Be it the 7 ply, 5 ply, or 3 ply corrugated boxes, the corrugated boxes are one of the most versatile modes for packaging. Every year there has been a growth in the industry as far as corrugated boxes are concerned. With its fantastic blend of cushioning and structural strength, corrugated boxes are indispensable when it comes to packaging, bundling, or shipping.
Thus, knowing the estimated cost of the corrugated box allows brands to think ahead.
There is a wide range of corrugated boxes available in the market and their price vary depending on various parameters like as:
- The thickness of the board
- Dimensions of the box
- Type of joints
- Box compression strength
- Type of flute
- Moisture content
- Bursting strength
- Number of plies
- Weight of CFC
Further, the price gets higher when the corrugated boxes are being customized. The kind of printing and the number of colors also decide the costs. These corrugated boxes can also be laminated for additional safety.
In this blog, Mr. Gaurav Jalan, Director and Founder of India’s eminent packaging company Packman Packaging Pvt Ltd talks about 3 ways to decrease the costs on the corrugated boxes.
Simplify Your Needs
In several cases, brands may stick to the packaging solutions formed long ago. Taking a step back and looking at the actual needs of the present is an ideal way to reduce costs. As products evolve, the packaging must too.
For example, if the primary packaging comes having void fills, then the secondary or tertiary packaging might not need cushioning. Moving to a thinner and more rigid corrugated box for secondary packaging can assist reduce costs.
Further, you can also decrease the number of sizes of boxes required. So, it is a wise idea to check how much packaging is actually needed for shipping and transportation. Additional packaging not only boosts packaging costs but also increases shipping costs.
If one is using corrugated boxes for primary packaging, then printing costs is another aspect you can reduce. Corrugated boxes are used as primary packaging for products like bicycles, televisions, monitors, electrical components, and others. Check if you can lower the number of colors, or shift to economical printing technology.
For instance, in the case of consumer durables, the aesthetics of the packaging is not considered important as ease of handling. With some research, you can understand what aspects of your product packaging are important and invest more in those parts.
Enhance Dimensions
If one is using corrugated boxes as secondary packaging, then probably you can save a little by bundling differently. Maybe, you can stack the products differently, or make utilization of alternative void fill. For example, for some products, Packman Packaging’s team customized corrugated boxes to stack its products in a more space-efficient way. This meant that the products were safe from any damages that may happen.
Use Standard Structures
Custom sized boxes are more costly than standard ones. Corrugated box makers have standard sizes and styles of corrugated boxes. These boxes are generally, used by brands for packaging and fulfill the normal needs.
Corrugated boxes in these sizes. They come in single-walled and double-walled variants and have sizes varying from 3” x 3” x 3” to 40” x 48” x 36”. The availability of these sizes varies from vendor to vendor. Also, there are several styles of boxes that are available. These include self-locking, regular slotted containers, telescopic boxes, and others