Our customers come to us for help with reducing their cardboard packaging costs. It’s not always about the unit cost of a box, as savings can be made by looking at a number of other factors.
Is your packaging the best fit?
It’s worth looking at the existing pallet layout of your packaging. Is there an alternative configuration that would fit the pallet better? If we can fill the pallet better, we can reduce your logistics costs. It might look like a maths exam question but improving layouts and configurations within boxes can make a real difference. For example, if you currently have 6 packs in a box using a 3 x 2 layout, it might fit better on a pallet or fill a pallet better if it becomes 2 x 4. The smallest tweaks can make a real difference to the number of packs on a pallet.
The example shown above illustrates how this change (on a product sized 75 x 75 x 100mm) can increase the number of individual units per pallet by + 2.5% but the big saving is in the labour costs as it reduces the number of boxes your team need to pack by 30%.
Things also change over time. That box you’ve been using for years might have been set up to suit a particular product. Over time you might have since changed supplier and that case that was a snug fit may now be too big. We can resize it to suit and reduce the box cost accordingly.
What’s right for my boxes – kraft or test?
Consider switching from kraft (virgin trees) to test (recycled) papers for both environmental and commercial reasons. Europe is a major producer of recycled papers and paper manufacturing technology has moved on in recent years, so the performance of recycled papers is very similar to kraft papers.
Are you using the optimum board grade for your cardboard packaging?
The best way to review whether you are using the optimum board grades is for our team to spend some time on your site. We’ll ask questions like what’s going in the box, how much does it weigh when packed, what’s the onward supply chain. We can then look at optimising the best board grade to suit your application.
Can I get a better box for less?
Innovative designs to minimise the amount of material used mean that a die-cut design could use less board than your current solution. Even though die-cutting is a more expensive process, you could use a third less materials so there is a tipping point where it’s worth making the switch. You can then benefit from all the advantages that come with a die-cut box, exact fit, environmentally friendly, easy assembly.
How else can I take packaging costs out?
Are you applying labels to your cases showing consistent information? For example, if you’re apply fragile labels to a plain case, we could print the fragile warning notice directly on your boxes to remove the cost of the labels and the labour costs associated with the application.
How can I reduce the amount of void fill I use?
If every order you send out is different, it can be tricky to find the perfect case size. If we can work together to arrive at the best-case size to suit 80% of your despatches, this should be the most efficient way of packing for you. A right sized box is always going to reduce the amount of void fill you require. Our team of designers can meet with you on site to review what your packing team are doing and make recommendations based on their observations.
Another option might be to add a multi-depth crease to your box. If you’re regularly packing out the height of your boxes with void fill, we could add a multi-depth crease to your boxes at no extra cost. this will help your team cut them down neatly and quickly and avoid the need for as much void fill.
Just contact us to have a chat about reducing your packaging costs.