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VARIBOX at Brenntag Química, S.A.U.
Today you will have the opportunity to read a new customer testimonial. Our sales representative Christophe Maricourt, in charge of the Southern European market, has travelled to Dos Hermanas (Seville) to meet Miguel Ángel Barragán Rodríguez, Packaging Manager at Brenntag Química, S.A.U. headquarters.
Safer
Reusable
Sustainable
VARIBOX at Brenntag Química, S.A.U.
In this article, we will tell you how VARIBOX containers allow Brenntag Química to gain the loyalty of those customers who require a high standard of safety and quality in reusable containers.
Miguel Angel, this is not the first meeting we have together, but it is the first interview we are going to conduct about Brenntag Química in Spain. I appreciate your time and consideration for having accepted this interview.
Christophe: Brenntag Química acquired its first containers of the VARIBOX range in 2015 and has since then progressively increased its VARIBOX fleet over the following years. Miguel Ángel, what safety advantages do VARIBOXs offer you over other types of polyethylene Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs)?
Miguel Ángel: First of all, VARIBOX IBCs are robust, they degrade little over time despite intensive use. They behave adequately in the face of the chemical effects that can be caused by certain corrosive products, as well as their daily handling. This adequate behavior allows us to reuse them on multiple occasions during their useful life, up to 5 years according to ADR regulations, depending on the packaged product.
On the other hand, VARIBOX are durable and wear resistant, maintaining their safety and quality properties without requiring a high level of maintenance. The accessories, such as the discharge valve or automatic vents, are resistant use after use.
For Brenntag Química, safety is a fundamental value in our DNA. Our customers and suppliers trust Brenntag Química because these values are deeply rooted in all the people of the Company, which translate into a high standard of quality and safety in their service. For this reason, we do not hesitate to work actively with the main packaging manufacturers in the design and/or possible modifications in the packaging to make them safer, more resistant, reusable and with less impact to the environment. Our collaboration with ROTOVIA and the VARIBOX is a clear example of this.
Christophe: Environmental care and sustainability are aspects that have become more important in recent years. Due to their design and manufacturing process by rotational molding, VARIBOX IBCs are truly reusable and recyclable IBCs whose use is up to 5 years, then for ADR purposes the inner container (bottle or bubble) is replaced to be able to reuse the containers for up to 5 more years. What benefits does Brenntag Química get from extending the useful life of the containers, reducing the impact they will have on the environment?
Expired VARIBOX inner containers
Miguel Ángel: As you were commenting, Christophe, we acquired our first VARIBOX IBCs in 2015 after extensive testing. One of the issues that convinced us the most during our homologation phase was the behavior of the container in the event of shocks or falls, with the outer casing acting as a shield against the inner bubble, making it difficult for it to break and the liquid inside to spill, in addition to the fact that both the pallet and the casing proved to be sufficiently resistant to extend its durability beyond 5 years by a high percentage.
Progressively, after verifying the good performance of these containers and the acceptance by our most demanding customers in terms of quality and safety, we were acquiring more units from the years 2017 and 2018, that is, more than 5 years ago.
We are currently still in the process of replacing the inner bubbles, and we have been able to verify that the outer casing and the pallet of the VARIBOX are really in good condition at the end of the first 5 years of use, as we predicted. We have practically replaced 100% of the VARIBOX bottles we bought 5 years ago. VARIBOX, being reusable for up to 5 years and 100% recyclable, is an eco-friendly container and contributes to achieving our environmental objectives.
Our goal is to continue to increase the rotation (reuse) of VARIBOX, encouraging policies of selling product in returnable packaging and reducing the collection times of these containers, which means that less new packaging is required. Using appropriate and reusable packaging allows us to use less raw material (in this case virgin polyethylene) to manufacture new packaging, reducing energy consumption and our carbon footprint. This allows us to offer our customers more sustainable packaging solutions in the medium to long term.
In the end, with all this, an important part of the market also values these principles and, even, you manage to attract other customers to this path in the culture of sustainability and safety, so, at the same time, you manage to build customer loyalty and satisfaction, providing them with adequate service and, with the support of the VARIBOX team, technical solutions, alternatives and quick responses adapted to the specific requirements of each customer.
Christophe: Miguel Angel, again thank you very much for the time you have dedicated to me today. To conclude, I think I am right in saying that Brenntag Química and VARIBOX is a clear example of collaboration and a very healthy relationship between customer and supplier, with a common goal, to provide the distribution of chemical products with increasingly safe and sustainable solutions.
VARIBOX SC 1000L
The VARIBOX SC is a rotomolded IBC with a lifetime of up to 10 years. Only the inner container needs to be replaced for up to 5 years. The truly reusable VARIBOX SC is the only IBC from VARIBOX which is available with coding colors and logos to match your company profile. The perfect way to differentiate your containers from your competition.
VARIBOX
Connect
Every VARIBOX SC can be equipped with VARIBOX Connect. This gives you as a supplier of chemicals the opportunity to maximize the efficiency of your VARIBOX fleet.
VARIBOX
Valve
Every VARIBOX SC can be equipped with a DN50-PN10 heavy-duty valve for safe transport and storage. The valve is available in many different inner threads or Camlock versions to meet your requirements.