So, you’ve built a better mousetrap and the orders are pouring in. Now it’s time to ship, but who would have thought that packaging would cost so much? BlackHawk Industrial has some handy tips to save you money on packaging and still have your products ready to fly out the door and arrive in one piece.

Take inventory of your packaging costs

According to our packaging professionals the first step is to make a master sheet of all your packing expenditures. This includes the cost of both your labor and materials. From this information you will be able to track your spending and see if any cost-cutting measures can be implemented.

Research the market for new packaging methods

Once you’ve taken the inventory of your costs, start looking for ways to cut costs the smart way by researching the marketplace for innovative new packing tools, material or machinery. The professionals at BlackHawk Supply picked out a few new items that could see your packaging cost go down while your return on investment (ROI) goes up. These include:

• Plastic Strapping has become stronger and safer over the years making it an excellent replacement for more costly steel strapping.

• Paper Packaging has made great strides since its old newspaper days. RanPak is currently our favorite company for paper packaging.

• Case Sealers and Tape Dispensers can cut labor costs and ensure that the packaging stays sealed.

Review the weight of your packing materials

Sounds obvious but, many times people forget that a package that weighs more increases the wear and tear on employees, vehicles, the environment and your bottom line. Add fuel into the equation, and well, you get it. It’s always important to review the weight of packing material to look for ways to decrease the overall shipping weight while keeping the integrity of the shipped product.

Bring in the Experts

When you think that you could use a hand in streamlining your packaging process, BlackHawk offers a free packaging review†. Our industry experts will visit your operation to help you find cost-saving opportunities and efficiency gains. We will then provide a written recommendation for products and solutions based on your needs.  According to Christopher Boudreau, Packaging Product Manager, “We help our clients to evaluate their job, and we find a solution.”

Learn More

Do you want to read more on how to save money on packaging? Download our guide to saving money on packaging, 5 Steps to Better Packaging.

BlackHawk offers everything you need for your packaging operations. For specific packaging product questions, contact our customer service staff at 1-800-328-6650.

†Packaging consulting services are available in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.