Warehouse bins take different forms, from hopper-front plastic containers to open-faced cardboard boxes. All warehouse bins organize inventory, safeguard products, economize warehouse space, and optimize process efficiency. How well bins perform these functions directly impacts operational performance, customer service, and overall profitability.

The ideal bin for any warehouse system should:

1. Support efficient picking by holding enough products so they don’t fall out and can be grabbed without restriction or rough edges that cut hands. Bins also need to be easy to identify and scan.
2. Optimize cube in warehouses where real estate costs are significant. Industrial real estate prices and rents rise yearly—just last year, they rose 2% and 7.5% respectively, according to CommercialEdge. Every square inch of shelf or floor space in a warehouse must be used wisely. Purchasing bins that don’t meet the size, shape, and feature set requirements will waste resources.
3. Protect and organize inventory so it’s ready for sale or use when needed. Chaotic, disorganized warehouses and storage areas using an assortment of boxes serving as bins impede business by putting inventory at risk of being lost or damaged.
4. Adapt quickly to changing needs. Given today’s fluctuating and fast-paced business environment with shifting peak periods and product lines, warehouse bins and storage systems must be moveable, configurable, and flexible.
5. Work within a limited budget. With today’s wide volume swings, rapid changes, and profitability pressures, agile, low-cost bin solutions that can respond quickly to surging growth without significant capital investments are essential.
6. Implement easily. Warehouse bins and warehouse bin systems need to be easy to order, install, and use to respond rapidly to surging demand, the addition of product lines, or the expansion of facilities.

The primary materials used to make warehouse bins are plastic, corrugated cardboard, and wire mesh. Cardboard and plastic options are the most prevalent, with plastic designs split between molded and corrugated plastic designs.

The decision to go with cardboard is usually based on cost or convenience. Many companies convert the cardboard cartons that inventory arrives in into makeshift warehouse bins.

Premade corrugated cardboard warehouse bins are also available in various sizes. They aren’t free but are substantially cheaper than plastic or wire.

Corrugated cardboard storage bins also have the added advantages of shipping flat at a lower cost, storing flat when not in use, and being easy to recycle when they’ve reached the end of their product lifespan.

Corrugated cardboard breaks down over time, primarily from moisture exposure. As it degrades, cardboard sheds sulfur dust, ruining inventory and affecting warehouse air quality.

If that doesn’t raise enough alarm, durability is another issue. As Flexcon’s President, Ken Beckerman, pointed out in a recent interview, when compared to cardboard, “corrugated plastic warehouse bins last up to ten times longer.”

Despite cardboard’s ubiquity, durability concerns are just the beginning. There are a host of reasons why cash-conscious and rapidly growing companies should look beyond the surface-level savings and convenience cardboard can offer and seriously consider the advantages of using plastic bins.

Most non-cardboard warehouse bins on the market today are made of molded plastic. Molded plastic warehouse bins offer distinct advantages. Their durability is uncontested, and designs have been fine-tuned over decades. They are also readily available in a wide range of standard sizes.

Nevertheless, plastic bins do have some drawbacks. For one, plastic bins are more expensive than cardboard and usually incur higher shipping costs. Many models that allow stacking are inefficient to store when not in use because they aren’t designed to nest and don’t collapse. And those designed to nest for easy storage when not in use don’t stack, which limits companies’ ability to maximize their vertical space.

Corrugated plastic, by contrast, offers the best of both worlds: it combines the durability of plastic with the agility of cardboard in terms of storage, delivery, and implementation.

The outstanding performance properties and flexibility of corrugated plastic containers are well established. Flexcon pioneered the application of corrugated plastic in warehouse bins over 40 years ago and has seen its popularity increase significantly in recent years.

Flexcon Sales Specialist Michael Hagood-Henry explains, “I attribute it to a continued shift to have products and businesses online and to have an e-commerce style business. People need a popup distribution center, people starting businesses—these people need a way to store inventory.”

1. Exceptional durability enables corrugated plastic warehouse bins to last up to 10X longer than cardboard.
2. Ability to safely and efficiently stack corrugated plastic warehouse bins to maximize cube on racks, shelves, pallets, and warehouse floors.
3. Significantly less expensive than custom-molded plastic warehouse bins.
4. Quick to produce with a four-week lead time typical for Flexcon customers. That makes corrugated plastic warehouse bins an agile solution for rapidly expanding companies.
5. Easily sized to precise dimensions to fit products and maximize space and efficiency throughout any warehouse.
6. Customizable for specific systems like AS/RS and requirements like ESD protection or local fire-safety code compliance.
7. Stores and ships efficiently and flat – just like corrugated cardboard.
8. Corrugated Plastic Warehouse Bins Come in Innovative Shapes

E-commerce companies experiencing rapid growth or those needing to expand and organize bin storage will find corrugated plastic warehouse bins a fast, effective, and affordable solution.

Apparel shippers who stock many items in multiple sizes and colors find agile solutions for creating cube-maximizing bin stacks, expanding storage quickly, and using bin dividers to organize scores of SKUs.

Third-party logistics (3PL) providers find corrugated plastic warehouse bins to be an agile solution for establishing new pick lines, organizing new product lines, and responding quickly to massive volume fluctuations of e-commerce customers.

Health and beauty e-retailers are an ideal fit for corrugated plastic warehouse bins, which can be quickly installed as bin systems that safely separate often fragile and expensive products through divider systems.

Online sellers of electronic products that require protection from electrostatic discharge (ESD) and cannot use cardboard bins due to the discharge of sulfur dust can benefit from warehouse bins made of corrugated plastic, which is specially formulated to be ESD-safe.

Start-ups who need a warehouse bin system that organizes inventory without expensive racking, shelving, and molded bins can combine corrugated plastic warehouse bins on pallets to create mobile shelving units.

Pop-up fulfillment centers that require standardized warehouse bin systems that can be shipped flat and implemented quickly will benefit from corrugated plastic warehouse bins as they are an efficient and replicable solution.

Corrugated plastic warehouse bins are incredibly adaptable. They can be custom-made to match any dimensions, and modern cut-and-fold fabrication methods allow for rapid and cost-effective design.

Creating tools for fabricating corrugated plastic warehouse bins is far less time-consuming and less expensive than creating molds for molded plastic warehouse bins.

Many manufacturers keep a ready supply of standard-sized corrugated plastic warehouse bins on hand for customers who value speed over customizability. After over thirty years of producing corrugated plastic warehouse bins, Flexcon currently offers over 60 standard models. Among these models are advanced designs that include multi-pick bot totes and bins made for use in AS/RS systems.

The exceptional adaptability of corrugated plastic warehouse bins comes from variations in the plastic composition, features of corrugated plastic materials, and design innovations that manufacturers like Flexcon have fine-tuned over decades.

1. Custom sizes to maximize shelf or floor space and fit products perfectly.
2. Tailored shapes include raising or lowering the hopper front or side walls for efficient picking, depending on the product.
3. Tabs and ties can transform corrugated plastic warehouse bins into a modular, mobile alternative to shelves or racks.
4. Fire safety customizations include fire-retardant plastic formulas and drain hole designs that can help contain warehouse fires.
5. Gauge of corrugated plastic can be thickened when customers plan to use it to store heavier products.
6. Reinforced bottom plates of composite wood can create heavy-duty bins.
7. Dividers can be added to turn one bin into many.
8. Wide range of color options for identifying picking zones, separating customers at 3PLs, or branding work areas.
9. ESD-safe through a unique composition of plastic that dissipates harmful static electricity.
10. Placards and label holders with UPCs and identifications enhance inventory recognition and picking efficiency.

Corrugated plastic warehouse bins can quickly and cost-effectively transform dirty, disheveled warehouses into clean, well-organized environments. However, even corrugated plastic can’t do everything. Consider your options for addressing the following scenarios.

Corrugated plastic warehouse bins may not have the required tensile strength for extremely heavy products like automotive components. However, requesting manufacturing bins with reinforced bottoms or opting for a heavier gauge of corrugated plastic may be sufficient.

Some corrosive substances can weaken corrugated plastic. An alternate material like metal or wood is recommended for storing potentially corrosive products.

For really large products, significant reinforcement customizations may be required. Work closely with your manufacturer to find an ideal solution.

Inventory stacked higher than 5 feet will challenge the stability of any warehouse bin storage system. Corrugated plastic warehouse bins can be reinforced with tabs and ties, which provide safety advantages over cardboard. Some heights may be too extreme for either solution.

• Not too much and not too little on quantity. The Flexcon team recommends ordering 10% over your forecasted need.
• Take care of your tools. When quality providers like Flexcon keep your tools on hand and in good order, reordering custom corrugated plastic bins can be completed in as little as four weeks. Working with a supplier overseas could be riskier.
• Minimize the number of sizes you order. Taking this step makes reordering easier and saves you money. It also aids in planning space. Use dividers to adjust the space within bins to fit products perfectly.
• Open up to your partner. When working with any supply partner, including quality manufacturers like Flexcon, the more you share about your operations and forecasted needs, the better the outcome.
• Check your source. Knock-off corrugated plastic warehouse bins can fare no better than cardboard—and at a much higher cost.
• Work with sustainable suppliers. When a partner like Flexcon meets Eco Vadis requirements, you do, too.

Flexcon has been a leader and pioneer in the corrugated plastic warehouse bin space for over 35 years. The Flexcon team’s experience, combined with a comprehensive customer-focused development process, ensures customers can implement plastic warehouse bin systems that support their long-term success.

Expertise serving customers in various industries with a wide range of needs lowers the learning curve for customers seeking solutions for critical inventory management challenges.

Businesses today require dynamic inventory management solutions, especially when responding to market opportunities. Corrugated plastic warehouse bins are an ideal solution for our times—and Flexcon is the partner that can provide your company with a system that brings the best advantages in inventory management, cube maximization, and process efficiency that your investment can buy.

Talk to our team of experts about your unique challenges. We’d love to help you find the solution for success.