Blogs on Packaging products – Packwith

Blogs on Packaging products

by Ranjani Venkataraman on March 25, 2022

Role of Packaging in marketing – an analysis

Packaging has become a selling proposition in the recent years which influences impulsive buying thereby reducing promotion costs for businesses. So Firms now take utmost care of packaging as it increases their market share. Packaging is an art in itself where a product is enclosed in a container, then stored and sold to a consumer. Packaging works as the silent salesman as from the design, color, the container and material chosen, information about the product transmitted in description influences a buyer. Packaging plays an important role as it is the link between the manufacturer and the end consumer.

#Visual appeal

A study done on the relationship between packaging elements and purchasing behavior of buyers shows that there is a close relation between the image of a product and its sales. Customers are to more likely to buy a product that is visually more appealing. Graphics help in a great way to show the individuality of a product and bring about its uniqueness. The type of packaging material like an aluminium foil or any different packaging material makes the customer curious about the product and tries the actual product.

Colors of a Product packaging have a high chance to elicit purchase behavior in a customer. Colors bring a point of difference to a brand that is unique so other players can’t copy it. Consumers have color memory that they associate a certain color with a brand. A product designed uniquely with innovative packaging shapes persuades the customer to buy it. Shape of the packaging says about the ease of use of the product and how it can be carried.

#Product size

Large packaging sizes increases the frequency of buying as a larger packaging implies better quality. Also a different product size makes it enter new markets as customers keep changing with markets. A small family gets attracted to a smaller packaging as a bigger packaging means wastage of products for them.

#Packaging Material

Packaging material should be chosen according to the product functionalities and Consumer needs. Consumers prefer a packaging that is light in weight, easy to carry and ideal for storage in the long term. Packaging material also influences the way a Consumer perceives the quality of a product.

To conclude, Packaging gives the manufacturer the last opportunity to impress upon his Consumer to buy it as a way of promotion. It also is a critical element in brand identity and differentiation from Competitors.

For best in quality packaging products in UK, shop online at Packwith.

 

Packaging waste and its management in UK

Packaging is something that is used to contain, protect, handle, and deliver manufactured goods or raw materials. Packaging products like carton boxes, containers, pallets, bags, sacks, labels, tapes used for wrapping and bundling are all the most commonly used items for packing goods.  They are made of materials like paper, plastic, fiberboard, glass, steel, cardboard, wood, Aluminium and other materials such as jute and ceramics.

Approximately 10 million tons of packaging waste is disposed every year in UK. Most of the packaging waste ends up in oceans or as landfills. In UK, 70% of packaging waste is recycled or reused. Paper and cardboard dominate in the category but they are recycled to almost 79%, followed by 71.1% of metals and 67.6% of glass. Packaging regulations are created to minimize the amount of waste generated and to reuse or recycle it. These regulations are enforced by the Department for the economy. Here we will discuss how working on packaging design and material can help in sustainable environment.

#Packaging design and material

Packaging of a product must be minimum in volume and weight so the wastage doesn’t mound up in the environment. Packaging is basically done to safe guard the product during shipping and also appealing to the customer. For safe packaging, manufacturers must ensure it is free of hazardous materials and heavy metals. Also they must ensure the packaging material can be reused or recycled.

Though many companies have shifted to sustainable packaging in the recent years replacing packaging materials that are biodegradable, still single use packaging has not been completely done off with. Reuse of materials will reduce the waste accumulated and help to optimize resources.

#Ways to reduce packaging waste

Simple changes in the routine can cut down on the waste generated. Listed are a few steps:

  • Buying goods in bulk for your business or personal needs can reduce packaging waste.
  • Prefer using recycled office supplies that uses biodegradable packaging.
  • Disposable plastic cups and food packaging can be done away with cutlery in offices and business meetings wherever possible.
  • Packaging filling can be done with old paper.
  • Cardboard boxes, wooden pallets and jiffy bags can be reused for packaging.
  • Use recycled plastic or biodegradable material for packaging.

 An efficient waste management system can be implemented by manufacturers so they can benefit hugely from the perks of recycling packaging waste and in safeguarding mother earth.

 

Packaging industry in the UK- An Outlook

As per the reports of Packaging Federation of United Kingdom, the packaging manufacturing industry has an annual sale of over £ 11 billion. The industry employs close to 3% of the UK’s manufacturing workforce which is 85,000 people. With the spike in manufacturing sectors, the demand for packaging has also increased in UK. The packaging market in UK is expected to have a CAGR of 3% over the period 2021-2026.

 

Major users of packaging services are food & beverage Industry, health care industry, cosmetics industry and Personal care & household care industry. Packaging industry relies primarily on three types of packaging materials, namely paper, plastic and glass.

#Plastic packaging

Almost 53% of all goods manufactured in UK use plastic packaging as per green clean guide. This shows the importance of plastic in packaging industry. Light in weight, durable, low cost and flexible storage makes it the most sought after material for packing. It is widely used by the healthcare industry. According to UK parliament plastic waste report 2018, 2 million metric ton of plastic packaging was used every year.

Now, considering the effect of plastic on health and environment, the UK government has imposed the plastic packaging tax that will be payable by manufacturers and importers of plastic packaging that contains less than 30% of recycled plastic. This will eventually lead to more recycling of the material and reduce the amount of plastic waste landfills.

#Paper packaging

 

The Pandemic has triggered online sales which have made home delivery of goods the norm, it has also directly boosted the packaging industry. With the increase in demand for recycled and sustainable packaging solutions on the rise, paper is a viable option. In 2019, 4.9 million metric tons of paper and card packaging was used in the UK market. It is used mainly by healthcare, personal care, home care and retail industries. With plastic packaging tax imposed, companies will try to switch to cheaper and environment friendly paper packaging in the future.

#Glass packaging

Food and beverages, alcohol and pharmaceutical industries rely on glass bottle packaging for their products. Concerns over plastic usage and the waste generated by it, has pushed Companies to glass packaging. The UK glass packaging market is expected to have a CAGR of 3.8% during 2021-2026. With rise in disposable income of people, customers tend to buy a product that has effective and aesthetic packaging design, where glass packing comes into play. Since it is recyclable, Companies prefer to use them more.

Packwith, based in Bolton is a wholesale supplier of Packaging products and Office supplies. Write to us at info@packwith.co.uk  for your packaging needs and we are happy to help.

 

How to minimize packaging cost in shipping?

Due to an increase in manufacturing activities in the UK, the demand for packaging and labeling has also seen a significant rise. The drastic growth of e-commerce sales post pandemic, food and beverages industries looking for reusable and recycled packing materials and the increase in demand for personalized products have fueled the growth of packaging industry.

 

Packing is a multi-faceted system that begins with the manufacturer and ends with the consumer. It ensures products are packed and delivered safely without any breakage or spoilage. Also, it plays in the promotion of products for any company. To make the cost of packing minimum, not compromising on the product safety is an important issue for manufacturers and business owners. Let us discuss the key points in minimizing the packing cost.

#Packing material

Depending on the product you manufacture, choose the material that rightly works for it. One can go for materials like paper, plastic, cardboard, metal or glass. Select the material that suits your product best. For cosmetics and beauty related products, the aesthetic feel of packing attracts the consumers. For food & beverages, plastics and glass packaging is preferred. For regular use products paper or cardboard packaging is used. Do not over spend on using a costly material unless it serves the purpose of packaging.

#Product design

It is better to research and spend time on the product design and size. A product well designed and compact in size saves a lot of money that recurs in packaging.

#custom packaging

Work on making a customized packaging for your product than buying standard packaging boxes. Though standard packaging boxes are easily available in the market, a customized packaging saves space and cost. And when manufactured in a massive scale, the cost also can be optimized.

#Cut down inserts

With the digital boom, printed pamphlets, product catalogs or related booklets can be cut down and can be uploaded digitally with the product order. This saves a considerable weight and cost.

#minimalist packaging

With the huge amount of waste that gets generated with packaging, minimalist packaging should be the norm. Try to cut down on the extra fillers and the number of layers that goes into packing. This way, we can make a small contribution to the environment and save our pockets as well.

The amount of time and money spent on making a product should be equalized with its packaging so it stays beneficial for the manufacturer and the consumer. For packaging products at best prices in UK, contact us at Packwith.

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