Sustainable Packaging
Customer
Buyer
Supplier
Sustainability Consultant
Why are you changing your packaging?
What do you envision your package to look like?
How important is the sustainability to your packaging?
What does sustainability mean to you? Recyclability
What do you envision the lifecycle of your packaging to look like?
How would you like the package to look (logo)? Design to stand out?
Do you have a preference on materials used? Paper, recyclable plastics
Are you planning on insulated packaging
Are you planning on shipping liquids or just bulk materials?
Do you have a logistics plan in place (shipping)?
Do you have exclusive styles of packaging based on your customers?
What is your estimated volume of shipping?
Do you have budgetary constraints?
Are you planning on shipping internationally? (Customs/Declarations concerns)
What is your timing expectation?
Is it disposable? 1 time use, re-usable?
100,000 units/month
Yes - US and Canada
Yes - competitive with main shippers (ie, Uline), 5% of product cost max
Shipping new packages within the year, prototype available in one month
Yes - a logistics contractor (courier) is prepared for shipping
Standardized design, clean look
Recyclable, typically 1 time usage shipped out. Quality is maintained so that end user has ability to re-use prior to recycling
No preference, but must meet budgetary constraints with eco-friendly materials
Outdated design, looks less professional than competitors. Eco-friendly sustainable packaging is the future
Design allows for long-term usage, does not require changes/update every year (forecasting 15 years of usage of same design
Fancy, Brand recognition
Yes - 1 line of standardized logo, 1 line of premium customer
Shipping of both bulk materials as well as liquids. We will need boxes as well as liquid containers of varying volume
Yes - Potentially refridgerated shipping (low temp, no cryogenic)
What materials are available now in the quantities that the customer is requesting?
Do you foresee changes in availability or new innovating materials available?
What materials do you have that could be used for insulation?
What are the typical standards used (regulations) for material shipping?
What type of material do you specialize in?
Are there any issues sourcing materials (based on customer material requests)
What is your typical lead time to produce the materials?
What are your typical contract structures (lump sum, fixed price/unit rates, bulk discounts)?
How often do we need to place orders?
Packaging Designer
Can we use these available materials for food grade product shipping?
What's the best seller package for beverages (6 units, 12, 24)?
Yes, there are plenty of options to chose from
Initial design will take 3 months, and additional adjustments based on client's feedback might take two to three weeks
Yes, we can. We could think of reducing material in items such as handlers
There are a few standards regarding food packaging, and we will ensure the design follows the more stringent criteria
Yes, we could chose from thermal covers, insulated box liners, insulated foam containers, and also add cold packs or ice blankets if needed
Available materials include glass, cardboard, plastic containers, and ceramics.
New technologies are currently being developed and we could think on implementing them for some of the premium packaging, such as Smart Packaging (to provide info about the product quality), or nanotechnology (to improve strength or barrier properties).
Does your production line can be adjusted to implement the new packaging into the process, or would you need to buy new equipment?
Are they usually displayed on the counter for clients to take themselves, or do they need to order it in advance?
6 pack is the best seller
Mostly displayed and the customer will take them themselves. For big quantities they would have to order in advance
At least monthly
Our production line is very flexible and adjustment can be made as long as we keep the same materials we've been using (cardboard, glass, plastic). Otherwise, new equipment might be needed
What is your timing for designing the packages as detailed by Customer?
Can we reduce the amount of material in the new design?
Unit rates is the most common. Discounts will apply for over 50,000 units/month
Work orders should be placed at least 3 month in advance
Glass and plastic are the main ones
Not for regular materials (glass, cardboard or plastics); other material may require additional time
How much additional time?
1 to 3 months