In the tea and coffee industry, packaging is typically the second largest cost after raw materials. With rising raw material costs and fluctuating transportation expenses, many brands face a thorny dilemma: how to reduce packaging costs without compromising its barrier properties or the brand’s premium image?
At SOKOOGROUP, we firmly believe that cost reduction should not come at the expense of quality, but rather should be pursued through optimization. The following four proven strategies can help you save costs while maintaining product freshness and brand reputation.
1. Optimize material structure
Many brands “over-design” their packaging. While high-barrier aluminum foil is essential for roasting coffee, you might be using a five-layer composite material when a high-performance three-layer structure is actually sufficient.
Strategy: Switch to new high-barrier materials, such as VMPET or specialty PE co-extruded materials. These materials offer similar oxygen and moisture barrier properties to traditional aluminum foil while being less expensive and lighter, thus saving on transportation costs.
2. Transitioning to automated film rolling
If you’re still manually filling pre-made bags for large-volume products, then labor costs are eroding your profits.
Strategy: Invest in vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) equipment and switch to roll film. The unit cost of roll film is significantly lower than that of a single pre-made bag. The initial investment in the equipment can typically be recovered within 12-18 months through savings in labor costs and reduced cost per bag.
3. Optimal sizing and reduced waste
Even a 5mm reduction in bag width can save thousands of dollars for a full container order.
Strategy: Conduct a “bag size review.” Are the bags you’re using too large and not proportionate to the amount of coffee or tea inside? Trimming off excess material not only reduces the cost per bag but also allows more bags to fit into shipping boxes, thus lowering unit logistics costs.
4. Integrate ordering and strategic inventory
Frequent small orders can lead to high setup fees (plate making fees) and expensive LCL (Less than Truckload) shipping rates.
Strategy: Partner with companies like SOKOOGROUP to forecast your annual demand. By switching from LCL (Less than Container Load) to FCL (Full Container Load) shipping, you can save up to 30% on shipping costs. We also offer inventory management solutions to help you take advantage of bulk pricing while maintaining healthy cash flow.
5. Standardize the selection of valves and zippers.
Custom components are expensive. Using industry-standard one-way exhaust valves and standard push-button zippers allows you to benefit from the manufacturer’s economies of scale.
Strategy: Use high-quality but standardized components to make them compatible with the widest range of filling machines.
The key to cost reduction lies in reducing costs more cleverly, not in being more stingy. A poor-quality coffee bag, if it leaks or fails to keep the coffee fresh, will result in returns and reputational damage that far outweighs the few cents saved in the production process.
Are you considering reviewing your current packaging costs? SOKOOGROUP offers free packaging consultations for tea and coffee brands. Contact our export team today and let’s find the perfect balance between quality products and reasonable profits.
Post time: Jan-15-2026
