LESS IS MORE


FIGURE 1


A single case of Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) is a great example of poor pack- aging. Not only does the cardboard case create


solid waste, but the individual


MRE package design leads to unused space within a case. Tis increases the cost of packaging and printing and cre- ates waste along the supply chain as these cases move on ships, vehicles and aircraft.


UNWRAP AND REUSE


The U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center has developed ideas for smaller, lighter packaging for MREs, with the additional potential for dual use to create more value for Soldiers. (SOURCE: The MG James Wright MBA Fellowship Program at the College of William and Mary)


REDUCED PACKAGING Te Army can learn from initiatives in the private sector


to reduce packaging


waste. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., for exam- ple, decided that the punt, or dimple, at the bottom of a bottle of wine is waste- ful. Te chain worked closely with its supplier to redesign the Oak Leaf store- brand wine bottles and reduce the punt, resulting in a shorter and lighter bottle. Tis small change reaped big cost sav- ings in glass consumption, packaging materials and transportation and reduced Wal-Mart’s annual shipping requirement by 280 trucks.


Likewise, Freeport-McMoRan Inc., one of the top mining companies in the world, worked closely with a supplier to com- pletely redesign its packaging for cobalt hydroxide. Te new design resulted in a larger,


square-shaped product bag that


was more rigid. Te new design fits the exact dimensions of the company’s cargo trucks and has doubled the amount of material that can be shipped in one truck. Te rigid bag cost $2 more but doubled


64 Army AL&T Magazine April–June 2015


the transportation network’s efficiency. Te new design also made the packing process at the mine more efficient.


For the Army, an initiative to reduce or redesign packaging would have a sig- nificant effect on combat operations. Inefficient packaging


results in more


trucks than necessary on the road, poor use of air delivery assets and inefficient use of storage space. Improved packaging would decrease the exposure of vulner- able assets along the supply chain and improve air and ground asset utilization.


Most packaging materials used for food, water, ammunition and repair parts become a solid-waste burden during com- bat operations; waste must be disposed of for tactical, political and sanitary reasons. In remote areas, burning is the common method for disposal, but that can lead to health problems for Soldiers. Removing unnecessary packaging does not go far enough: Packaging should be designed to burn cleanly to generate power.


Smaller, lighter packaging offers sig- nificant benefits to Soldiers who receive resupply by containerized delivery sys- tems on air-only combat outposts. Te U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Cen- ter has developed improved packaging for the MRE, pending DOD approval. Natick has also considered designing dual-purpose packaging to create more value for Soldiers. For example, an MRE package could be used as a sandbag, a field-expedient


latrine or a camouflage net case. (See Figure 1.)


Te improved packaging initiative should extend to how the Army awards contracts to suppliers. For example, awarding con- tracts only to suppliers that could comply with efficient packaging standards, including packaging that is the minimum required, lighter, dual-purpose and clean- burning, would put American ingenuity to work in developing smart solutions to packaging challenges.


LOCAL AND RENEWABLE RESOURCES Freeport-McMoRan, which operates mines in remote areas of Central Africa, maximizes local and renewable resources to reduce its logistics resupply require- ment, increase its operational effect and maximize its profits. Methods employed include digging wells, partnering to refur- bish a hydroelectric plant and providing equipment and training to create local sourcing options. Each of these methods reduces the distribution resources required


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