3 Considerations for Choosing the Best Warehouse Tote and Bin Labels

Today’s modern factories, warehouses and distribution centers rely on warehouse totes and bins to store and move items during the manufacturing and order-picking processes. These containers are typically constructed of cardboard or durable plastic.

“Barcode labels are vital to support these material handling processes” said Christina McNally, an ID Label business development manager. “Parts, products and orders can’t be accurately stored, picked, moved or shipped without them.”

To maximize your productivity and operational efficiency, here are three warehouse tote and bin labeling considerations that can help ensure you’re using the right labels for your applications.

There are numerous environmental factors that can affect the performance of warehouse tote and bin labels. These include exposure to conveyor systems, wash cycles, harsh chemicals and extreme temperatures.

1. What kind of conditions and temperatures are your containers exposed to?

There are numerous environmental factors that can affect the performance of warehouse tote and bin labels. These include exposure to things like:

• Harsh chemicals, water or detergents during wash cycles
• Cooler or freezer environments
• Ultraviolet rays and inclement weather if stored outdoors
• Dust, soot and grime
• Everyday wear and tear from conveyors, lift trucks, racking, pull carts, etc.

ID Label considers all these factors when custom engineering your labels.

“As an example, some of our constructions can withstand extreme temperatures ranging from -65° to +300° Fahrenheit,” McNally said. “We have specialized inks and rugged protective coatings to withstand ultraviolet rays and daily encounters with lift trucks and pallet strikes. We also offer a variety of adhesives for permanent or removable label applications.”

2. Does your warehouse use reusable containers?

With more organizations focused on lessening their carbon footprints and implementing eco-conscious business practices, warehouses are using more reusable warehouse containers and bins.

“These assets require proper identification for effective tracking and management,” McNally said. “A misplaced or lost container can waste an employee’s time trying to locate it and can be costly to replace.”

Tote Renew™ Helps Albertsons Track Reusable Containers

Leading grocery company Albertsons uses ID Label’s Tote Renew to track and manage its reusable totes among dozens of stores.

Tote Renew is a durable label holder that applies permanently to reusable warehouse containers. Its coated surface makes it easy to apply and remove barcode tracking labels. There’s no need for scraping off old labels or dealing with the error-prone mess of multiple labels stacked on each other.

“The Tote Renew system with removable labels is brilliant,” said Curtis Walker, an Albertsons technical analyst in North Salt Lake, Utah. “It’s so much easier for us to label and relabel our totes without destroying them or entering bad information into our inventory system.”

Tote Renew is a cost-effective way to track and manage reusable warehouse containers, eliminating the need for plastic sleeves or placards to house labels on totes and containers. With its sturdy construction, it helps extend the useful life of containers and supports interchangeable tote usage among a network of distribution centers.

3. Does your warehouse fulfill e-commerce orders?

E-commerce continues to be the ultimate driver of warehouse innovation. Because it forces companies to pick down to the piece/each level, e-commerce continues to play a major role in the way totes and bins are designed, made and used.

Multi-order pick to tote is a common solution for multiple smaller orders, which is also practical for traveling long distances in a warehouse. Multi-batch picking fills orders coming from different areas, reducing pick times by collecting multiple orders simultaneously.

“Ensuring the tracking and traceability of totes and containers in these large facilities is critical to an efficient and productive operation,” McNally said.

The ID Label Advantage

ID Label manufacturers extremely durable warehouse rack, LPN, tote and bin labels. Our materials have been tested and used in warehouse operations around the globe.

We also provide warehouse signage and turnkey nationwide installation services to provide a complete solution to our many clients who rely on us for all their warehousing needs.