The Secret Life of Industrial Packaging Operations

Discover how Hoover CS is transforming industrial packaging with models to enhance sustainability and cost-efficiency in the chemical supply chain.

About this episode

We tend to talk about sustainability through a very narrow lens. It’s the straws, the water bottles, the grocery bags; the things we see and touch every day. But there’s this whole other world, a much bigger and more invisible one: the industrial supply chains that move chemicals and catalysts around the globe. That’s where an enormous amount of waste is generated, and yet it rarely enters the conversation.

 

Christopher Winkler thinks it should. He’s the Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations at Hoover Circular Solutions, and he’s trying to reimagine how industrial packaging works—how it could be both more sustainable and more cost-effective. We talked on the Green New Perspective podcast about what it would take to change an entire industry, why it’s been so slow to move, and what a different future might look like.
 

Interview with Christopher Winkler

Dunya Jovanovic: For our listeners who may not know you or Hoover Circular Solutions, could you start with a brief introduction?
Christopher Winkler: I’m Chris Winkler, Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations at Hoover Circular Solutions. At our core, we’re a rental and packaging company for industrial supply chains, primarily serving chemicals and catalyst materials. We focus on providing reusable packaging, both stainless steel and poly containers, alongside value-added services. The goal is twofold: help customers reduce plastic waste and improve their overall cost efficiency in packaging and operations.

DJ: When most people think about sustainability, they imagine grocery bags and water bottles, not the massive plastic tanks used in heavy industry. Why are these containers such a problem?
CW: A huge portion of the industry still relies on what’s called one-way intermediate bulk containers, IBCs, that are often single-use. After they’re emptied, they’re typically cleaned and either disposed of or destroyed. It’s a hidden but significant contributor to plastic waste. To give you an idea: one discarded chemical IBC is equivalent to about 5,000 plastic bags or more than 1,700 water bottles. It’s just not as visible to the average person. But when you move upstream into chemical supply chains—moving raw materials and finished products before they even reach end users—the scale of waste becomes enormous. What we’re doing is pushing reusable containers that can be cycled through multiple uses, dramatically reducing overall plastic consumption and lowering CO2 emissions.

DJ: Why do you think industrial packaging waste has been largely left out of sustainability conversations?
CW: It’s largely a visibility issue. The public focuses on consumer packaging because it’s tangible, something you hold in your hand. Industrial packaging sits far upstream, so it doesn’t get the same attention. Most headlines revolve around straws, plastic bottles, cups, and bags. Meanwhile, entire fleets of massive containers are being disposed of quietly. It’s a blind spot, but one with tremendous potential for impact if we get it right.

DJ: So, how has the industry reacted to your push for reusable solutions?
CW: It’s mixed. Reusable containers have always existed, but traditionally, they’re only used when safety regulations or chemical requirements force the issue, for example, flammable materials that must be stored in stainless steel for safety. The biggest hurdle in wider adoption is what we call the “return leg.” You can ship a container out just like a one-way model, but you now need to bring it back, clean it, and put it back into circulation. That adds cost and operational complexity.

So we had to tackle two challenges simultaneously:

  1. Proving the environmental benefits of reuse.
  2. Showing that it can reduce overall packaging costs.

Without both, you won’t get adoption.

DJ: Do customers assume sustainable solutions will automatically cost more?
CW: Yes, that’s often the first reaction. There’s this deeply ingrained belief that sustainability equals higher cost. But we conducted a full life cycle analysis comparing our reusable containers to single-use ones. We factored in logistics, freight, the economics of renting versus buying, and even calculated the cost per kilogram or gallon of packaged chemical. The result? A clear ROI—an overall reduced cost per packaged unit and a lower environmental footprint. That said, reception varies. European-based chemical companies operating in the U.S. tend to prioritize sustainability more. U.S.-based companies still put cost first. So we start by clearing the cost hurdle before moving to the sustainability conversation.

DJ: Hoover shifted from oil and gas into sustainable, reusable packaging. What drove that transformation?
CW: The shift started in 2021, before I joined. Hoover divested from its offshore oil and gas packaging business as well as its manufacturing arm, which used to produce IBCs. The company decided to focus entirely on rental services and circular solutions for packaging. I think it was a great move. It opened up a much broader customer base, beyond oil and gas, to chemical manufacturing, distribution, and even food and beverage. That diversification has not only strengthened the business but also deepened our understanding of sustainability needs across industries.

DJ: You oversee both sales and operations. What’s it been like leading that dual transformation?
CW: It’s exciting and challenging. My background is in oil and gas specialty chemicals, where I saw firsthand how companies struggle to manage fleets of reusable tanks. They’re inefficient, they lose track of assets, and they end up with “lost” tanks sitting in yards or warehouses, out of circulation. We saw an opportunity to differentiate by creating a fleet management program—optimizing fleet sizes, improving routing, reducing misplaced units, and delivering real cost savings. That’s where we’ve been able to stand out.

DJ: Walk us through a typical reusable container’s lifecycle. How does it work in practice?
CW: A stainless steel container has an average life of 25 to 30 years. After production, it’s certified to UN or DOT standards every two and a half to five years.

Here’s the cycle:

  • The container is delivered to a chemical manufacturer or distributor.
  • They fill it and ship it to their customer.
    When the customer empties it, either their drivers or freight partners pick it up during the next delivery and return it to the distribution point.

Sometimes it goes to a wash center, either one of ours or a third-party partner, if it needs to be reconditioned for another product. Then it goes back into circulation. When planning fleet sizes, customers look at their chemical volumes, product types, and customer base to determine how many containers they need in rotation to keep their supply chain flowing smoothly.

DJ: Managing such large fleets must be complex. What keeps it all running?
CW: It’s a combination of tech, logistics, and partnerships. We operate service centers for maintenance and washing. Safety is paramount because we’re handling chemicals, high-temperature water, and pressure. Last year, we hit “goal zero”—zero incidents across all sites. Then there’s tracking and optimization. Manufacturers need clean, certified, ready-to-use containers exactly when they have an order. Many of them aren’t focused on packaging—it’s a necessary evil, not their core business. That’s where our fleet management solution, Fleet AI, comes in. It aggregates data—location, certification dates, wash specs, service history—and feeds it into dashboards and reports. We even provide actionable intelligence, like notifying customers when tanks have been sitting too long at a site or when they’re likely empty and ready for pickup.

DJ: Fleet AI sounds critical. Can you explain it more?
CW: Think of Fleet AI as a platform that tracks, manages, and optimizes container fleets. It aggregates all the relevant data, from telemetry (like tank levels) to certification history. Then it integrates with customers’ ERP or planning systems so they always know what’s ready, what needs pickup, and where their assets are. In the past, companies would manage all this on spreadsheets—or not manage it at all. Tracking longitude and latitude isn’t enough. You need to know how long a tank has been there, what’s in it, and whether it’s ready to re-enter circulation.

DJ: Speaking of transparency, there’s a lot of greenwashing out there. How does Hoover stay credible?
CW: We’ve taken concrete steps. In 2021, we secured an environmentally backed loan, which came with criteria we had to meet, like installing water recycling systems at our service centers. We also shifted to using our reusable containers for the chemicals and solvents we consume internally. We publish an annual sustainability report tracking our metrics. We’re EcoVadis Silver certified and members of the UN Global Compact. And importantly, we don’t just talk about circularity for our customers—we’ve implemented it in our operations.

DJ: There’s still a perception that sustainability is more expensive. Is that changing?
CW: It is. Sustainability can and should align with cost savings. Our customers increasingly expect both. If you can provide a solution that’s cheaper and more sustainable, you have a true differentiator.

DJ: What excites you most about the future, both for Hoover and the industry?
CW: Right now, only about 5 percent of industrial packaging is reusable. That’s a tiny fraction. So there’s a massive opportunity to convert more chemicals and products to reusable models. I’m particularly excited about our fleet management offering. It makes reusable packaging more viable by reducing the barriers to adoption, lowering costs, simplifying logistics, and giving companies confidence that they can manage it efficiently. As regulations evolve, especially in Europe, we’re going to see even more demand for circular, sustainable solutions.

DJ: Why has adoption been so low, just 5 percent, if the interest in sustainability is growing?
CW: Historically, regulations didn’t require it. Companies only used stainless steel when they had to for safety reasons. Plus, reusable models were seen as costlier than single-use plastics. But now, with better technology, smarter logistics, and the ability to prove ROI, we can remove those barriers. And when you remove the barriers, conversion becomes much more realistic.

DJ: Finally, for leaders in industrial sectors who want to be more sustainable but don’t know where to start, what advice would you give?
CW: Look at what your peers are doing. Join industry associations, not just for chemicals or distribution, but also for sustainability initiatives. Engage with regulators, lobbyists, and even government agencies to understand where policy is heading. We did that ourselves, connecting with the EPA and Department of Energy to see which initiatives would shape the future. And most importantly, talk to your customers. Find out what their sustainability priorities are, and align your efforts with theirs.

 

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