How Our Corrugated Paper Box Solutions Improve Fill Rates & Reduce Costs

Efficient packaging is more than being the first-moment-of-truth when selling products on a store shelf. It contains, protects, and makes for an efficient tool for transportation. However, if not carefully designed, packaging can have the opposite effect.

According to Netsuite, average companies maintain fill rates between 85% and 95%, while top-performing companies often achieve rates above 97%.

Many manufacturing and distribution companies struggle to improve fill rates due to inefficient packaging, (e.g., packaging that is meant for one-time use, large, heavy, non-stackable, and non-compressible packaging). These "inefficiencies" contribute to high transportation and storage expenses and product damage during transit.

All you need is a small bottleneck to disrupt your fill rate and turn an otherwise efficient operation into a logistical headache. But this is entirely preventable. As products and brand marketing evolve, the packaging should too.

In this article, we’ll unpack how corrugated paper box solutions can prevent these headache-inducing issues, improve your fill, and reduce costs.

The Cost-Effective Nature of Corrugated Paper Box Packaging

This is a repeated story— you transport your packaging in a Tetris-looking stack, but you don’t make the most of your space, so you pay for an additional trip. Worse yet, loosely stacked packages may shift and become damaged during transport, resulting in product damage and returns.

This stems from several packaging flaws:

1. Oversized packaging for the product

2. Inadequate design that leaves gaps in transport

3. Inefficient pallet layouts that do not fully utilize transportation vehicle space

4. Flimsy packaging that easily dents and compromises the product

Plastic packaging, wood, and corrugated boxes are sufficiently durable to handle transit pressure. Among these, only corrugated packaging is lightweight.

Since its creation in 1894, the corrugated box has been an economically viable choice for various industries, including food and beverage, electronics, and healthcare products. The endless availability of custom sizes and strengths allows efficient shipping of flat shippers, reducing the delivery volume and hence the cost of shipping.

Source: Coherent Market Insights

Corrugated paper boxes are inherently less expensive to produce than plastic. The raw materials used in corrugated paper production are more abundant and cheaper than the petroleum-based polymers used in plastic manufacturing.

In the United States, the recycling rate for paper is about 68%. This contributes to a steady supply of recycled materials for corrugated paper production. The manufacturing process involves pulping wood or recycling old paper, then forming it into corrugated paper. This method is less complex and uses less energy compared to the chemical processes required to produce plastics from petroleum.

How Can Corrugated Paper Boxes Improve Fill Rates?

As a manufacturer and distributor, you want your stocks to be produced, stored, and replenished as soon as possible. But it’s easier said than done. According to a study, 39% of brands identify shipping and manufacturing delays, along with shipping costs, as the primary challenges in their supply chain.

These issues can lead to significant disruptions in inventory levels and customer satisfaction. To solve these, choose durable and cost-effective packaging that simplifies manufacturing— a corrugated paper box.

Corrugated Paper Box Packaging is Durable

Corrugated packaging consists of a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flat liners. This structure provides excellent protection against bumps and drops during transit. C-flute corrugated boxes with 38 flutes per foot are the preferred choice for brown boxes.

Thick corrugated flutes provide cushioning against shocks during transportation. For enhanced durability, applying a water-repellent coating to corrugated packaging can be an effective alternative to using plastic.

Corrugated Paper Box Packaging Can Maximize Logistics Efficiency

Corrugated packaging is also engineered to optimize logistics efficiency. If you’re transporting heavy goods or electronics, right-sized packaging can help prevent the extra volume that adds to your transport cost. In turn, this will maximize your inventory and shipping space.

Some suppliers also integrate QR codes into their corrugated paper box for easy tracking.

Corrugated Paper Box Packaging Can Help Prevent Costly Replacements

Corrugated packaging can help avoid costly damage replacements. For instance, when shipping glassware, utilizing single-faced corrugated packing where the flutes provide cushioning ensures that each item stays secure during transit. This is particularly beneficial for products that travel long distances and are handled by warehouse or fulfillment workers.

York Container’s Corrugated Paper Box Packaging are Innovatively Manufactured

According to a study by Deloitte, 96% of manufacturing and retail leaders identify innovation as "extremely important" to growth. However, many manufacturers and distributors still lean on outdated procedures that impact their fill rates. Without advanced packaging solutions, companies often face higher manual labor costs, slower packaging processes, and increased error rates. All of which reduce the overall efficiency of production.

For retail products where volumes are high, being able to cut the corrugated sheets for packaging at a high speed helps to cut down on lead time and costs.

- York Container

York Container's rotary die cutters can accurately cut up to 10,000 sheets per hour. That's much faster than a flatbed die cutter, which averages between 5,000 and 7,000 sheets per hour, but offers more precise cutting capability. York offers both options, depending on the preference and needs of the customer.

Once the corrugated sheets are manufactured, they are shipped knocked down flat to maximize space efficiency. At the customer’s site, these flat sheets can be erected into uniform and sturdy boxes, ready for packaging and shipping.

The more efficient the manufacturing process is, the more cost-effective it becomes.

Cut Costs, Not Corners with the Right Corrugated Paper Box

There are numerous reasons why corrugated paper boxes have remained a popular packaging solution for hundreds of years. If you’re looking to get more done in an efficient manner, corrugated paper boxes can easily adapt to your demands.

For custom corrugated paper boxes tailored to your needs, trust that York Container’s designers can customize your packaging based on product specifications, logistics requirements, and branding.