The materials that go into manufacturing cardboard and plastic packaging are expensive. Boxes were previously made from freshly cut wood pulp and newly made plastics. That is no longer a cost effective method of producing packaging. Recycling materials have become one of the best ways to cut costs while keeping quality high for customers. Using raw materials made from recycled products directly affects the cost of production.
Recycled paper has been used in many products for decades. Throwing out used paper is a waste, and only paper materials that will come in direct contact with food items are not recycled. Every industry that uses paper has found the cost of freshly made paper skyrocketing. Cutting costs of paper materials means using as much recycled paper product as possible. With green initiatives in many countries, this has become easier and more cost effective over the years.
Plastics are a high cost item for packaging manufacturers. Recycled plastic can be formed time after time into many different package types. As the price of oil goes through its usual rollercoaster ride on the world market, recycled plastic makes more and more sense. Used plastic items are a fraction of the cost of new plastic. Once plastic has been ground down, it can be fed into the hopper of a plastics molding machine just the same as if it were new plastic. Costs savings and more stable pricing are the results of recycling this useful product, especially when it comes to packaging.
The competitive marketplace of today demands that packaging manufacturers continue to look for alternative ways to manufacture their products. Cost savings are important, but they must also keep quality high to keep their customers. Advances in manufacturing such items as flutes for box interiors has already shown an across-the-board savings for the companies that use this new technology. They save in manufacturing cost and shipping while keeping quality at the same level. Plant managers today must also look into cutting labor costs by using more machinery in their process. Ultimately, this will keep their business on a profitable level.
