Packaging optimization

Typical starting situations

A carton is twice as large as the product, a pallet is wrapped with far more film than anyone can justify, or the same article ships in five different boxes because over the years each customer got something slightly different. Sometimes the trigger is damage in transit, sometimes rising material costs, sometimes a customer’s request for less packaging. In all cases it pays to look at the whole load unit rather than at single items.

How we work

We follow our four-step approach. After the initial assessment and the material and document review, the third step, technical optimization and options, is where most of the work happens. We look at product, carton, insert, cushioning, pallet pattern, wrapping and strapping as one system. We check dimensions, weights, fill levels and the loads the packaging meets on its way, from the packing station to the customer’s goods receipt.

From this we develop options and compare them on technical and economic grounds: a better-fitting carton, a different insert, thinner but properly applied film, edge protection instead of extra layers, or a standardised pallet pattern. We say openly where a change carries a risk and how it can be tested, for example with sample runs and trial shipments.

What changes for EU customers and the PPWR

The PPWR will tighten the framework for industrial packaging step by step. From 2030 at the earliest, a maximum empty space ratio of 50 % applies to grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging, weight and volume are to be minimised, and re-use targets cover transport packaging including pallet wrapping and straps. Optimising now means you are not forced to react to all of this at once. Better packaging usually also makes handling easier, which ties in with process and logistics optimization.

Result

You get packaging solutions that you can describe, justify and, where sensible, test: clear specifications, fewer variants and a packing instruction your staff can follow. We do not promise specific savings, since they depend on your products and routes. If you want to look at a concrete packaging problem, write to us through the contact form.