Contract packaging, also known as co-packing, is the practice of outsourcing assembly and packing tasks to expert providers.
Finding the right co-packing service provider doesn’t need to feel like you are relinquishing control and can help you to scale more efficiently. At Rain Nutrience, we offer a range of contract packing services for a variety of products across our clients, and we are certain to be able to help you too. Find the answers to our most frequently asked questions related to contract packaging below.
What is Contract Packaging?
Contract packaging, also known as co-packing, is the practice of outsourcing assembly and packing tasks to expert providers. These expert providers will often fill, pack, and label your orders and get them retail ready. Businesses often use co-packing services when they don’t have the facilities, machinery, or expertise to carry out quality packing tasks in-house or are looking to minimise their operating costs.
Our co-packing services may be used for several different product types, including foods, nutraceuticals, and household products.
What are the benefits of co-packing/contract packaging?
The main benefit of co-packing is that it provides an expert packing or repacking service without the need for costly facilities, machinery, and personnel. We work with you to make sure your product is suitably packed for distribution.
When you outsource to a specialist contract packaging provider, it enables you to focus on the core of your business. This could be coming up with new and innovative product lines, supporting the growth of your brand through specialist marketing campaigns, or simply giving you more time to concentrate on the day-to-day running of your business.
Utilising co-packing experts can also improve efficiency and get your product to market more quickly as you are able to take advantage of existing processes, rather than get bogged down in creating new processes and resolving logistical issues.
Furthermore, by relying on specialists in the industry, you are afforded expert advice, compliance, and transparency.
How does co-packing work and what are the stages of contract packaging?
Contract packaging providers offer varying degrees of services, depending on which stage of the process you need support with. Typically, the stages of co-packing include:
- Design: Design and prototyping packaging to ensure that it is suitable for the product.
- Inventory Management: Taking receipt of and auditing inventory of the product and any pre-produced packaging components.
- Printing and component production: Supplying supporting components for the final package (for example, manuals or promotional items).
- Package assembly and fulfilment: Executing the product fulfilment into the packaging, including closing and sealing the final package.
- Warehousing and distribution: Organising and storing the packaged product.
What services does a contract packer offer?
At Rain Nutrience, we offer a wide variety of contract packaging services which are available to view here.
Why outsource to a contract packer?
As mentioned, outsourcing to a specialist contract packer can help you to scale your business without the hefty outlay in cost. Experienced co-packers can also provide sound, specialist advice about suggesting the best packing solutions and materials to meet your needs.
Using the right contract packaging company that demonstrates strict compliance to regulations and health and safety measures can also minimise risk for your business.
Can you help my product stay compliant?
Yes. Our robust and strict Quality Management System ensures we co-pack your product the way same each time and to the consistency and specification you require. We take great pride in ensuring we deliver outstanding quality products to the highest food safety standards and hold numerous industry accreditations.
Who Is A Good Fit For Doing Business With A Co-Packer?
Knowing when to outsource your packaging requirements can depend on several things.
Contract packing is required by businesses that do not have their own packaging workforce or internal expertise. It is essential for businesses where a high volume of distribution is required.
Ultimately, if your product is scalable, in demand, and you can invest in a contract packaging partner then it’s likely the right time to start looking for support in this area.
What is the difference between primary packaging, secondary packaging, and tertiary packaging?
Primary packaging is the packaging that holds the product, it’s the first layer of protection for the product and the last piece of packaging the consumer opens.
Secondary packaging is the packing that surrounds the individual units of the product.
Tertiary packaging is the third level of three types of packaging used to protect manufactured goods for shipping or storing. It is used to protect not only the product but also its secondary and primary packaging.
What's the difference between a contract manufacturer and a copacker?
There is a stark difference between contract manufacturing and contract packaging.
Contract manufacturers produce parts, components, or whole products for a company to the company’s specifications.
As mentioned, contract packaging is the practice of outsourcing the assembly and packing tasks to expert providers.
How much does Co-packing cost?
There are no standard costs. Each project’s price depends on volume (number of packs) and the type of packaging in question. At Rain Nutrience, we can work with free-issue packaging or source packaging on our customer’s behalf.
To get a specific cost for your co-packing job, contact us today.
What should I look for in a potential contract packing partner?
When looking for a contract packaging partner, it’s important to consider the following aspects.
Ensure that you are working with an established business with staff that has considerable industry experience, and a team that has a good record of reliability.
Make sure that your prospective contract packaging service provider can offer solutions that serve your needs.
Don’t neglect location. Opt to partner with a company with a location that’s easy to get to both for you, and for the transportation of goods.
Can you support with own label and white label products?
Yes. We are proud to be market leaders in high-tech manufacturing and product innovation and the first point of call for many own label and white label product requirements. Whether you are looking to develop a concept, improve a formulation, or beat a competitor, as market leaders in own label supplement manufacturer, we are equipped to develop your own supplement brand and give you an edge in the marketplace.
Why should I use Rain Nutrience for my contract packaging needs?
We are responsive to customer demands, always providing a timely response to customer questions and providing realistic production plans.
We are passionate about our products and service, and we have production experts and specialist engineers as part of our team.
We are committed to always doing our best for our customers.
We are flexible in approach, helpful and supportive of many types/sizes/models of business from specialist start-ups to multi-nationals.
We are highly experienced, and we work with a wide range of packaging formats.
We hope that this article on contract packaging FAQs helps you to feel more informed about the process and better equipped to make an informed decision about whether to outsource your packaging needs. To discuss how we can help you, please contact us here.