Greif offers IBC tracking

WHERE’S MY CUBE?

TRACKING • GEOLOCATION OF IBCS IN TRANSIT IS NOW POSSIBLE THROUGH GREIF’S LATEST ADDITION TO ITS SERVICES, LEVERAGING IOT TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE VISIBLITY

GREIF HAS LAUNCHED real-time tracking for its composite intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) as part of its drive to help its customers increase their performance, reduce costs and improve their carbon footprint. The new system, GCUBE Connect, was developed in conjunction with Nanolike, a French specialist in internet of things (IoT) monitoring solutions.

The new “smart packaging technology” provides real-time tracking information through a customer-based dashboard that displays where an individual IBC is located, its filling level and the environmental temperature.

THE GCUBE CONNECT CONCEPT AIMS TO PROVIDE

GREATER VISIBILITY ALONG THE SUPPLY CHAIN, IMPROVING

GCUBE Connect, currently available to customers across Europe, was introduced to industry during the LogiChem virtual conference and exhibition in early September. Greif operates eight IBC production facilities in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region and another six elsewhere in the world.

“Much of our innovation strategy for our GCUBE IBC portfolio of products and services is driven by the need to develop more sustainable, added value solutions for customers,” says Luca Bettoni, EMEA IBC and plastic product manager at Greif.

“GCUBE Connect improves visibility across the entire supply chain. Through the IoT-based device customers receive live data about their product, allowing them to increase sales, reduce freight costs, optimise production planning and automate procurement and sales processes,” Bettoni adds.

“The combination of real-time geolocation and filled product level data enhances the proactive information that an IBC can provide to fillers, making GCUBE Connect much more than just a packaging solution. Ultimately it helps save valuable time, money and resources.”

PART OF THE PROCESS For several years Greif has steadily expanded its IBC production capacity, with recent organic investments completed at plants in Houston, Spain and Russia to expand its presence in key geographic end markets.

In August this year Greif also established a joint venture partnership with Delta Containers, the UK’s leading independent supplier of reconditioned IBCs. Delta operates two IBC washing lines, a rebottling and remanufacturing facility and a complete plastics recycling and pelletising extrusion line. The joint venture, Greif Delta Plastics UK, is manufacturing new blow-moulded inner bottles for use in various models of IBC and plans to expand into the manufacture of Greif-branded GCUBE IBCs in the near future.

“The investment is in line with the strategic plan and serves as a foundation for an expanded and continued growth in industrial packaging,” Greif stated at the time of the announcement.

Greif is focused on improving sustainability in the production, supply and use of IBCs, further expanding its IBC collection and reconditioning network and enhancing products and services in specific market segments such as food and beverages. As part of that commitment, it established a global industrial packaging reconditioning service, EarthMinded Europe after acquiring pack2pack, which collaborates with the US joint venture Container Life Cycle Management, in which Greif is a partner, in EarthMinded Life Cycle Services. The venture operates in Europe and North America and is, Greif says, the largest industrial packaging reconditioner in the world, offering a network of drum and IBC services. www.greif.com