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PAPERplus Track /Analysis

Current Void Fill/ Shredded Waste Material

Material Cost per Year/ Labour

Packing process at the station

Returns

Protection properties

Unboxing experience and brand perception

01.

Material Cost per Year/ Labour

Shredded material is costing the business 6 hours of labour per day, to prepare and then shred the waste. At a rate of £15 per hour. Over a full year (based on 256 working days ), this results in:

Daily cost: £90
Annual cost: £23,040

This represents the total yearly labour cost associated with producing your shredded material.

03.

Packing Process/ Time Savings

Shredded material significantly slows down the packing process at the workstation. Because it’s loose and inconsistent, packers must spend extra time handling, arranging, and containing it around each product. It often requires multiple adjustments to achieve adequate coverage, and the material tends to spill or scatter, creating additional clean‑up and workflow interruptions. This inefficiency leads to longer packing times per order, reduced throughput, and increased labour costs compared with using structured, purpose‑designed packaging materials.

Together we calculated that packing with the shredder material took twice as long to pack each box, on two of the lines we tested.

05.

Returns

Research indicates that adopting effective protective packaging can reduce damage‑related returns by 18%, showing how much poor void‑fill choices (including shredded material) can hurt return performance.

In practical terms: businesses using shredded void fill are likely to see return and damage rates way above the industry average, because shredded material lacks the stability and shock absorption that reduce returns.

02.

Protection Properties

Shredded material performs poorly as protective packaging because it does not provide consistent cushioning or stability. Items can shift during transit, leaving exposed areas with little to no protection. The shredded fibres also compact easily, meaning the protection weakens under pressure. It creates significant mess and dust, leading to additional labour for clean‑up and disposal. Shredded material also offers poor shock absorption, increasing the risk of product damage. Overall, it is inefficient, untidy, and unreliable compared to modern, purpose‑designed protective packaging solutions.

04.

Unboxing Experience and Brand Perception

Using shredded material as void fill negatively affects both brand perception and the customer unboxing experience. It looks messy, unprofessional, and low‑value, which can make customers question the quality of both the packaging and the product itself. The loose fibres often scatter everywhere when the box is opened, creating frustration and leaving customers with a cleanup job rather than an enjoyable experience. Shredded material also tends to hide products, reducing the sense of excitement and presentation that modern customers expect. Because it compresses easily and shifts during transit, it can also signal a lack of care or attention to detail. Overall, shredded void fill can make the brand feel outdated, cheap, and inconsiderate—undermining customer satisfaction and diminishing the impact of the unboxing moment.

Solution/ PAPERplus Track machine

01.

Material Cost per Year/ Labour

The Storopack PAPERplus machines eliminate labour costs associated with producing protective packaging because it automates the entire void‑fill process. Unlike manual options such as shredded material which requires constant handling, arranging, topping‑up, and clean-up, a paper pad machine delivers ready‑to‑use pads on demand with no operator time spent preparing or managing material. This automation removes packing‑station delays and ensures consistent output, resulting in zero direct labour costs for producing void fill. The result is a more efficient packing workflow, lower operational expenses, and a faster, cleaner, professional packaging process

Yearly cost ZERO

03.

Packing Process/ Time Savings

Packing with the standardised 47cm PAPERplus pads reduced the packing time by nearly 50% on the two lines we tested. Standard lengths, a cushioned malleable pads was so much more efficient to work with.

We worked out that you saved a minimum of 1.5 minutes on the boxes packed with PAPERplus, on the two lines tested.
Therefore 100 boxes you save 1.5hrs, which equates to £22.50 a day
If we said an average throughput was 500 boxes a day (I know that this is a very conservative estimate) then there is a cost saving of £112.50 a day
Based on a 256 day working year, annual time/ cost saving of £28,800

05.

Returns

PAPERplus® Track machine pads help reduce product returns by providing high‑performance cushioning that protects goods from transit damage, one of the primary causes of returns in e‑commerce and distribution.

The system produces sturdy, shock‑absorbing paper cushions in mere seconds, delivering highly effective padding while using minimal material. This strong protective performance ensures items—especially fragile, heavy, or high‑value products—are blocked, braced, and shielded from knocks and drops during shipping.

02.

Protection Properties

Paper padding machines are far superior, for product protection. Crumpled paper pads or structured cushioning provide strong shock absorption, effective blocking and bracing, and reliable performance for all types of product. Advanced systems, such as Storopack PAPERplus, using patented crumpling methods, produce dense, consistent pads suitable for high‑demand environments

04.

Unboxing Experience and Brand Perception

Paper pads enhance brand perception and elevate the unboxing experience by creating a clean, premium, and thoughtfully presented package. Custom paper‑based void fill solutions have been shown to increase perceived product value, strengthen brand impression and recall, and boost customer willingness to recommend products on social media

Conclusion

Cost of shedder material labour cost. £23,040 per annum

Time saving cost at the packing station.. £28,800 per annum

Usage, average of 6 bins a day, each bin has 60, 47cm pads full.

1 block of PAPERplus pad paper runs 10 full bins

MOQ 1 pallet, which contains 36 blocks, so 360 full bins per pallet of material

Average usage 120 bins per month

Average 1440 bins per year

Average 4 pallets used a year. Pallet cost.. £1689.23

Annual cost.. £6756.92

Swift Comm SAVINGS purely against shredding labour cost.. £16,284

Swift Comm SAVINGS to then include saved packing time at the stations.. £45,084

In conclusion, the move to the PAPERplus® solution delivers immediate and measurable bottom‑line savings, supported by the broader advantages highlighted throughout this analysis.

Beyond the direct cost efficiencies, the system provides superior product protection, strengthens brand perception, and elevates the overall unboxing experience.

These improvements also contribute to a reduction in returns, replacements, and re‑shipping costs, further enhancing operational performance and customer satisfaction.

I hope you found my analysis useful and informative, I look forward to discussing this with you.

All the best

Steven Ward