The industry standard
When we compared eight UK suppliers' public listings (checked 11 October 2026, ex VAT), the pattern was consistent. Several publish a price for an entry-level machine, from £299 to £779.43. And for dearer air cushion machines and paper void fill systems, most direct you to a quote, a demo request or an enquiry button. See the full comparison. It's mostly distributors online who offer entry systems for sale, and most of the major suppliers don't offer an entry system. Instead, the prevalent industry approach for supplying packaging machinery is the dearer end of equipment and free-loaned. This will be based on a certain material cost over a time period or contract.
The material cost is mainly determined by;
1) the cost of the equipment free-loaned, and
2) how much material is likely to go through the equipment, and for how long.
These two things help establish a supplier's expected profit, once the equipment cost has been amortised over the material usage. This can work well for both parties, but the word 'expectations' can cause complications either way, so let's look at why...
The pros
It's a reasonable approach for customers who'd prefer not to pay large CapEx upfront. Forever Green include it as part of our service offering in cases where it makes sense for both parties.
It's generally an approach which suits high specification equipment for high volume customers who are confident about their ongoing business and more comfortable with commitment. The equipment might be expensive such as designed for extra functionality so it needs a customer with a high-enough usage and material commitment to justify its existence, and ultimately be a value-add.
The cons
While good for specific scenarios, the downside is it excludes a large number of customers who'd like the operational benefits of a system but can't commit to more materials than they use and/ or don't know how much they will use in the future. It can mean taking repeat high value orders which quickly become unwelcome cash in unnecessary stock. Businesses are understandably risk-averse and maybe seasonal too.
Also most of the equipment the major suppliers free-loan is expensive. This cost is absorbed in to the material costs making the material costs high, and subsequently the system often unviable. With a limited range of equipment available to free loan, you often see costly equipment shoehorned in to a customer who only needs the basics, but are paying for the machine extras through the materials.
The other aspect for customers is not knowing when the higher material cost has paid off the equipment cost. Time rolls by and inevitably the feeling of 'am I paying too much for the materials' arises.
How Forever Green approaches it differently
The thinking behind this applies to both our air cushion and paper void fill systems, both to end users and distributors. Both ranges include a range of systems to suit most customer needs from low volume and/ or simple packing to high volume and/ or more demanding packing. Whether entry or high spec, our systems are available to purchase, along with material prices to suit varying usages.
This article focuses on air cushion packaging systems because these are where supplier models differ most, and is the clearest place to compare us with the industry.
We publish a machine price and a film price.
- Machines sold at a fixed price, starting from £295. There is no loan agreement or obligations attached.
- Online film prices published by quantity. Multiple quantity prices online suit varying usages. Also it's good to know none of the cost is covering a machine cost. Higher volume customers can get better than online prices
- No minimum order/ contract period/ or volume target. Because the machine is affordable to buy outright, you are not under pressure to hit a quantity to justify it. Simply pay for material as you go.
About the film
Our machines are designed for our film, as is normal across the industry. Whether bought or loaned, we offer technical support for as long as our film is being run on the machine. The return for us comes from the film rather than the machine, which helps our ongoing support. What differs is our simpler approach where film costs are lower from the start and more consistent. Customers just pay as they go, plus it allows flexibility to increase or decrease their quantity purchased.
The right system for the job
Like the flexibility with buying the film, there's also flexibility with our machines.
Our 3 models mean the customer is more likely to find one that fits what they actually need:
- Shadow Boxer Mk2 (£295): up to 12 m/min, for lower-volume or simpler packing.
- Silver Pack Mk2 (£495): up to 10 m/min, with pre-set dispense length and accessories such as the bubble winder and trolley.
- Navy Seal (£695): up to 28 m/min, built to keep several packers supplied, and the only machine that runs our 800mm films.
This means less chance of paying for more machine than you need. Loaned machines can be upgraded or downgraded as businesses change. We're also flexible with this if the machine was bought.
Free machine loans: open to more businesses
As we know many suppliers only offer expensive equipment on free loan, typically to the higher volume users who make the free loan equipment viable. However, our 3 models mean we can open up the free-loan option to a wider variety of customers.
Finding the most fit for purpose machine means less cost to amortise in the materials, so lower materials costs and/ or lower material demands on the customer. We're here to help customers who may be turned down by suppliers offering more expensive machines, or asking for quantities beyond the customer's usage.
- We don't publish a volume threshold. While our material demands for free-loan machines are much lower than our competitors, we don't stipulate a specific quantity until we look at the whole picture of the customer and the opportunity.
- Loaned machines are serviced at no charge for as long as the loan runs and the machine is being used with our film.
- Already have a loaned machine from another supplier? If your usage has fallen since you started, and you are being asked to buy more material or hand the machine back, talk to us. You may be able to carry on with a free machine from us instead, without that pressure.
- High-volume users we're confident our high spec equipment is up to your job but at a lower cost. This means we can either secure you lower materials costs and/ or offer an additional machine for the same film volume, for example to supply another packing station. Higher volume customers get tailored pricing.
Loans are available to customers who buy direct from us and to those who buy through a distributor. Get in touch and we'll advise whether a loan makes sense for your situation.
Our impartial 'best-fit' approach
Our approach offering the best-fit equipment is mirrored by recommending the best-fit material for the job.
Air cushion packaging is often the lowest-impact choice, but there are applications when protective paper is the better answer such as for some heavy or dense items. You can read the reasoning in Why We Recommend the Greenest Material, Not the Most Fashionable One and When Paper Genuinely Wins.
Working with distributors
We offer distributors a different pricing model but still consistent. Our competitive pricing for machines and materials means a distributor can judge each end customer case by case and decide how to present the offer to their customer. For example, they might decide to offer free-loan and amortise the machine cost over a certain amount of materials without a separate deal with us for each customer. Or they might simply sell and offer a low consistent material price from the start like we do. Distributors know their customers best, and will fit our products in their bigger picture as they see fit. Again though, there are exceptions such as when a distributor finds a high volume or technical opportunity which warrants a more supported offer of free loan equipment and lower material costs.
Ideally we agree a healthy volume for each film type, so we can deliver in bulk and the distributor breaks it down into smaller deliveries. To get started, we are happy to arrange lower volumes at what would normally be the higher-volume price. We can also deliver direct to your customer using your paperwork, such as your delivery notes. Read more about working with Forever Green as a distributor.
Related questions
How is Forever Green different from other air cushion suppliers? We publish machine and film prices, attach no minimum order, contract period or volume target to buying, and our lower-cost machines let more businesses, including smaller ones, qualify for a free loan.
Does a published price mean I can't ask for something different? No. Published pricing is the straightforward default. If you are a higher-volume customer, or your situation is unusual, we're happy to talk about something tailored.
Do you offer free machine loans? Yes, to customers who buy direct and through distributors. We don't publish a volume threshold because it depends on the whole relationship. Our lower machine costs mean more businesses can qualify than with most suppliers. Pls get in touch to discuss it.
Is a loaned machine supported? Yes. Loaned machines are serviced at no charge for as long as the loan runs and our materials are used.
Do I have to buy my film from you? Our machines are designed for our film and we support them for as long as you buy it from us. There is no minimum quantity, contract period or volume target attached to buying a machine.
Which air cushion machine is right for me? The Shadow Boxer Mk2 (£295) suits lower-volume or simpler packing, the Silver Pack Mk2 (£495) adds pre-set dispense length and optional accessories, and the Navy Seal (£695) is built to support several packers and runs our 800mm films. Our guide to choosing an air cushion machine helps you decide.
Do you recommend paper or air cushion? Whichever suits the job. Air cushion is often the lowest-impact choice for light and medium goods, and paper is better for some heavy or dense items. We supply both, so we can recommend either.
Do you work with distributors? Yes. We aim to keep prices consistent with distributors, agree bulk volumes by film type, and can deliver direct to your customer using your paperwork. Find out more
Forever Green Packaging publishes machine and film prices openly, with no minimum order. Prices are ex VAT and were checked on 11 October 2026. See our air cushion machines and film, or get in touch if your usage calls for a tailored conversation.
