How to Audit Your Own Packaging Line

A DIY guide to finding hidden savings in your consumables.

As many operations managers review their budgets, it’s easy to focus on freight rates, labor costs, and utility expenses. But there’s one category that often gets overlooked because it feels “fixed”, is consumables.

Tape, stretch film, boxes, and void fill are frequently treated as unavoidable costs - “We ship X boxes, so we buy Y tape.” In reality, most packaging lines are quietly leaking money through hidden inefficiencies. Over-taping, under-stretching, and using the wrong materials can drive packaging costs up by 20% or more.

One valuable way to spot inefficiencies is to, take an hour to walk your warehouse floor. Use this 4-Step DIY Audit to uncover where waste is happening - and how to eliminate it.

Step 1: The "Trash Can" Test

The easiest way to spot inefficiency is to look at your waste. Walk over to the trash bins near your packing stations and stretch wrappers.

• What to look for: Do you see half-used rolls of tape or stretch film thrown away? Do you see cardboard cores with usable material still on them?
• The Fix: This is often a training issue or an equipment issue (e.g., a dispenser that jams near the end of a roll). A "run-to-zero" policy can save surprisingly significant amounts of annual revenue.

Step 2: The "Double-Strip" Observation

Stand back and watch your packers for 10 minutes. Don't let them know you are auditing—just observe their natural rhythm.

• What to look for: Are they applying one strip of tape to seal a box, or are they adding a second (or third) "safety strip"?
• The Diagnosis: If your packers feel the need to double-tape, one of two things is happening: either they lack confidence in the tape's adhesive, or they are using a low-quality tape that actually requires multiple strips.
• The Resolution: Switching to a higher-grade tape or a Water-Activated Tape (WAT) dispenser often eliminates the need for that second strip. You might pay slightly more per roll, but you will use 50% less material.
  
  

Step 3: The Stretch Film "Containment" Check

Go to your pallet wrapping area. Whether you wrap by hand or machine, this is a prime spot for hidden costs.

• What to look for: Look at a wrapped pallet. Is the film loose? Can you easily pull the film away from the product? Conversely, is the pallet wrapped with so many layers it looks like a cocoon?

• The Diagnosis: "More plastic" does not equal "safer load." If you aren't pre-stretching your film correctly, you are wasting material. High-performance films can be stretched up to 250-300%, meaning you use less film to get a tighter hold.

• The Resolution: Audit your wrapper settings. If you are hand-wrapping, consider if the labor cost and inconsistent film usage justify moving to an automated wrapper in 2026.
  
  

Step 4: The "Shipping Air" Audit

Look at a few sealed boxes ready for the truck. Shake them.

• What to look for: Does the product rattle? Open it up. How much void fill (air pillows, paper, peanuts) is inside?
• The Diagnosis: If you are stuffing a small product into a large box, you are paying triple: once for the extra cardboard, once for the excessive void fill, and again for the DIM (dimensional) weight shipping costs.
• The Resolution: Analyze your most common order sizes. Optimizing your box suite to fit your actual orders is one of the highest ROI changes you can make.
  
  

Small Audit, Big Savings

Performing this audit doesn't cost a dime, but it can reveal thousands of dollars in potential savings.

Once you have identified where the waste is happening, that is where we come in. Whether you need a stronger tape to stop the double-stripping, or a high-yield stretch film to reduce plastic usage, IPG has the product portfolio to solve the problems your audit uncovers.

Did your audit reveal inefficiencies? Browse IPG’s Solutions to Upgrade Your Line for 2026