Eliminate the Risks Associated With Cutting Tools

Going Knifeless Protects People, Products and Profits

By Joe Garvey, Product Manager for Shurtape Technologies, LLC

Using a knife or box cutter to open a carton sealed with packaging tape can risk the safety of the employee and the product, both of which can result in profit loss. Although cutting a carton may be the most common way to reveal merchandise, it could also be costly for businesses, leading suppliers to shift away from the traditional method of carton sealing.

Packaging systems that use standard packaging tape applied manually or automatically are now adopting either a new method of carton closure or changing their packaging altogether to allow for knifeless opening. Alternative packaging options include pull tape, strippable tape or tape with some kind of tear or folded edge feature in the design that allows access without the use of a knife.

Any knifeless tape such as these provides companies with three key benefits: safety of people, safety of product and increased profits.

Pull tape, strippable tape or tape with some kind of tear or folded edge feature in the design allows people to open packages without the use of a knife or box cutter. Image courtesy of Shurtape Technologies, LLC.

Safety of People

In 2020, there were an estimated 102,350 on-the-job hand injuries in the United States alone, according to data from the National Safety Council. Of those injuries, 82% were lacerations, cuts and punctures. Nearly half of the injured workers were employed in service or production jobs.

Those workplace injuries come with a cost to employees and to the businesses. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the average laceration to an employee’s hand costs a business a total of $92,000 in direct costs, such as healthcare, and indirect costs, like lost productivity. On average, companies need to generate another $2.4 million in sales to recoup those costs.

If shippers utilized knifeless openings, the recipient would simply need to pull on the end of the tape to open the box — simple, easy and risk-free. By eliminating the need to use a knife to open a box, the number of lacerations to employees’ hands — and the associated cost and lost productivity — drop dramatically. This will benefit anyone who opens the carton, such as packaging stations, warehouses, retail locations and even consumers.

Safety of Product

Widespread use of knives and box cutters can also lead to damaged products. According to Loss Prevention Media, 98% of corrugated boxes are either single-walled or double-walled with an ¼ in. thickness. However, the average blade length on a box cutter is 1 in., which in turn creates a high risk of cutting into the packaged product. This leads to goods being damaged, contaminated or otherwise spoiled, making them unsellable or unusable. In fact, in the eCommerce industry alone, an estimated 30% of packaging-related returns are due to product damage, cutting into the overall profitability of the business shipping the items.

Increased Profits

Reducing injuries and eliminating damaged goods can lead to a significant increase in a businesses’ profitability. As pointed out above, companies will need to generate an additional $2.4 million in sales in order to recoup the profitability lost from just one, often preventable, knife injury.

Likewise, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute estimate that damaged product and other unsaleable items cost consumer packaged goods manufacturers $15 billion annually or 1 to 2 percent of a manufacturer’s gross sales. Even recovering part of that money can make a considerable increase to a company’s bottom line.

Moreover, adopting knifeless packaging can streamline the unboxing process, reducing the time and labor involved in handling shipments. This efficiency gain translates into lower operational costs and enhanced customer satisfaction, as quicker and safer handling can improve overall delivery performance.

Incorporating knifeless packaging methods not only mitigates the risks associated with traditional cutting tools but also addresses significant cost concerns related to injury and product damage. By transitioning to a knifeless tape solution, businesses can protect their employees, safeguard their products and ultimately enhance their profitability. This strategic shift represents a proactive approach to overcoming some of the critical challenges in modern packaging today.

About the Author

As a Product Manager for Industrial Packaging Tapes at Shurtape Technologies, LLC, Joe Garvey is responsible for the product development and marketing support of the Shurtape® Brand Packaging Tapes and ShurSEAL® equipment categories. Learn more at https://www.shurtape.com/.