This is the final piece in two series. Series A and its cornerstone piece Why We Recommend the Greenest Material, Not the Most Fashionable One looked at the science of materials, and Series B such as How systems benefit packaging showed what systems add on top. If you’ve read Greener. Quicker. Cheaper. and are wondering what getting started actually involves, this is the practical guide.
For many businesses, the barrier to a packaging system isn't whether it works. It's a set of reasonable worries. Will it cost too much up front? Will I be locked into a contract or a large order? Will it be complicated to set up and run? What happens if something goes wrong?
Historically, those worries were justified. Advanced protective packaging systems were mostly open to large customers with big budgets, or to those willing to commit to high minimum order quantities. We set out to change that, and the way we work is built around removing each of those barriers in turn.
Affordable
- Machines start at £295. The Shadow Boxer Mk2 air cushion machine costs £295, and at low volumes it pays for itself in around two months (the payback table is here).
- Film from a single roll. There's no minimum order beyond one roll (£24 for 500m), so you can buy what you need without tying up cash or storage space in stock.
- A machine for each budget and volume. Our air cushion range runs from the Shadow Boxer Mk2 at £295, through the Silver Pack Mk2 at £495, to the high-speed Navy Seal at £695 (all ex VAT), and our paper systems and gummed tape dispensers are priced to suit businesses of every size.
- Free loaned equipment and rental options. If you'd rather not buy a machine outright, there are other ways to get started. Free loan equipment is generally available to higher-usage customers, who can have the equipment for as long as they're using it with our materials, and rental is also possible. The arrangements are agreed case by case, to suit each customer, so get in touch and we'll talk through what makes sense for you.
Flexible
- No contracts and no minimum order quantities. Order what you need, when you need it, and change your mind if your business changes.
- Pack Proof: Our free Try Before You Buy service. Not sure it will work for your products? Send us a typical order and we'll repack it exactly as it would go out, then send it back to you with an optional comparison report on amount of material, protection, pack time and cost. You see the finished pack for yourself as your customer would before you spend anything.
- It scales with you. As volumes grow or your product range changes, you can move to a higher spec machine, add accessories such as trolleys, hoppers or winders, or add a second machine dedicated to a particular material size. One Packaging System, Many Applications covers how one system flexes to many applications.
Supported
A machine is only as good as the support behind it. This is the part of the offer that's easiest to underestimate and, in our experience, the part customers value most. All our systems are simple and reliable but will still be a new way of working for some customers. We can be with them, when needed, from optional installation & training, to ongoing servicing.
- A personal conversation first. We'll ask about your products, order volumes, how you pack now and what's frustrating about it, and recommend the right system, whether that's air cushion, paper void fill or gummed tape. If another material suits you better, we'll say so.
- Demos, trials and site visits. A system demo or trial shows you the system itself, so you can see how it runs in practice. We can also visit to see the packing operation first-hand and put together a pack-cost comparison based on your own products.
- Pack Proof, our Try Before You Buy service, shows you the finished pack.
- Free optional installation and training. We set the machine up and make sure the people using it know the full range of what it can do, not just the default setting. Technique advice is part of it.
- Ongoing maintenance and servicing. The relationship doesn't end at installation. Machines you buy come with a one-year warranty from installation, and loaned machines are serviced at no charge for as long as they're on loan. Our Technical Section also has manuals, settings and maintenance guides for each air cushion machine, plus operator videos for the Shadow Boxer Mk2 and our automatic paper void fill system, with more on the way, so help is there whenever you need it.
- Quick answers when something goes wrong. We aim to answer enquiries within 24 hours. Most technical issues are resolved the same day on the telephone or a video call. For those which aren't, we aim to send a replacement machine within 24 hours.
- Support beyond the machine. Free Return 2 Recycle R2R for film, and help with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), mean the end-of-life side of the materials is covered too. R2R is a service that you can promote to your customers to reflect well on your business.
What getting started looks like
That's the whole process. There are no ongoing commitments and we rely on our good products and service to act as our contract.
Whatever you pack, the aim is the same as it's been throughout this series: the greenest material for the job, the right amount of it, in the hands of people who know how to use it. Get in touch and we'll talk it through.
