when not in use. You benefit from 76 to 80% extra space. In contrast to a fixed standard bin, this means considerable space savings and lower logistics costs, since you save on rotation and fuel during transport. You save on transport costs and empty returns. What’s more, when these crates are filled, they can be stacked on top of each other, making them easy to handle. Our folding boxes are also designed to last over time. So they’re as light as they are strong.
Tailor-made options for every application
Foldable bins are available in all sizes and densities, and can be fitted with a variety of accessories (lids, feet, base plates, etc.). The sides of the bin can also be fitted with a wide range of customization elements. You can design them with your corporate image (branding, logo, material, color, density, individual cardboard…) to suit your industrial aesthetic and marketing needs with Knauf Industries.
A sustainable solution focused on re-use
Because the climate challenge concerns all industries, our R&D teams are committed to developing logistics solutions in line with a circular economy approach. Knauf Industries’ folding boxes are made from circular materials and innovative technologies to create eco-designed packaging and technical parts. Discover reusable and recyclable bins, for more responsible storage and transport. We meet the CSR requirements of industrial sectors.
At Knauf Industries, foldable containers are made of EPP
Forget the plastic bin and the wooden crate: save space and logistical costs with a closed-cell bead foam structure material composed of 94% air: EPP! Light, strong and thermally insulating, expanded polypropylene boasts excellent properties:
- Natural robustness
- Shock and vibration absorption
- Thermal performance
- Lightweight
- Handling
- Recyclability
Read our white paper on EPP and its logistics applications. Download it now for free.
Why is EPP the right material for industrial logistics?
Between your workstations and the end customer, your products are handled many times. To avoid MSD problems and reduce your transport costs, the choice of handling equipment and packaging cannot be overlooked. Shape, volume, flexibility, sturdiness, accessories and, of course, material are all essential criteria for your containers. So why choose expanded polypropylene for your industry, rather than another material such as plastic or wood?
Initially used in industry as an insulating and cushioning material, EPP is now widely acclaimed for its lightness, optimum strength and high stability. The material is used in the automotive industry for bumpers, as well as for bicycle and ski helmets (shock absorption).
Did you know? This recyclable material is recycled in the Knauf Circular® program (a service set up a few years ago to recover and process expanded polystyrene and expanded polypropylene waste) and in dedicated channels.
EPP is particularly well suited to the industrial logistics sector:
- Less weight during transport : lower CO2 emissions and fewer MSD ;
- Less material used in manufacturing: an eco-responsible product and a sustainable solution;
- Improved thermal and mechanical performance: a guaranteed cold chain and protected products.
From ergonomic pallets to folding bins, Knauf Industries’ EPP facilitates your logistics from A to Z. Contact our teams!
Flip-Box Big: foldable, insulated bin for reverse logistics
Looking for a practical, versatile isothermal transport case to carry your sensitive products with ease? Discover Flip-Box Big from Knauf Industriesthe foldable EPP box designed to meet your most demanding logistics needs! Optimize round-trip flows, reduce empty transport costs and guarantee thermal protection for your food, pharmaceutical or chemical products.
Explore the advantages of Flip-Box Big folding bins:
- Foldable structure saves 60% space;
- Isothermal properties and mechanical strength ;
- Reusable, washable, durable box;
- Compatible with the challenges of reverse logistics and eco-responsible supply chains.
A product born of an innovative R&D concept
The Flip-Box Big is similar to our in-house “Origami” project, with a similar philosophy (from Japanese oru for “to fold”, and kami for “paper”). This feasibility demonstrator, designed by our R&D laboratory in Germany, exploits the hinging and folding capabilities of one-piece EPP containers. The aim of this innovative prototype was to develop a range of folding foam boxes to optimize the transport and storage of your products:
- Reduced transport costs ;
- Lower storage costs ;
- Optimized recycling.
Optimize logistics costs while protecting the environment and your employees! In fact, the lightness of our products is recognized for its ability to combat MSD and save production resources. Flip-Box therefore represents the culmination of a concrete innovation approach, designed to meet the expectations of manufacturers in the field.
Lightweight yet sturdy, high-performance yet reusable, the folding bin from Knauf Industries is recyclable and ergonomic. They are suitable for a wide variety of applications, making handling and storage easy from A to Z.
Tailor-made folding boxes: to meet all your requirements
Not satisfied with our range of folding boxes? Do you have very specific technical requirements? Do you have fragile or heat-sensitive products, or customization requirements? Take advantage of our multi-sector know-how and advanced technologies to solve all the problems associated with transporting all types of products, whatever the sector of activity. We design your customized isothermal folding boxes in six steps:
- Co-development of specifications ;
- Eco-design of a customized solution (3D modeling) ;
- Design validation (3D printing for volume visualization) ;
- Production line testing (prototyping, small runs) ;
- Packaging production ;
- Marketing.
What you need to know about the folding bin
Knauf Industries’ Flip-Box range offers lightweight, sturdy and practical insulated folding boxes. Save space during storage and transport, and simplify the work of your logisticians. You’ll reduce your costs and your daily workload! Discover all our foldable and customized solutions: we design packaging to meet all your technical requirements.
With the Flip-Box foldable EPP bin from Knauf Industries :
- Save space on storage areas and empty returns
- Reduce your fuel costs
- Improve your employees’ quality of life at work by reducing the risk of MSDs
- You respect the environment with sustainable, recyclable packaging;
- You benefit from exceptional thermal performance
- You can personalize your boxes with your corporate image.
the Origami concept in video
The aim of the Origami project is twofold. To demonstrate our know-how with Komebac® Origami and, in the future, to develop a range of foldable cellular foam products to optimize logistics: reducing transport costs, reducing storage costs and optimizing recycling.
