Choosing the right packaging material is a critical decision that affects more than just product appearance. It determines how well your items are protected, how efficiently they move through the supply chain, and how well your business meets compliance and sustainability goals. At Shrink Packaging Systems Corporation (SPS), we take a consultative approach to help clients evaluate and optimize their packaging based on specific industry, product, and distribution requirements.
If you’re wondering whether your current materials are pulling their weight, this guide will walk you through how SPS helps you assess and improve your packaging from every angle.
How to Choose the Right Packaging Material by Application
Different use cases demand different packaging materials. Packaging that performs well in transit might fall short in retail. Material choice depends on how and where the product is handled:
- Shipping: Look for puncture resistance, durability, moisture protection, and stacking strength.
- Storage: Prioritize material stability, temperature resistance, and shelf-life preservation.
- Retail display: Focus on visual appeal, product visibility, and tamper resistance.
- E-commerce fulfillment: Choose lightweight, protective materials that reduce dimensional weight costs.
Whether you’re shipping frozen foods, pharmaceuticals, or delicate consumer goods, SPS uses data-driven packaging material evaluation techniques to help you select the right option for each channel.
What Are the Criteria for Selecting Packaging Material?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. When considering a packaging upgrade or material switch, it’s important to understand what matters most for your product, brand, and budget. Common factors include:
- Barrier protection: Does the material protect against light, oxygen, moisture, or contamination?
- Mechanical strength: Can it withstand drops, compression, vibration, and abrasion during transport?
- Regulatory compliance: Does it meet USDA packaging requirements or FDA drug packaging requirements where applicable?
- Consumer appeal: Is it attractive, easy to open, and aligned with branding?
- Cost-effectiveness: Are you balancing performance with reasonable material and freight costs?
This process is part of SPS’s structured selection and evaluation of packaging materials, designed to support long-term efficiency and compliance.
Balancing Product Protection, Cost, and Sustainability
Every packaging decision involves trade-offs. The key is to optimize—not just minimize—each factor. SPS works with your team to find the sweet spot between durability, compliance, cost, and sustainability.
Here’s how we guide that balance:
- Optimize use of materials: Through material optimization, SPS ensures you’re not over-packaging or under-protecting, reducing waste and cost simultaneously.
- Test before committing: We provide real-world package testing and contract packaging services to verify performance before full rollout.
- Recommend alternatives: If a greener or lighter-weight material can perform as well or better, we’ll identify it and explain the trade-offs.
If you’re asking whether your current packaging is doing enough, the answer often lies in whether it’s achieving the right balance across your supply chain.
The Role of Compliance in Packaging Materials
Regulatory compliance isn’t optional. It’s essential to avoid recalls, fines, or rejected shipments—especially in highly regulated sectors.
SPS supports full packaging compliance across industries:
- USDA packaging requirements: For food products, materials must meet cleanliness, sanitation, and labeling standards.
- FDA drug packaging requirements: Pharmaceutical packaging must be tamper-evident, child-resistant when necessary, and stable through shelf life.
- Industry-specific labeling: From nutrition panels to lot tracking and barcoding, compliance touches both form and function.
Our team is deeply experienced in pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging and other regulated industries, ensuring nothing gets overlooked in your packaging strategy.
Why Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials Matter
Sustainability is no longer a trend—it’s a business imperative. Using eco-friendly packaging materials not only supports environmental goals but also strengthens brand perception and aligns with retailer requirements.
Benefits of switching to green packaging materials include:
- Consumer appeal: Customers prefer brands that use sustainable packaging materials and minimize waste.
- Retail compliance: Many major retailers are adopting strict guidelines around recyclability, compostability, and material sourcing.
- Waste reduction: Materials that are recyclable or biodegradable reduce the burden on landfills and simplify end-of-life management.
- Long-term cost control: Sustainable options can lead to reductions in packaging taxes, freight costs, and material usage.
Whether you’re interested in shrink films, corrugated fiberboard, or multi-layer recyclable substrates, SPS helps you integrate sustainability into your packaging without compromising performance.
The SPS Approach: Evaluate, Test, Optimize, Support
Our process doesn’t stop at selecting a material—we support your entire packaging lifecycle:
- Evaluate: We conduct a full package requirements evaluation based on your product, application, and market.
- Test: Materials undergo real-world testing and simulations through our lab and contract packaging capabilities.
- Optimize: We refine thickness, material type, and structure to minimize waste and maximize protection.
- Support: We assist with onboarding new packaging systems, staff training, and ongoing performance reviews.
To learn more about how these steps fit into your broader supply chain, explore our previous article on Key Considerations for Product Packaging Requirements in Shipping, Retail, and Storage.
Is It Time to Rethink Your Packaging Materials?
If your current packaging feels outdated, oversized, or non-compliant, it may be limiting your product’s success. SPS helps you make smarter choices about packaging materials based on real performance data, compliance standards, and long-term cost and sustainability goals.
Let us help you improve product protection, reduce packaging waste, and meet industry requirements with confidence. Contact us to schedule your material review or evaluation session.
