Firstly, eliminating waste; after making products from raw materials gathered from the Earth, the materials end up being thrown away as waste. Most of this waste is lost in landfills or incinerators. This concept is blind to longevity, as it disregards the finitude of resources we have access to. In order to resolve this issue, we are to view the idea of waste products as a flaw in product design; many products are made to be disposable and created by media that are incapable of being recycled, reused, or composted. Therefore, by simply shifting the design of products and using environmentally-friendly materials in their creation process, we convert the linear notion of the current economy into a circular one by allowing waste to return to the economy rather than remain highly short-lived. For instance, quite a few companies have begun to create edible kitchen utensils and packages to prevent them from being disposed of once they can no longer be used.

The circular economy, hence its name, additionally revolves around the idea of circulating goods. This suggests the maintenance of a material’s utility, whether as a product or as raw material once its product life cycle is at an end. This can be accomplished via numerous methods, including re-manufacturing product components, breaking down product parts into the raw materials initially used in their creation, and composting biodegradable materials. Take, for instance, computers. All computers end up, at some point, becoming outdated or non-operating, however, this does not mean that all the pieces within it, be it the motherboard, CPU, GPU, RAM, etc.. cannot be restored and used in the creation of a separate device. Furthermore, natural resources like wood and coffee grounds can be broken down into their composted nutrients through composting, which can in turn be used to grow more renewable material or even foodstuffs.  

Finally, by using regenerative agricultural practices, we may begin to restore nature to its initial thriving state. Our current form of food production is reliant on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and fossil fuels, all of which result in pollution, and therefore waste production. Using methods such as agroforestry (growing trees around other crops), we can create habitat models for wild animals that resemble natural ecosystems in order to increase biodiversity and thus allow said habitat to independently thrive. Transitioning to a circular economy would assist greatly in terminating climate change, and would also make it easier to collect raw materials as less space would be required for the extraction to occur.

-Hadi Almanasef, Intern, Roshan Packages Limited

The post The Circular Economy: An Introduction first appeared on Roshan Packages Limited.

The post The Circular Economy: An Introduction appeared first on Roshan Packages Limited.

We perform the following tests on the incoming Paper at Roshan Packages Ltd;

• Grammage check (g/m2)
• Caliper test(micron)
• Moisture (%)
• Ash (%)
• Bursting Strength (kg/cm2)
• RCT MD (KG)
• RCT CD (KG)
• Cobb(g/m2)

Grammage check on the lab is done by digital weigh scale. This test ensures that the supplier has provided us with the right paper grammage—non-uniform grammage affects the strength of the corrugated box.

Bursting is the key to the strength of packaging. It shows the maximum pressure a paper can withstand before it raptures. We insert pressure in a perpendicular direction to the paper until it raptures. Bursting values varies according to paper quality. The Bursting value depends on the bonding forces as well as on the strength and fiber of the paper.

Furthermore, ash content is an ongoing concern for packaging companies. It not only impacts packaging quality but also damages critical machinery parts such as corrugating rolls. Ash content decreases the fiber content in the paper, reducing the paper strength. It decreases the paper thickness as well as reduces the paper smoothness.

Next on our testing list is moisture percentage in upcoming papers. Higher moisture percentage will result in lower ECT (Edge Crush Test) and BCT (Box Compression Test). Higher moisture content can cause bubbling and warpage in corrugated sheets, and this will also cause misprinting on corrugated sheets.

A Cobb Test is used to examine the amount of water absorbed by the incoming paper. A set time period is used to test the water absorption in the paper. This characteristic helps us plan a suitable combination of paper according to customer product. In the case of high Cobb values, our paper will absorb a high amount of water and reduce its strength. In some cases, liner paper even separates itself from inner fluting, resulting in box breakdown.

The Ring Crush test determines the edge-wise compression on the incoming paper. This test examines the tension of the paper. In this test, we determine percentage elongation at maximum force for the incoming paper before it breaks. This test is done in Machine Direction and Cross Direction.

Paper caliper varies according to different qualities of paper, and if the paper caliper diverts from standards, it will affect the corrugated sheet durability.

We are working round the clock with the capability of consuming more than 200 tons of paper in a day, so here is the golden chance for our vendors to increase their business with RPL.

-Haseeb Qausim, Engineer, Roshan Packages Limited

The post RPL’s Paper Standards first appeared on Roshan Packages Limited.

The post RPL’s Paper Standards appeared first on Roshan Packages Limited.

Roshan Packages is a rapidly growing organization, and in the process, it is ensuring that its employees also grow at an equal pace with it. Not only enhancing the skill set of its employees but also working on their personal grooming and development, and providing a working environment that is conducive to exponential learning and growth. The environment and the work culture here at Roshan Packages are very professional as people here are not working as individuals but as a team, helping and supporting each other, and focused on achieving success as a team. At Roshan Packages, the success of an individual is the success of the team he is part of.

I am pleased to be a part of a talented bunch of individuals selected as Management Trainees after a rigorous process. Unlike other organizations, the Management Trainee Program at Roshan Packages is designed to create future leaders capable of accelerating the growth of the organization. I feel very lucky and accomplished working for Roshan Packages, and I look forward to having a great working experience with all my colleagues at Roshan Packages.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a major challenge Roshan Packages, and the corrugated packaging industry, in general, is facing right now. Roshan Packages is facing a shortage of raw materials and rising input costs. For instance, prices of Kraft paper, which is utilized for making corrugated boxes have doubled – a record – in the past 2 years. The reason for the increase in Kraft paper price is that European Union has banned exports of waste cuttings, a relatively less expensive raw material. Also, post-covid, the import of input materials has been seriously impacted, due to worsened logistical problems.

Apart from this, irregular supplies have compounded the already existing problems of soaring waste paper prices, and soaring input costs, mainly fuel and starch, and there are little signs of this price pattern turning around soon. The conversion costs have also increased due to an increase in the cost of starch. Prices of chemicals such as caustic soda have almost doubled in the last few months. Even the prices of ink have surged.

Another major reason for the crisis is China’s decision to ban imports of wastes, including waste paper. With this ban coming into effect, China is now importing kraft paper that is now being used as a fiber to produce paper. This, in turn, has created a shortage of Kraft Paper in Pakistan.

For the corrugated industry in Pakistan to remain viable, especially the SMEs, the government must limit the export of Kraft paper, as it would restore the supply of Kraft paper for the local industry. Also, there is a need to raise the price of corrugated packaged boxes to remain viable.

I would also like to briefly mention the sustainability of corrugated packaging since sustainability is essential to ensure non-disruptiveness in the future. It is very encouraging that currently corrugated is the most sustainable packaging material and it is because of the following reasons:

• Managed Forestry — corrugated is made from renewable raw materials.
• Renewable Resources — paper mills can generate energy from byproducts of the paper manufacturing process
• Continuous Recycling — the fiber in corrugated is recyclable once a box has been used.

-Ahsan Shafique, MTO Supply Chain, Roshan Packages Limited

The post Supply Chain Challenges in Pakistan’s Corrugation Industry first appeared on Roshan Packages Limited.

The post Supply Chain Challenges in Pakistan’s Corrugation Industry appeared first on Roshan Packages Limited.

Hello, I am Syed Daniyal Zaidi. I have done my MBA in Supply Chain Management from Superior University Lahore. Recently, I joined Roshan Packages Limited as an MTO Supply Chain. I am here to write this blog to share my experience, supply chain issues, and sustainability in the paper market.

Before joining Roshan Packages I didn’t have much knowledge regarding the functioning of the corrugated paper industry. However, during our training session, we interacted with all departments of the company in which we got to know about Roshan Packages as a company, and as a team. I was curious and excited to meet the people who are leading the Supply Chain at Roshan. I was not disappointed as when I did meet them they are so kind, welcoming, and helpful.

In Roshan Packages Limited, Supply Chain functions are divided into four parts: planning, procurement, warehousing, and logistics. In Roshan, we have two types of plant operations, which are corrugation and converting. The sales team brings the orders. The planning department makes plans to procure materials and Procurement ensures the availability of direct and indirect material before the production process. The delivered raw material will be checked by the Quality Department and stored in the warehouse. The logistics team manages the transportation services by itself or 3PL and ensures the timely availability of products to customers. The function in which I am performing is procurement.

My first working day was quite impressive, when I stepped into the room of the Supply Chain team, I was a little nervous, but they welcomed me very kindly and warmly. I was introduced to managers and executives who guided us through the general processes of procurement. Procurement in Roshan Packages is a wide field that includes paper, spare parts, consumables, grocery, stationery, assets, services, polymers, dies, and fixed assets. I learned and observed all day-to-day activities by doing small tasks. I handled different documentation related to procurement. I am slowly understanding terms used in material buying of paper like paper type, grammage, and deckle sizes, etc. Moreover, currently, I am observing and understanding the import terms and processes e.g. letter of credit (LC), HS Code, Incoterms, T/T, Swift message, bank guarantee, GD declaration, etc. In my opinion, Roshan Packages has the best integrated well organized Supply Chain system which creates a valuable impact on the performance of the company.

Supply Chain Issues:

In Pakistan, the manufacturing industry of corrugated boxes faces a big problem of raw material shortage. Over the last two years’ prices of the Kraft paper which is used in manufacturing corrugated boxes have been still increasing, affecting brown box manufacturers who play a main role in the supply chain for many other industries. Coal and fuel which is the main source of energy for paper mills whose prices have been continuously increasing which are a large reason for the price increases.

Sustainability in the Paper Market:

Sustainability must be an internal part of any business’s strategy as it is the only way to succeed in the future. In the future the corrugated industry will have an increase in demand of 3-5% predicted around 2022-2025, Says Beroe Inc. Lightweight and recycled paper’s combination are the innovative raw material used in corrugated production. Roshan Packages has some of the best machines in the country, which are used in both corrugation and converting. They have the best staff to manage their plant process which gives them a competitive advantage. Over the time being the management has been working to bring the best out of us. The things I have been learning from my seniors are very informative and essential to develop myself, to become an expert or professional. I am thankful to Roshan Packages for believing and giving us an opportunity to prove our abilities.

-Syed Daniyal Zaidi, MTO Supply Chain, Roshan Packages Limited

The post Supply Chain at RPL first appeared on Roshan Packages Limited.

The post Supply Chain at RPL appeared first on Roshan Packages Limited.