Packaging Corner: Analyze your protective packaging costs

In just the past two years, there’s been a huge shift in the way distribution centers are both evaluating and using void fill and protective packaging as they tackle the on-going challenge of getting an increasingly complex mix of products out the door.

From large retail DCs, to third-party logistics (3PL) providers, to companies shipping discrete parts and products to other businesses, stocked product quantities and varieties are growing in numbers, shapes and sizes. That can make stocking the right protective packaging materials a challenge.

“Today, customers are much more sophisticated in how they analyze packaging costs,” says Evan Everett, general manager of Pregis Corp.’s protective packaging systems. “As recently as a couple of years ago, shippers looked for the lowest cost from a materials standpoint. Now they examine their total packaging costs, including damage, freight, warehouse utilization and the recipient’s experience when they open a package.”

For example, companies that have traditionally used kraft paper for void fill and cushioning have found that it may not be the most cost-effective solution for packing a wide variety of products.

“In many cases, paper can add unnecessary weight increasing freight costs,” Everett says. “That has prompted companies to look at using air pillows as an alternative for void fill when packaging different items. Inflatable packaging can be created in a wide range of sizes and keeps freight costs to a minimum. As a result, they may elect to use both air and paper packaging in their facility to deliver the best total cost scenario.”

Additionally, warehouses don’t want to store or handle large rolls of pre-made packing in any material. They’d prefer to use that space for other, more profitable activities.

“The packaging system has to drive efficiency by delivering the right material, on-demand,” says Everett.

To deliver multiple packaging options to a single packing station as efficiently, safely and ergonomically as possible, Pregis develops compact, automated dispensing systems custom-integrated at the workstation—bringing packaging material to the box without wasted movement.

Likewise, the equipment can be easily loaded with rolls of material weighing less than 35 pounds to reduce strain. For even greater operator safety, Everett adds, the company recently developed a bladeless cutting feature on its paper dispensers.

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