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The Packaging Tender Checklist for 2026

25 view(s) 5 min read

Rising labour costs, driven by increases in National Insurance contributions, the National Living Wage, and ongoing inflation on energy, fuel and materials, are creating challenging business conditions. With the introduction of packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and recyclability-based levies, the financial impact of packaging is more visible than ever. Businesses of all sizes ar...

3 quick-install packaging automation systems for ecommerce (Updated Sept 2025)

56 view(s) 5 min read

With peak shopping periods drawing near, internet retailers must be prepared to manage surges in demand. A streamlined packaging operation is essential. Not only will an efficient packing process allow for timely dispatch, but it can also contribute to customer satisfaction and retention by meeting ever more demanding expectations. If you’re looking for a short-term efficiency boost, quick-...

Using Packaging Automation to Offset Labour Costs and National Insurance Contributions

28 view(s) 6 min read

Following the announcement of the UK’s 2024 Autumn budget, UK businesses are set to face significant increases in costs associated with labour throughout 2025. The jump in employer National Insurance contributions will be a headache for many and mean that companies will need to look at where they can tighten their belts. Compounding this, the UK labour market has cooled substant...

Packaging legislation to be aware of in 2024

13 view(s) 6 min read

It can be tricky trying to keep up with the legislation that applies in the packaging industry. With the UK Government bringing in sweeping reforms around packaging waste, it’s a good time to get your head around what packaging related regulations you should know about in 2024. In this article, we’ll review the key pieces of packaging legislation that might impact you in 2024, if you’re...

Automated packaging: 10 decisive benefits

21 view(s) 4 min read

Automated packaging is a popular topic at the start of a new year. After a busy peak period, many businesses start to think about how they can improve their production lines. There are lots of ways businesses can increase production, including packaging automation. In this article, we’ll give you an overview of packaging automaton, the types of packaging machinery available and show you 10 ...

How tamper evident packaging protects against counterfeit goods

17 view(s) 4 min read

In a series of raids recently, police seized over 20 tonnes of fake branded items in the notorious Manchester “counterfeit street”, with an estimated value of £40m. The word counterfeit often brings to mind high end luxury items, like designer handbags, clothing and watches, but the problem goes much wider. The range of goods available includes electricals, car parts, vapes, cosmetics, toys...

Complexities of packaging supplier management in Europe

Managing European packaging supply chain continuity

21 view(s) 5 min read

Operating a multi-sited operation in Europe and utilising a packaging supply chain can be highly complex. The European Union supports free trade in many European countries, but not all, and the single currency is only operational in some member state countries. If you are operational throughout Europe, there are many moving parts at play that can absorb high levels of administration time an...

How to reduce operating costs with packaging

5 ways to reduce operating costs with packaging

19 view(s) 8 min read

The stakes are high in 2023 to ensure that your business operates competitively by keeping costs down. Have you ever considered the role packaging can play in your operating costs? It might be bigger than you think. We estimate that 90% what packaging costs your business could be hiding behind the unit price you pay packaging materials. This week, we’re going to be looking at why busi...

10 things you could do differently with your packaging in 2023

26 view(s) 9 min read

Happy New Year! It’s as if we’ve blinked, Christmas is over, and the New Year is here… And with a new year comes new possibilities. At Macfarlane Packaging we always think about what we could do differently to the last in the coming year in January. It’s a great time to assess how peak went, spot bottlenecks, and implement initiatives to achieve new goals. That’s why this blog looks at t...

3 tips to quickly improve pack speeds ahead of seasonal demand

12 view(s) 6 min read

Christmas will soon be round the corner. And as we all know this means that consumer demand for shopping online booms in the last three months of the year. The fourth quarter is often the most lucrative time for retailers and fulfilment houses, but it also comes with its challenges… On average, 4.2 billion parcels are shipped each year in the UK. In fact, we now ship the highest number of ...