Packaging Materials & Their Impact on Costs

Materials play a pivotal role in determining overall packaging expenses, as they directly affect both the production costs and the long-term sustainability of packaging solutions. The cost of raw materials can vary significantly depending on their type and quality, and different materials require specific processing methods that may be more (or less) expensive than others.

Here are some of the key material packaging strategy for reducing cost of the packaging.

Reduce packaging materials by reducing thickness: Thickness of your film can directly corollate to direct costs and indirect costs like transportation costs because thicker material is heavier. A bit of time and money spent doing R&D on what the minimum thickness you need is, can save you thousands of dollars over time. Have you researched if a 3mil film can work in your application as well as 4 mil film? Luckily with CarePac's prototyping services you can test out actual bags before major orders.

Change lamination structure: Sometimes the solution is not to reduce thickness, but to change the lamination structure. Incorporating a variation in the material used can reduce costs without sacrificing performance. A common source is by adding or removing coatings, like EVOH, PVDC, and more.

Proven Strategies to Reduce Packaging Cost

If you're concerned about high packaging costs, there are several things you can do to improve your packaging operations. In this section, we'll discuss ways to reduce packaging costs and shipping expenses with better product packaging solutions.

Optimize Packaging Specifications

Your product packaging should be perfectly sized for the product it's intended to contain. You shouldn't be wasting money on high material costs by using more packaging than you really need. At the same time, though, you shouldn't be having to throw away perfectly good corrugated cardboard boxes or bubble wrap because it's too small for your product. A custom-fit, right-sized package helps you save money on shipping costs, too. 

The benefits of optimizing packaging specifications trickles down to your customers, too. They'll appreciate packaging that fits the product well, and won't have to deal with the frustration of poor packaging materials that impact the quality and functionality of their product.

Streamline Production and Supply Chain Management

If you're looking to reduce packaging cost, collaborating with collaborators is a critical strategy. It can help you reduce lead times, lower costs, and can ultimately lead to improved customer satisfaction. Work with your partners to forecast your company's needs and produce packaging materials in advance. Improving your communication can help prevent out-of-stock items, rush orders, or last minute production needs that can cause the cost of packaging to skyrocket. 

At the end of the day, streamlining production and supply chain management can help businesses just like yours secure better pricing, make lead times more favorable, and can help reduce the risks of delays or fluctuations in price.

Leverage Cost-Effective Printing Solutions

When trying to reduce packaging costs, businesses must weigh the pros and cons of digital printing and plate printing. Both methods have their unique advantages and disadvantages, especially when it comes to the per-unit-cost of your heavy, mid, and lightweight packaging.

Digital Printing

Digital printing uses digital files to print onto a variety of materials, including eco-friendly and sustainable materials. It has lower setup costs, more flexibility and customization, a faster turnaround, and typically has low MOQs. It does have some disadvantages, though, namely it has a higher per-unit cost for large quantities, has limited material options, and a lower print quality. It's best for short runs or projects where quick turnarounds and customization is important.

Reduce Shipping Costs Through Optimized Packaging Design

We don't have to tell you that using proper packaging like lightweight packaging costs less than big and bulky packaging. Lighter packaging reduces the weight of your shipments, allowing you to reduce shipping costs throughout your packaging supply chain. Compact packaging also reduces the amount of money you need to spend on warehouse space, which is one cost saving measure that's often overlooked. Finally, optimized packaging operations means spending less money on filler materials, helping you make sustainable packaging and shipping processes the core of your focus.

Warehouse Efficiency for High-MOQ Inventory

One of the best ways to reduce packaging costs is to look at your warehouse space and related labor costs. Stacking inventory strategically is one packaging strategy that can help you reduce costs and enhance your shipping operations. Utilizing proper storage systems, like shelving units or customized racks, can help keep your inventory (i.e., plastic packaging, eco friendly packaging, and stuffing materials) organized and always within reach. 

Regularly rotating your stock and investing in automated packaging lines can reduce costs across the board. The time you spend improving your warehouse efficiency can result in other improvements, including improving your shipping efficiency, and reducing your transportation costs.

Quality Control and Assurance

Quality is a top priority throughout every phase of the converting process and our dedicated quality control team inspects the materials, processes, and final products to ensure everything is defect-free.

Packaging and Delivery

We ensure that the final products are packaged securely and according to your specific requirements and coordinate the timely and efficient delivery to ensure that your products arrive on schedule and in perfect condition.