Mark McCleary, chief technology officer with Lucas Systems, discusses the push for greener operations in the warehouse, particularly in the area of packaging.

The amount of cardboard, paper and other types of packing material used in packaging has increased dramatically over the past decades. “It’s eyewatering to see how much materials consumers are getting shipped,” McCleary says.

Despite that trend — or maybe because of it — there’s a growing awareness of the need for more sustainable practices in the warehouse. Facilities are embracing cartonization, clean energy and ways of optimizing packaging materials.

Technology is playing a major role in that effort, especially artificial intelligence and “smart” algorithms. Reducing materials is more than a matter of simply matching the size of a product with that of its packaging, McCleary says. Complex calculations are required to optimize the placement of goods in a box, the building of pallets, and the loading of cartons into a truck. Considerations include the product’s weight, dimension, fragility and, in the case of apparel, “compressibility.” All of this must be figured out in real time, and in response to actual conditions within the warehouse.

In peak seasons, McCleary says, facilities often find themselves resorting more to inappropriately-sized containers just to get shipments out the door. But AI and other modern applications can help a distribution center optimize packaging at scale. The holiday shopping season “shouldn’t be an excuse to give up on sustainability,” he says.

Computer vision is also playing a key role, with its ability to visualize how items can best be placed in a box, and how that box can be placed on a truck in the most efficient and space-saving manner. 

Technology can also help to optimize processes in the distribution center, by identifying the shortest travel paths and enabling accurate auditing of operations.