The High Cost of Bad Packaging

Packaging is supposed to protect food and other products from damage and contamination. In the case of food, it also protects against spoilage. Unfortunately, when packaging is not designed properly, it can damage a brand’s reputation. It can also harm the environment. 

Bad packaging can turn food into unnecessary waste. Should there be a need to replace an entire packaging line, poor packaging can also increase a company’s operational costs. At the same time, the business will lose consumer trust. Combined, this is a very high price to pay, and some brands may never fully recover. 

Poor Packaging Comes With Real Costs

Packaging is related to food waste. Waste is a massive global problem with deep economic consequences. For one, approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted each year. This corresponds to approximately 1.3 billion tons of food and a financial loss of approximately $1 trillion. This figure includes food that never reaches a plate because of spoilage and poor handling. 

Good packaging can help prevent these losses, whereas poor packaging can exacerbate them. When packaging does not protect products adequately, food can easily spoil before a consumer buys it. Spoilage can also occur at any point in the supply chain. The chain links include transportation, retail, and even at a consumer’s home. 

Poor sealing, torn containers, and badly designed packages can result in contamination, moisture ingress, and physical damage. These can all shorten a product’s shelf life. 

Supply Chain and Operational Costs

Bad packaging also creates extra work for those involved in the supply chain. When products are damaged, they must be inspected and removed. They must also be disposed of properly. Staff that spend their time managing returns or cleaning spills also increase labor costs. 

Packaging failures can also lead to recalls. Missing allergen information or incorrect labeling can prompt product recalls. Broken seals, in particular, make food unsafe to sell. Food recalls are very expensive for businesses and are highly disruptive. They entail logistics and regulatory reporting, as well as an inevitable loss in sales. 

Household Waste and Consumer Behavior

Packaging design also affects how consumers use food at home. If they cannot open containers easily or empty them, edible food is discarded. Oversized packaging also encourages over-purchasing, which can result in even more waste. 

Research shows that packaging issues often include poor portion control and limited emptying. These contribute directly to avoidable household food waste. These losses add up across millions of households. 

A Damaging Environmental Impact

When food is wasted, it is more than just food items going into a bin. The resources used to produce food are also wasted. These resources include water, energy, and land. Furthermore, food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions as it decomposes in landfills. This means that packaging waste adds an additional layer of environmental cost when materials are not reused or recycled. 

Packaging Quality Matters

A brand’s packaging decisions result in certain outcomes long after a product leaves the factory. Packaging influences how well food moves through supply chains. It also determines how long it remains usable and how responsibly it is disposed of at the end of its lifespan. When packaging performs poorly, the effects are not always immediately visible. But these effects compound over time in the form of high waste levels, extra costs, and environmental strain. 

Improving packaging quality is not just about excess or over-design. It involves reducing avoidable losses and making production and supply chain systems work as they should. Even small improvements can prevent problems before they appear. This can help food reach plates rather than immediately becoming part of the waste stream.