What is Downgauging?
Downgauging refers to reducing the thickness of a film while maintaining its performance. This approach benefits both buyers and sellers by lowering material usage, helping companies achieve packaging reduction and sustainability goals. As a result, downgauging has become a widely discussed concept among material suppliers and processors, significantly influencing how the industry operates.
To downgauge a film means to make the film thinner, and buyers and sellers like it because they can go green in two ways:
- Go Green Environmentally
- Go Green Financially
Environmentally, less material is used in the process, and this can help a lot of companies meet their goals to reduce the amount of packaging material they use.
From the other side of the equation, downgauging 5% leads to a 5% reduction in material cost. This can be millions of dollars in polymer savings for a large producer.
5 Considerations for Downgauging
Downgauging, which is the practice of reducing film thickness, has gained significant attention among material suppliers and processors. It delivers clear advantages, including lower material usage and support for corporate sustainability objectives. At the same time, downgauging also presents certain challenges that must be addressed.
- Cost considerations: While downgauging can lead to cost savings, it may also require investments in new equipment or technologies.
- Perceived risk: Some companies may be hesitant to downgauge due to perceived risks.
- Meeting customer requirements: Downgauging may pose challenges in meeting specific customer requirements.
- Supply chain considerations: Downgauging may impact the supply chain and require adjustments to processes and logistics.
- Regulatory compliance: Companies need to ensure that downgauged films comply with relevant regulations.
Despite these challenges, many companies have achieved film downgauging of up to 50% without compromising product quality. The industry continues to pursue innovative solutions to address these obstacles and advance more sustainable packaging practices.
4 Benefits of Downgauging
Downgauging, the process of making a film thinner, offers several benefits, such as reducing the amount of packaging material used and helping companies meet their sustainability goals. Here are some of the benefits of downgauging:
- Cost savings: Downgauging can lead to significant cost savings by reducing the amount of material used in the process.
- Improved performance: Downgauged films can offer improved performance characteristics such as puncture resistance and tear strength.
- Improved sustainability: By using less material, downgauging can help companies meet their sustainability goals and reduce their carbon footprint.
- Lighter pallet loads: Thinner films can lead to lighter pallet loads, which can improve shipping prices and save money throughout the supply chain.
Contact Us Today
Dana Poly is a trusted manufacturer of bags and packaging materials. We are located in New Jersey and offer the ability to ship nationwide. Please contact us today for more information about our products, which includes downgauging film. When you order with Dana Poly, you get affordable, wholesale pricing options.
