Packaging & progress: A brief history of reusables in the supply chain

Major grocery chains like Kroger and Costco have flourished over the last 100 years thanks to rapid technological advances and increased consumer demand for convenience.

But this convenience wasn’t always the gold standard.

In the pre-20th century, grocery shopping was a local experience. This wasn’t because consumers preferred to shop local but because the food supply chain looked much different back then.

Most perishable food was delivered (unpackaged) to stores by canal boat, steamboat, rail, and/or wagon. Processed food was typically shipped in metal tins, kegs, or wooden crates and barrels repurposed for other uses.

How did our modern supply chains become a reality? Let’s explore the rise of industrialization, improved materials, and better processes that made them happen.

The rise of industrialization and supply chain complexity

The United States underwent expansive industrialization in the early 1900s, allowing mass production to grow.

The completion of the US railroad system by 1900 and the introduction of the assembly line in 1913 (which allowed cars and trucks to be mass-produced) created a need for more durable shipping containers. This jumpstarted the transition from traditional wooden containers to corrugated shipping cartons, which are still a standard in today’s supply chain.

These innovations contributed to the emergence of the supermarket model in the 1930s and 1940s. Retail grocers went from small, specialized shops to large, centralized stores. Michael J Cullen opened King Cullen in 1930, the first American supermarket with self-service, discount pricing, and chain marketing.

The shift to corrugated and supply chain standardization

By the mid-20th century, corrugated had replaced wood and metal as the dominant packaging material. At the time, it represented a better option; it was cheaper, lighter, and more adaptable to supply chain needs than wooden crates or metal containers.

However, while corrugated provided an economic advantage, it brought new challenges. Retailers began to recognize its drawbacks, including:

• Durability issues: Susceptible to moisture, which weakened the integrity of the boxes.
• Waste and sustainability concerns: Though recyclable, the volume of waste created by single-use packaging was overwhelming.
• Product protection limitations: Corrugated could easily collapse under heavy stacking, causing product shrink.
• Increased workload: Workers had to spend more time breaking down and managing single-use boxes.

Alongside this advancement, warehouse distribution models emerged. With a focus on short-term storage and rapid distribution of goods, warehouse distribution models allowed for quick delivery of perishable foods.

However, environmental awareness grew in the 1970s, a movement influenced by the 1973 and 1979 energy crises.

At this time, the grocery industry began to recognize the downsides of corrugated: Its high production costs, recycling challenges, contribution to the waste stream, limitations in preventing food damage, and its tendency to impart odor onto foods.

This led retailers to fight for more control over packaging standards for quality control, influencing how suppliers packaged their goods for optimized stacking, storage, and handling.

The modern grocery supply chain: Automation, sustainability, and data-driven decisions

Grocery supply chains have always evolved alongside new technology. IBM’s introduction of computerized inventory management in 1967 offered a new opportunity to recalibrate the supply chain by allowing retailers to track stock electronically.

That shift -laid the foundation for barcodes and scanning systems in the 1970s, and then automated warehouses in the 1990s, and AI-driven forecasting today.

Robotics can now pick and sort products. Real-time data can help manage supply and demand. Automated distribution centers can move goods faster. IoT tracking can create visibility from supplier to shelf. 

These advancements have improved stocking accuracy, reduced waste, and cut labor costs—but they also require consistency in the packaging that moves through them.

Reusable packaging is designed for these systems. Unlike corrugated, which vary in size and durability, reusable containers provide standardized, automation-friendly construction that prevents machine jams and improves tracking.

The role of packaging in supply chain innovation

Tosca was among the first US companies to carve out a niche in reusable transport containers by effectively recycling cheese barrels for a major food manufacturer—Kraft. Our commitment to eliminating one-way packaging waste has remained strong through the decades.

But it wasn’t until the 1990s that Tosca and Georgia Pacific considered something new—launching a line of RPCs. This offering gave retailers and suppliers a more sustainable and practical solution to food delivery in place of corrugated.

Packaging optimization provides cost reduction and product protection while streamlining logistics. Reusable packaging solutions (like RPCs, pallets, and bulk bins) have emerged as a key part of grocery supply chain optimization, offering:

• Reduced damage and shrink because of stabler construction.
• Faster stocking and improved labor efficiency due to RPC automation.
• More sustainable alternatives to corrugated.
• Integration with IoT to create smart packaging with real-time RPC tracking and supply chain visibility.

RPC logistics allow multiple parties to use the same bins, streamlining costs and reducing waste. The RPC pooling providers also handle cleaning, maintenance, tracking, and logistical complexities so each stakeholder can focus on managing their operations.

A bright (colored) plastic future

The sustainable packaging market continues to surge in growth and is forecasted to reach $557.65 billion by 2034. Tosca acquired Georgia Pacific’s RPC business unit in 2012 and has grown into one of the most innovative leaders in the RPC space.

Today, Tosca brings more than five decades of expertise to its customers looking for customized reusable packaging and supply chain solutions. A single Tosca RPC can be packed, shipped, stocked, washed, and returned more than 100 times, delivering more than 50 pounds of product per trip before being recycled into the next generation of reusables.

Tosca provides retailers and suppliers with end-to-end solutions for reusables:

• RPC pooling and management to create a steady supply of clean, reusable crates.
• Supply chain traceability with Asset IQ that tracks inventory movement in real time.
• Automation-ready RPCs with standardized designs for warehouse integration.
• Wash and food safety services that provide ISO 22000-certified sanitation processes.
• Retailer and supplier conversion support with custom pilot programs for easy transitions.

The systems that move food have changed. The packaging that moves with them has to change, too.

Make the change to RPCs for a more sustainable future, and contact Tosca today.