Getting More with Less: Cut EPR Costs & Waste with Smarter Packaging

Packaging is more than a cost of doing business. The materials you use, and how efficiently you use them, can impact everything from material spend and labour to freight, storage and waste. Every extra layer of stretch film, oversized carton or unnecessary piece of void fill adds up.

With Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs expanding across Canada, packaging decisions are taking on a new level of importance. Excess packaging now influences reporting obligations, and in many provinces, companies are now responsible for funding the collection and recycling of the consumer packaging they place on the market. That means the packaging decisions you make today could have a direct impact on tomorrow’s costs.

Fortunately, reducing waste doesn’t have to mean compromising product protection. It starts with using the right packaging and using it correctly.

How to be Waste-Wise

Waste is not always caused by the wrong packaging. More often, it comes from using the right packaging in the wrong way:

1. Excessive Stretch Film: Applying more film than necessary is one of the biggest causes of increased packaging costs. Every additional wrap adds material, labour, weight and waste without improving load stability.
2. Incorrect Machine Settings: Stretch wrappers that aren’t properly calibrated may apply more film than required or fail to maximize the film’s stretch capabilities. Small adjustments to tension, pre-stretch and wrap patterns can significantly reduce film consumption while maintaining load integrity.
3. Improper Hand Wrapping: Hand wrapping techniques vary widely between operators. Wrapping too low, overlapping excessively or failing to stretch the film properly often results in unnecessary material use and inconsistent loads.
4. Oversized Packaging: Using cartons that are larger than needed increases material consumption and requires additional void fill. Larger packages also take up more trailer space, increasing transportation costs

Small adjustments to packaging materials, equipment settings and packaging practices can have a significant impact on efficiency and cost:

• Right-size cartons to match your products. Check out our guide on how to Right-Size your packaging or speak with one of our packaging experts for a category review.
• Matching film gauge to the application
• Optimizing machine pre-stretch and tension settings
• Training employees on proper hand wrapping techniques
• Reducing unnecessary void fill
• Periodically reviewing packaging specifications as product and shipping conditions change

Why Packaging Matters More Than Ever

Reducing packaging waste has always helped lower material costs, freight expenses and landfill waste. Today, it may also affect what your business pays under evolving EPR programs.

For businesses that qualify as producers, every gram of unnecessary consumer packaging can contribute to the amount of packaging they need to report, and potentially the fees they pay.

Consumer Packaging vs. Transport Packaging

A useful question to ask is: Does the consumer receive this packaging? For example:

Packaging	Considered Consumer Packaging?
Shrink wrap around a retail beverage multipack	✅ Yes
Glass jars, bottles and product cartons	✅ Yes
Shipping cartons removed at the grocery store	❌ No
Stretch wrap securing pallets	❌ No
Pallets	❌ No

Who Is Responsible Under EPR?

In most cases, responsibility follows the producer of the packaged product, not the supplier of the empty packaging.

Scenario	Responsible
Brand owner selling packaged products to consumers	✅ Brand owner
Imported products with no Canadian brand owner	✅ Importer
Retailer selling private label products	✅ Retailer (if they are the brand owner)
Packaging distributor selling boxes, tape or stretch film to manufacturers	❌ Typically not responsible

So, what does that mean for you?

Scenario 1	Scenario 2	Scenario 3
ABC Packaging supplies shrink film to a beverage manufacturer. The manufacturer uses the film to wrap 12 cans together for retail sale. The grocery store places the shrink-wrapped multipack directly on the shelf.   Who is typically responsible?   The beverage manufacturer, because the shrink wrap reaches the consumer as part of the finished product.	ABC Packaging supplies corrugated shipping cases and pallet stretch wrap. The manufacturer uses them to ship products to retailers. Store employees remove the stretch wrap and shipping cases before placing products on the shelf.   Because consumers never receive these transport materials, they generally fall outside consumer packaging EPR obligations.	ABC Packaging supplies shipping cartons, void fill and tape to an online retailer. The retailer uses these materials to ship products directly to consumers’ homes.   Who is typically responsible?   The online retailer (or brand owner, depending on the ownership structure) is generally responsible because the shipping carton and packaging materials are received and discarded by the consumer.

*EPR programs may differ across the country. Please visit Circular Materials’ EPR in Canada page for the latest information on regulations in your province.

Packaging challenges, sustainability goals and regulatory considerations can vary widely from one business to the next. That’s why understanding your current operation is the best place to start.

We offer a comprehensive range of packaging solutions and the expertise to help you get the most from them. Our packaging specialists can assess your current packaging program, evaluate equipment and material usage, and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste and control costs without compromising product protection.

Speak to one of our experts to pack, wrap and ship better!