By Judd Kuehne, Project Manager.
Simply put, choosing shrink wrap as your solution for secondary packaging will save you money. The savings will be realized in tangible and, equally as important, intangible returns. These saving will be seen quickly — and they will be significant.
Significant savings include:
- Reduced material costs
- A smaller amount of warehouse space needed
- Less plant maintenance
- Reductions to trucking costs
- Additional advertising space available
- Smaller environmental footprint
Measurable Savings
You will see savings across multiple areas of your business when you choose a shrink wrap solution for your product, including:
- Savings of 50% to 75% will immediately be seen in raw material costs. The difference in shrink wrap film versus fiber-based packaging cost is huge and one of the biggest incentives for companies to choose a shrink wrap packaging option.
- Reductions in storage space needs and material handling requirements for your packaging raw materials can be game-changing. Fifteen pallets of corrugated cases equate to a single pallet of shrink film. Your available warehouse space will increase dramatically and your material handling team will see a reduced workload from moving pallets of un-erected cases around your plant.
A beer company converted from 12-pack carton in-tray packaging to shrink-wrapped 24-packs in a tray. The savings in paperboard were staggering:
- 40% cost savings
- 64% reduction in secondary packaging materials usage
- 73% fewer trucks delivering packaging materials
Savings in your plant maintenance may also be realized as shrink wrap film does not come with the inherent characteristics of corrugated boxes and cartons. Shrink wrap film is not susceptible to water damage, and is not dusty nor dirty. Moreover, there are no cardboard chads with shrink wrap film, and it is not affected by humidity and temperature. Less mess and less fuss, shrink wrap film is simply a better solution over wood fiber-based packaging from the viewpoint of raw material storage.
Intangible Impact
Choosing shrink wrap as your secondary packaging solution will have a positive impact on your company and your brand. Some of the savings may not be as obvious on the balance sheet, but the impact will be there and it will be seen over time. Using a shrink wrap solution provides:
- Product visibility – shrink film brings the benefit of the customer seeing the product inside the packaging. The ever-growing online purchase trend is most often followed by customers seeing the product with their own eyes.
- Brand and logo ad space – shrink wrap film is printable and allows you to showcase your brand on the packaging. This space is previously untapped advertising space compared to cardboard cases. Shrink wrap is a very cost-effective way to make your brand stand out and shine to your customers.
- Greener environmental footprint – shrink wrap has a much smaller carbon footprint versus cardboard/paperboard. Being more environmentally sustainable is not only good for our earth, but it is also very marketable for your company.
What Products Can Be Shrink Wrapped?
Depending on your product, you can choose to use a small tray, a minimal pad, or simply go with shrink film only. Using a tray will save you over 50% of your corrugated costs. Using a pad will increase that savings and add the additional benefit of not gluing the case. Using a shrink wrap film only solution will capture the most savings. All three solutions are utilized across the manufacturing industry by companies that are interested in driving out waste.
Shrink wrap is a great packaging solution for a vast range of products. If you have any questions about the viability of using shrink wrap packaging for your product, simply contact us.
Final Insights & Thoughts
The choices for secondary packaging are diverse. From available packaging materials, equipment manufacturers, technology, etc., there are many options to choose from.
Shrink wrap has the very real potential to save you a significant amount of money quickly and repeatedly. It provides the additional benefits of saving transportation and warehouse space, as well as allowing you to showcase your brand and reduce your company’s environmental impact. Shrink wrap can be used across a wide range of product dimensions and characteristics.
Douglas is here to help you determine the best solution for your packaging needs. We have over 55 years of experience and are industry leaders of all things shrink wrap. Call or email us today to learn more!