Spills and Packaging

Procedures: Spills and Packaging

Spills

• Exercise caution to avoid spillage.
• Clean up any spills immediately.

Packaging

Using the proper packaging, filling and material-handling procedures can go a long way in minimizing pellet, flake and powder loss.

Selecting Packaging Materials

• Use packaging designed to minimize the possibility of breakage and pellet, flake and powder leakage. Use puncture-resistant shipping containers where possible.
• Use reinforced bags, such as woven polypropylene bags, and line larger containers with puncture-resistant material.
• Minimize the use of valved bags, or seal valved bags immediately after filling.

Bags: Filling and Handling

• Inspect all pallets for protruding nails or broken boards.
• Use bags that are not easily punctured.
• Use a heavier weight container/bag if breakage is a recurring problem.
• Move and stack bags immediately after filling to avoid seepage.
• Tape leaks or replace leaking bags.
• Regularly clean up pellets, flakes and powder spilled during the filling process. Where possible, select filling equipment designed to prevent pellet, flake and powder loss.
• Implement warehouse and handling procedures that minimize the chance of pellet, flake and powder spillage.
• Dispose of collected pellets, flakes and powder properly.

Bags: Emptying and Disposal

• Thoroughly empty bags.
• Collect, handle, store and transport the empty bags to avoid/contain the escape of pellets, flakes and powder.
• Recycle plastic resin bags, shrink-wrap and stretch-wrap, whenever possible. Visit www.plasticfilmrecycling.org for more information.
• Dispose of packaging by incineration or in a well-managed landfill.
• Stress the need for “no loss to the environment” procedures.

Bulk Boxes

• Use bulk boxes that are not easily punctured.
• Tape leaks or replace leaking boxes.
• Regularly clean up pellets, flakes and powder spilled during the filling process.
• Dispose of collected pellets, flakes and powder properly.
• Improve Palletizing Methods
• Move and stack bags immediately after filling to avoid seepage from valves.
• Stack bags on pallets in tight, interlocking patterns.
• Shrink or stretch-wrap pallet to stabilize stacks and help contain lost pellets, flakes and powder.
• Use corrugated cardboard caps on the top and bottom of pallets to minimize puncturing or tearing bags and to contain loose pellets, flakes and powder.
• Block and brace outbound loads to avoid broken bags in transit.

Handling Materials

• Forklift operators must be trained and skilled in damage prevention as well as proper cleanup.
• Institute handling procedures that minimize puncture of bags and boxes with forklift tines.
• Repair or replace punctured packages and cleanup any spills immediately to prevent loss of pellets, flakes and powder. Sealing a leak when it occurs is much easier than sweeping 100 yards of warehouse.
• Consider outfitting all forklifts with a Cleanup Kit.
• Place catch trays between the dock and trailer at shipping and receiving bays.
• Inspect pellet, flake and powder packaging before offloading, particularly pellets, flakes and powder bagged in unreinforced paper or corrugated bulk boxes. This will prevent pellet, flake and powder release through the gap between the vehicle and the loading dock.

Storage

• Consider covering all packaging resin stored outside (gaylords, super sacks, etc.) to prevent photodegradation of the containers.