Two popular methods for securing items together are strapping and banding! Their job is to keep products from shifting or becoming damaged during transit.

Whether you’re packing products for shipping or storage, choosing the right materials and techniques can make all the difference. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about strapping and banding, including the different types of materials, the tools and equipment you’ll need, and tips for selecting the right methods for your specific packaging requirements.

What is strapping used for in packaging?

Strapping, also known as banding or pallet banding, is a vital part of product packing and distribution. It is used primarily to secure pallets and to bundle items in transit. The choice does vary but comes down to two main categories – metal and plastic.

What is strapping made from?

Most metal strapping is made from steel, and most plastic types are made from either polypropylene or polyester.

Traditionally, steel is used to ship heavy-duty items, such as bricks or timber. Plastic is deemed more suited to the palletisation of lighter-duty products. It is also applied directly to cardboard boxes to improve handling.

Types of application

There are two ways strapping and pallet banding can be applied: 

• Manual application is when strapping is applied by hand directly or using a manual dispenser and secured manually using a hand-help tensioning or sealing tool. 
• Automated application is when the application of strapping uses some sort of machinery. This could include semi and fully automated machines, friction welders and battery-powered tools, and semi and full-automated strapping tables.

Both polyester and steel strapping are hand-applied. Polypropylene strapping can be either hand or machine applied.

Four ways to speed up strapping application:

1. For low-volume applications, use manual tensioning, cutting, and sealing tools.
2. To speed up the manual process, switch to a battery-operated friction welder, which tensions, cuts, and seals at the touch of a button
3. Semi-automatic strapping machines are recommended for higher volume, single-product runs. They apply quickly but require the operator to feed the strapping around the pack.
4. Fully automated machines are well suited for high-volume use where packages vary in shape and weight. No intervention is required and applied in seconds.

Products

We offer a wide range of strapping and pallet banding products, including those made with polypropylene, polyester, and steel. Incorporating different types of application methods, such as hand or machine; we can provide dispensing equipment too, making application a breeze.

Below you will see a small range of what we have to offer; if you are looking for a specific type, please get in touch with us today!

• Polypropylene Machine-Applied  – Light, flexible and easy to handle, it offers excellent performance and reliability for most strapping tasks, with no staining or rusting of the product or package.
• Hand-Applied Polyester – Polyester strapping is a robust yet soft, lightweight, and weather-resistant alternative to steel. It takes 2.5 times more energy to break than steel with the same break strain. An ‘elastic memory’ maintains tension even with pack settlement or shrinkage.
• Hand-Applied Corded Polyester – A soft, lightweight, strong and weather-resistant alternative to steel strapping, with a textured finish for an ultra-firm grip.

Common questions about strapping and banding

Below we have listed some popular questions about strapping and pallet banding, but if you have any more queries that are not listed, our team of experts will be happy to help you.

Strapping automation

We can offer a full range of packaging automation solutions to help take your business to the next level, including strapping and banding automation.

Our services cover reviewing your operation and recommending, testing, and supplying packaging machinery for your business.

Imagine the time and effort of assembling, packing, sealing, and dispatching your products. Automating your process can dramatically improve productivity, help you control material use, cut waste, and allow you to future-proof spikes in demand.

Carefully planned packaging automation will make your business more resilient and flexible year-round! 

Can I have strapping printed with my logo?

If pallet security, product tracking or branding is essential to you, consider custom options that can help! Contact us to learn more.

Which strapping is best for your business?

The kind of strapping you need will depend on your sealing product.

For a recommendation tailored to your packing processes and product, contact us to speak with one of our packaging experts, who will help you determine the best strapping option for your requirements. If you want any other packaging advice, why not contact us today?

The post A guide to strapping and pallet banding appeared first on Macfarlane Packaging.

If you do, you may be aware of the incoming rise to business rates for large distribution warehouses. Announced in the 2022 Autumn statement, the review of business rates could see some online retailers (and their 3PL partners) feel the pain of a 27% increase in their bills from April 2023.  

Understandably, the warehousing sector has criticised the move, with the rates rise being described as “painful” and ”unfair”.

So, what’s the driving force behind the and how can your packaging optimisation help you combat the increase in costs?

The background of rising business rates for large distribution warehouses

Why are the UK Government set to increase business rates for large distribution warehouses? Well, there are a number of factors and it’s largely being driven by the bricks vs. clicks imbalance…

Bricks vs. clicks imbalance

Online retail has been the great digital disrupter across many industries. The prime example that comes to mind is the Netflix effect on Blockbuster.  Once valued at over $4bn and with over 10,000 bricks and mortar retail, Blockbuster was the video entertainment brand leader for decades, but failure to innovate and the bricks and mortar business model meant that Netflix rapidly overtook them.

With online retailers usually having lower overheads versus traditional high street retailers, there has long been a tussle between clicks and bricks. Traditional retail models are often seen by some as unsustainable.

And stats back this up – by the end of 2019 almost ¼ of all retail sales had moved online. In the UK, pandemic lockdowns exacerbated this trend, with online sales reaching a peak of 36% of all retail in January 2021. At the same time, bricks and mortar retail has been in sharp decline. Britain’s high street vacancies are at an all-time high of 13.7% and the British Retail Consortium reported a 77% decline in footfall to stores.  

Shelving the Online Sales Tax

To address the bricks vs. clicks imbalance, the UK Government had floated the idea of the Online Sales Tax  (OTS) at the start of 2022. At the time, it was estimated that a 1% OTS on businesses with a £2m turnover or higher could raise £2bn.

However, the consultation raised issues around complexity, non-resident evasion and how the tax would be applied to non-pureplay models like click and collet and omni-channel retailers. Therefore, for now the Government has decided to shelve the proposed Online Sales Tax.

Introducing increased business rates for large distribution warehouses

The solution to the complexity of the OTS and the clicks vs. bricks imbalance? A rise in business rates for large distribution warehouses and a £13.6bn freeze on bricks and mortar business rates.

Pressure for online retailers to keep costs down

On top of rising business rates, online retailers are seeing operational costs rise. Constraints on supply chains and the availability of raw materials are all pushing costs up and margins down. On top of this, labour shortages and the premium expense of warehouse space are only adding to the pressure online retailers face when trying to operate cost-effectively.

With the cost-of-living crisis also having the potential to negatively influence internet retails sales in coming months too, now more than ever retailers need to look at how to make savings…

So, where does packaging factor into all of this?

How packaging optimisation can help combat increasing business rates

Inefficient packaging and processes can have a big impact on the costs throughout your supply chain. If a business uses packaging that doesn’t provide protection, their product gets damaged and returns rise. Likewise, packaging materials that are too big or clunky it could take up too much space.

And when we’re thinking about the rise in business rates, the volume of warehousing space you’re using is important. This is because business rates are calculated based on a property’s “rateable value”. The larger the square footage of your warehouse, the more likely it is to attract higher business rates. Not ideal with the 27% increase on the horizon!

That’s where packaging optimisation comes in…

Tackling storage space through lighter, more efficient packaging

Using packaging materials that are lighter and more space efficient can help you reduce your costs associated with storage and warehousing.

Shaving just a few millimeters off the size of a cardboard box could enable you re-think how they’re palletised and stored. The same goes for an alternative design that’s more space efficient.

Similarly, are you using any bulky-to-store in fill like polystyrene or packing chips? Swapping to compact, on-demand inflatable air pillows or tightly wound rolls of paper void fill could all help you cut back on the storage space you need.

Taking advantage of stock holding so you can use smaller premises

How many pallet spaces does your packaging take up in your warehouse? If you’re purchasing packaging direct from a manufacturer, you may need to buy high volumes of packaging to achieve a certain price point. The flipside of that may be that you need to take delivery of a high volume of packaging and store it all in your own warehouse.

If you work with a distributor (like us), you could take advantage of stock holding and just-in-time supply. This is when your packaging is stored at your supplier’s warehouse and drip fed into your site in line with demand.

Services like this can help you release space and could even allow you to use smaller premises, rather than allocate valuable pallet spaces to a relatively low value commodity – a win if you want to mitigate the impact of rising business rates.

Assessing storage and packing area layouts to maximise existing space

If you’ve been through a period of growth, you might be considering moving to a larger warehouse. But with the business rates hike on the horizon you might find yourself put off by this. So, how do you make the most of the space you have?

If you’ve already made your packaging lighter and smaller, and use a stock holding service, it might be time to assess your warehouse layout.

Often, warehouse layouts evolve over time. This could mean that the space isn’t being used as efficiently as possible.

Investing in compact or revised packing benches could help you make the most of the space you have and help you organise where packing materials are stored more effectively.

Another option is flexing space for spikes in demand with corrugated or correx pick bins. These modular storage spaces are light enough to be moved around and can be broken down.

Support with packaging optimisation

At Macfarlane Packaging we can help you with all areas of packaging optimisation, including combatting storage and space issues that could help you save on the size of the warehouse you need.

We can even show you how changes to your packaging can impact key areas across your supply chain and the financial and environmental savings you could be making with our Packaging Optimiser tool.

Why not get in touch to see how we can help you protect your business from business rate rises?

The post How online retailers can combat rising business rates through packaging optimisation appeared first on Macfarlane Packaging.

At Macfarlane Packaging we always think about what we could do differently to the last in the coming year in January. It’s a great time to assess how peak went, spot bottlenecks, and implement initiatives to achieve new goals.

That’s why this blog looks at the 10 things you could do differently with your packaging in 2023! A good place to start is considering what the packaging trends will be in 2023….

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A quick look at packaging trends for 2023

In December we published a blog about the packaging trends people can expect in 2023. So, what were they?

Based on the current economic climate, as well as consumer pressures and supply chain challenges, the packaging trends we predicated are:

Reducing operating costs through packaging – it should come as no surprise that businesses will want to control operating costs in the tough economic climate. However, many people will not always pinpoint packaging as a big business cost. But the right packaging solution can drastically cut operating costs in a number of areas, including warehousing and transport, as well as labour costs and damages. So, reducing costs associated packaging will be a key trend in 2023!

Putting carbon reduction at the heart of packaging strategies – sustainability has become more and more important to businesses, as well as consumers. In fact, 27% of consumers reported that they won’t buy from companies who don’t use sustainable packaging. On top of this, more businesses are focusing on serious carbon reduction, which is a key in the fight against climate change. When it comes to packaging, materials matter, but so do the carbon emissions associated with the manufacturing and use of the packaging. In 2023, we predict more businesses will consider the total carbon impact of their packaging throughout the supply chain.

Using connected packaging to enhance the customer experience & innovate – as brands compete for share of voice, looking for ways to differentiate is key. Connected packaging presents the opportunity to get their digital and physical customer journey to align and engage with consumers. Looping customers back into a brand through an interactive experience also offers the opportunity to collect more customer behaviour data, that allows businesses to further personalise customer experience and offers, which is why it’s a trend we expect to see more of this year.

Digitising packing processes through packaging automation – using automated packing machinery can help businesses tackle labour shortages, cope with seasonal demand and future proof for growth. All great reasons why increased use of packaging automation is one of our packaging trends for 2023.

Are any of these trends on your agenda for the year? With these trends in mind, now let’s consider what you’re aiming for in 2023 and what you could do differently with your packaging.

What will you protect this year?

If you’ve visited our blog before, you know we often talk about the role of packaging… Its primary purpose it to protect things.

On a basic level, the transit packaging you use will protect your products. But have you ever considered how your packaging can help you protect lots of areas in your business?

The right packaging can help you protect:

• Your products
• Your profit margins
• Your customer experience
• Your brand
• The environment

Plus, lots more! So, what will you be protecting this year with your packaging? Here are 10 things you could do differently with your packaging in 2023 and how they can help protect your business and your products!

10 things you could do differently with your packaging in 2023

1. Review your packaging process to identify bottlenecks

If you’ve just been through a seasonal spike in demand, January is a great time to take stock and review your packing processes. This will help you identify any bottlenecks in your packing processes, such as pinch points like hard to assemble packaging or points that need multiple touches.  

A great thing to do differently in 2023 could be to introduce best practice packing guidelines. Giving your team clear instruction about how to pack effectively can help you protect productivity and optimise how your team spend their time.  This is great for futureproofing for spikes in demand too, as it can help you quality-control what packaging materials are used when and where.  Packing guidelines can also help you reduce waste, which is great if you’re trying to reduce your environmental impact and protect the environment.

2. Re-engineer your packaging to reduce cubage or improve palletisation

Is your packaging as space efficient as it could be? Re-engineering your packaging to reduce its cubage or improve your product palletisation can be a big win.

Smaller, more space efficient packaging can have a knock-on effect throughout your supply chain.  If you use couriers to deliver your product, optimised parcel cubage can help you reduce your dimensional weight and delivery costs. For those of you that palletise your products, increasing your pallet yield can drastically cut the fuel you need to deliver products and therefore reduce the emissions you’re creating during deliveries. A win for you and the environment.

In all cases, if your packaging is smaller, you will save on storage space. In a time where warehouse space is at a premium, reducing how much space you need can help generate savings. This is worth bearing in mind if you are company that will be affected by the rise in business rates on large distribution warehouses.

3. Adopt clear, recognisable recycling labelling

Did you know that under the forthcoming Extended Producer Responsibilities (EPR) businesses affected will have to adopt clear, recognisable recycling labelling?

The labelling required is expected to be binary – which means your packaging will needed to be labelled as either recyclable or not recyclable.

While there’s no date set for EPR to be introduced, it’s worth getting a head start on this now. Our own unboxing research shows that over 90% of consumers want to recycle, but 11% of packages still arrive  without recycling labels. Making things as clear as possible will help ensure more of your packaging is recycled at the end of its life too – helping protect the environment from pollution.

4. Introduce smart or connected packaging

Smart or connected packaging can work for both business-to-consumer (B2C) or business-to-business brands (B2B) companies.

Smart packaging that uses barcodes, RFID or NFC technology can be used to control industrial goods and tracking throughout the supply chain. Particularly useful if you want to monitor the conditions your goods are kept in – for example if you’re in pharmaceutical or food distribution and need to know what the in-container temperature is.

On the flip side, connected packaging is a great way for brands to connect with their customers. Simple QR codes can launch instruction videos or a simple website-based experience through full immersive gamification or augmented reality. This can act as a great differentiator in a competitive market, can be used to educate your customers and even help you create repeat sales through promotions. All of this can help you protect your customer experience and your brand!

5. Automate labour intensive packing processes

If you want to protect your productivity in 2023 and look for ways to combat labour shortages, packaging automation could be the answer.

You can automate almost any packing process from bagging and boxing through to sealing, filling, and conveying. There are numerous benefits such as controlling material use, increasing pack times and throughput and even future proofing your operation, as well as controlling operating costs longer term. Click here read our quick packaging automation guide.

6. Make simple sustainable packaging switches

Approaching sustainable packaging can sometimes seem daunting. There are lots of choices – is paper better than plastic? Which material will reduce your carbon footprint? Will it cost more than your current packaging?

That’s why it can sometimes be best to try simple changes first. A small but effective change can be swapping from plastic packing tape to paper tape. Swapping to paper tape helps you remove plastic from your operation, increases your packs recyclability and can help you use less sealing material.

If you’re not sure where to start, tools like our Packaging Optimiser can help you see how changes can impact your packing operation both financially and environmentally by showing you the carbon impact simple sustainable swaps can make.

7. Switch up your packing area for maximum efficiency

Is your packing areas as efficient as it could be? Often, packing benches and locations evolve as your business grows, so what once worked may no longer be fit for purpose.

Taking stock of where your packing materials are stored and how they’re organised on workstations can have a big impact on your productivity. Keeping packing materials no higher than shoulder height can encourage faster packing and implementing “water spiders” (team members with trollies who re-stock materials) can keep downtime to a minimum, protecting your productivity.

8. Increase recycled content in your packaging

Looking for extra ways to cut your carbon footprint? Increasing the recycled content in your packaging is a great way to remove emissions from your supply chain and support your sustainability goals. That’s why we have a wide range of recycled content packaging and our teams can provide dedicated support around eco-friendly packaging!

Packaging materials that make use of recycled content help conserve natural resources and cut emissions during the manufacturing process compared to the use of virgin materials. For example, virgin paper processing CO2e is 100kg per tonne higher than recycled material processing from a closed loop source.

On top of this, if you’re using recycled content plastic materials, ensuring they contain at least 30% recycled content can help you mitigate the plastic packaging tax.

9. Optimise how you buy packaging

Does coordinating the purchasing of your packaging take up a lot of your time? If you’re working with multiple SKUs or a range of packaging suppliers, packaging procurement can be lengthy and complex.

Optimising how you buy your packaging can reduce your admin in 2023 and give you back valuable time for other tasks. Consolidating your packaging materials with one packaging distributor can give you access to local and global packaging manufacturers without the hassle of dealing with multiple contacts. You can also take advantage of stock holding and management, which can help release space and cashflow!

Accessing e-trading software that integrates with your systems and generates reports can make packaging management a breeze too.

10. Get granular with your packaging product data to prepare for new legislation

Do you know everything about the packaging products you use? For example:

• The weight of the packaging
• The recycled content
• The material type
• How it’s recycled
• If it can be reused
• The CO2e of the pack
• Usage across all packaging SKUs

Getting your packaging data in order will help you prepare for updated packaging waste reporting under Extended Producer Responsibilities as well as any disclosures you will have to make if you’re in scope of the upcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

It can also help you become more effective at managing your packaging supplies and help you spot inconsistencies or identify opportunities for improvement. This can help you protect your margins as well as protect your reputation from any legal repercussions.

Help making changes to your packaging in 2023

The experts at Macfarlane Packaging can help you make changes to your packaging that protect your business and keep costs down in 2023. Get in touch to learn more.

The post 10 things you could do differently with your packaging in 2023 appeared first on Macfarlane Packaging.

The packaging industry is a fast-paced environment, so we’re turning our heads to the packaging trends to expect in 2023. What will the latest packaging trends be? Are there any sustainable packaging trends to watch out for?

In this article we’ll consider what happened in the packaging industry during 2022, as well as the economic and social trends happening now that will impact the packaging trends we expect next year.

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Reviewing what happened in packaging during 2022

The start of 2022 was all about the impending introduction of the UK Plastic Packaging Tax. As businesses prepared for the tax to come into force in April 2022, we saw a flurry of recycled content and plastic-free packaging products enter the market, with more and more business opting for them. (See trend 2 from our 2022 packaging trend predictions!)

At the start of summer we launched our 7^th annual unboxing survey, which saw over 1,000 consumers give us their opinions on the packaging used by online retailers. The research highlighted how much ecommerce packaging has changed over the last seven years and emphasised how sustainable packaging materials and custom packaging should be key considerations for businesses using packaging.

In fact, 27% of consumers said they won’t buy again from retailers who don’t use sustainable packaging and 41% said that branded packaging can influence their repeat purchase decisions.

The latter half of the year saw the Environmental Packaging Summit take place at the Coventry Building Society arena. Experts from around the industry gathered to provide updates on Extended Producer Responsibilities, which are set to impact businesses that manufacture, import and distribute packaging, as well as brands that use packaging in the not too distant future. The summit also stressed how critical carbon reduction is as a baseline for lessening packaging’s impact on the planet.

Economic and social trends that will impact packaging in 2023

Life after lockdown – we’re spending slightly less money online

In 2022, we’ve all been adjusting to life after lockdown. This has had an impact on how people are spending, which has been reflected in a slight downturn in online retail sales, with more shoppers returning to bricks and mortar stores compared to pandemic years.

Although it is worth noting that while demand for online shopping is more subdued compared to during lockdown, ecommerce remains a huge piece of the total retail pie. A decade ago, online sales represented 10% of total retail sales, but now accounts for a quarter of all retail sales – well above pre-pandemic years.  

UK labour shortages – businesses struggling to fill vacancies

Job vacancies in the UK were at a record high as we entered 2022. The changes to freedom of movement as a result of Brexit meant the labour market was negatively impacted. Lack of viable labour has also been compounded by spikes in early retirement and industry specific impacts caused by the pandemic. This means businesses everywhere have faced recruitment difficulties.

In the high-pressure online retail and logistics sectors, the knock-on effect of this is that it’s harder to be as productive when you do not have a readily available workforce.

The political backdrop – supply chain challenges and rising costs

War in Ukraine and upheaval in Government leadership can’t be ignored either. Businesses are struggling to get raw materials, impacting supply chain continuity and the availability of key products across the nation, and driving up fuel prices – for both vehicles and energy. Inflation is also rising faster than ever, driving up the cost of essentials for everyone.

The result of these social and economic trends is the cost-of-living crisis being faced in the UK. Millions of people are looking to cut spending – both personally and at work.

Packaging trends to expect in 2023

So, thinking about what’s happened in the packaging industry this year, as well as the social and economic backdrop – what packaging trends should you expect in 2023?

1. Packaging cost reduction will be a priority

It should come as no surprise that our first packaging trend is that businesses will be looking to reduce their packaging costs in 2023.

This is particularly important to the retail market, where some 41% of retail employees predict the cost of living crisis will negatively impact non-essential, non-food items for the next couple of years. So, as businesses tighten their belts and try to weather the storm, protecting profits will of course be a priority.

And while many will look at how they can shave pennies off the unit price of their packaging supplies, this may not always be the best tactic. 90% of a business’ packaging costs can be hidden behind the unit price paid.

Taking a holistic approach that considers how packaging can influence many areas in a supply chain, like storage, transport, damages, productivity, administration, and customer experience can yield much higher savings. That’s why we have created tools like the Packaging Optimiser, which will allow businesses of all kinds, including online retailers and third party logistics companies to assess what packaging is really costing them. The Optimiser tool also enables us highlight where and how to cut operational costs associated with packaging.

2. Sustainable packaging and carbon reduction at the heart of packaging strategies

While cutting how much packaging is costing businesses will be critical for many, it shouldn’t come at the expense of improving sustainability.

The climate crisis continues to escalate and that means packaging trend number two is that businesses will need to put sustainable packaging at the heart of their packaging strategies. So, when we look closely at this, what are the sustainable packaging trends?

Well, on the surface lots of online retailers and businesses across the country focus on swapping plastic packaging for paper packing materials. In some ways, this makes a lot of sense – paper is a renewable material and it’s easy to recycle for the end user. But businesses need to look beyond the physical material they’re using and consider the carbon impact of their packaging…

Carbon emission created by human impact on the world are simultaneously driving biodiversity loss and climate change. Biodiversity loss means the planet can absorb less carbon, fueling global warming, which then results in more biodiversity loss. It’s a cycle we need to break and it’s why considering the CO2e of your business’ packaging should be front and centre in 2023.

With this in mind – do you know how much CO2e your packaging creates?

First let’s consider the materials – their weight and how they’re manufactured can all contribute to carbon emissions.

Next, how your packaging is transported – effective palletisation can cut the amount of transport needed to move it, impacting fuel use and emissions. Likewise, if your parcels are optimised for delivery to the end-user as well (i.e. lighter weight, improved dimensional weight etc), this is another carbon saving.

How well your packaging protects your product is crucial too. Damages and returns will instantly push up the carbon cost of transactions, so making sure your packaging protects your products adequately instantly gives you a carbon saving.

All of this is why our previously mentioned Packaging Optimiser can also assess packaging’s carbon impact on your supply chain!

3. Leveraging packaging materials to connect with consumers and gather data for innovation

Marketing Week recently published an e-book about retail trends for 2023 that highlighted personalisation can be a key differentiator for retailers in the coming year. They stated 80% of shoppers are more likely to make purchases where brands offer personalised experiences.

Enter packaging trend number three – connected packaging. Connected packaging is when packaging materials use QR codes or NFC technology to create an interactive (connected) experience for consumers. Most people think about this as an option for primary packaging, but it can work just as well for the protective packaging used for shipping their goods.

The unboxing experience is a critical moment for customers of online retailers, as it’s the first physical interaction with a brand. Connected packaging offers the opportunity to align physical and digital touchpoints and redirect users back to a business’ website.

Connected packaging also offers the opportunity to gather behavioural data when consumers interact with the packaging and the experience that launches. For example, gamification could be used to explain a brand’s sustainability proposition AND help customers earn rewards such as discounts (this is a big driver for UK consumers  – 85% report that they desire discounts on future purchases the most!).

4. Digitalisation of packing processes

The fourth packaging trend we expect in 2023 is the continued digitalisation of packing processes.

In short, this refers to the use of robotics and packaging automation to enhance the packing processes businesses are using. For ecommerce and online retailers, as well as the logistics sector, this will be key to overcoming the labor shortages we mentioned earlier.

Packaging automation can also tie into cutting costs for businesses and link back to the first trend mentioned in this article.  While the initial investment in automation can seem expensive it can have a direct impact on the overall amount companies spend on packaging materials and labour. The precision offered by automation also allows businesses to optimise parcel sizes or pallet loads more effectively, impacting transport costs too.

Additionally, automated packing processes can help improve productivity and help businesses to future proof their operations for changes in demand further down the line.

Support handling the 2023 packaging trends coming your way

If you need help with your ecommerce packaging (or any type of packaging) in the New Year, Macfarlane Packaging is here to help.

We have packaging design experts on hand to guide you through the journey of optimising your packaging, as well as the tools to prove how we can help you handle the packaging trends we expect in 2023. Get in touch today to see how we can help your business.  

About the author – Rachel Fellows

Rachel Fellows is Macfarlane Packaging expert in all things retail and 3PL. As director of National Accounts for the retail industry, Rachel has over 20 years of expertise delivering ecommerce packaging solutions that fulfil the complex needs of online retailers and omni-channel retailers, as well as their 3PL partners.

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