Manufacturers need to choose the right packaging to make the difference between higher profits, increased efficiency, and stagnant growth and continued loss. Using the right bag can reduce packaging, shipping, and other costs; provide more efficient storage and handling; and produce better presentation for retail and industrial sales.


Companies must be aware that they have options, and that the bags they have been using 'forever' may not be their best solution," said Fred Donisi, vice president of operations at Percy Kent Bag, Inc., a manufacturer of multi-wall shipping bags and consumer packaging. "Over-packaging or using the wrong type of bag altogether can cost companies a fortune in extra packaging and shipping costs."

To help manufacturers make correct, informed decisions about their packaging options, Donisi offers the following 10 tips for choosing a bag that will reduce shipping, handling, and packaging costs over the long-term.

1. Be Open to Change Keeping an open mind to change is the most important factor when selecting the right bag for your application. Often, manufacturers package their products in inefficient, overpriced bags simply because that is the way they have always done it.

"Manufacturers need to look for bags with an open mind towards new and different solutions," Donisi said. "We show people solutions that can cut shipping, packaging, and palletizing costs, and customers regularly say, 'Nobody's told me that before'. It is important, for your business' sake, to ask."

2. Know Your Product Some products have special needs for packaging and require bags built to accommodate them. If the product is hydroscopic, meaning it will attract moisture, it will require special protective film barriers. All of these details require different bag options for the most appropriate packaging.

3. Presentation and Ergonomics Commercial packaging has to be presented effectively and must be easy to handle. The bag must be designed so that it is effectively displayed from its point of purchase positioning. The bag manufacturer must be helpful to the customer in this important area. For example, in retail applications, using a wider gusset on a bag will allow the bottom panel to 'square out' like a billboard when laid on a shelf. Customers will be more likely to read product information, and therefore choose your product, if the bag is easy for them to read. Further, the bag must be able to be handled with relative ease. A 40-lb bag may be a better alternative to what was formerly a 50-lb package.

4. Don't Over-Package Many manufacturers today over-package their products in bags using more plys than the application requires. As a result, manufacturers suffer from higher costs for bags, bulkier packaging and, in the end, higher shipping costs. By selecting bags that are properly sized and built for the application, these costs can be controlled. Sometimes bag companies use additional plys in bags, even though adding plys does not always make a better bag. Donisi related a case where Percy Kent switched a large manufacturer from a four-ply to a three-ply bag to cut costs, although another supplier fought the change.

"We cut the manufacturer's cost by dropping a fourth ply they really didn't need, even though another supplier wouldn't make them a three-ply bag," Donisi said. "We made them a three ply bag that worked. It saved them money and now the three-ply bag is their standard."

5. Size Does Matter Determining bag size depends entirely on the desired weight the customer wants in the package and the bulk density of that product. For example, if you want a 50-lb bag and you know the product is 20-lb per cu ft, then you will need 2.5-cu-ft of space. In industrial settings, a bag that weighs 100 lb is often too large for average workers to handle. As a result, many manufacturers have switched to 50-lb bags. The bag must be sized down on a scale, but because of differing bulk densities, it is not a 1-to-1 ratio. A bag that is too small might burst, while a bag that is too big can cause product movement, difficult handling, and wasted money for excessive packaging.

6. Know Your Bag Options There are a variety of bag styles to choose from, some of which are appropriate for a product and others that may simply be overkill for the application.

"We can take some seeds and put them in a simple 'open-mouth' bag, but I wouldn't spend the money to get a 'pinch' bag," Donisi said. "A pinch bag is a sift-proof, tightly sealed package, suitable for food grade, hydroscopic, powdery or high-cost products. Why does the more hazardous and higher-cost products end up in the more efficient packaging, where nothing gets in or out? Because it is worth the cost."

7. Maximize Shipping Capabilities Here are two examples of how manufacturers can alter their shipping practices to maximize their capabilities and save money. First, a manufacturer can alter the shipping configuration of the packaged product. One manufacturer that was shipping 1,500 bags per pallet and 40 pallets on a truck (totaling 60,000 bags per truck), altered its shipping methods so that 500 more bags could be loaded onto each pallet, increasing the load to 80,000 bags per truck. Another customer with multiple brands moved from 2,500 bags to 4,000 bags per pallet and instead of getting three pallets, it is getting two?allowing them to ship more product in the same amount of space.

Second, a bag manufacturer can adjust the size of the pallet the bags travel on to save money. For example, one customer was receiving bags on 44Yen54 in. pallets and then throwing the wood away because they use 40Yen48 in. pallets to ship their own product. The bag shipments were changed to be delivered on 40Yen48 in. pallets so the company could reuse the pallets, saving the lost cost of the wood.

8. Graphics are Important Today, your package must convey the message you want your customer to understand about your product. Full and competent graphics support from the customer's supplier is a must to accomplish this goal. Whether your message is to the industrial or retail market, graphics help separate your company and products from the competition.

9. Cost vs. Price Companies must be willing to change and accept new packaging ideas that trim shipping, handling, and packaging costs over the long term. Quality bags might cost more up front, but can pay off in the end.

"If you go out and buy a car, do you buy the fastest, best looking vehicle, or does gas mileage, performance, and safety concern you?" asked Alton McLellan, Percy Kent's marketing manager. "All those things come into play. If you buy the cheapest product, that doesn't mean it is going to perform like it's supposed to or even be delivered on time. So price isn't the only issue. It's performance, follow-up, and technical support."

10.Pick the Right Bag Company Picking the right supplier can be as important as knowing your product. Working with a company that understands your strategies for improving profits is critical. To achieve packaging solutions and develop an open and trusting relationship with a supplier, you must seek out a bag company that is full service, delivers punctually, is innovative, has the technical knowledge, and takes a personal interest in your company. If yours is a complex business, make sure your supplier is competent and experienced in its area of inventory or program management. Technology linkage can be critical.