How packaging is sourced
The sequence most buyers go through, whether the job is a single carton or a full retail range.
Define the brief
Start with the product, not the package. Write down what is being packed, its weight and dimensions, whether it needs a moisture, oxygen or light barrier, the shelf life you are claiming, and how it will be shipped and stored. Most quoting problems trace back to a brief that left one of these out. A supplier who asks these questions before quoting is usually the one to keep talking to.
Choose a format and material
Format and material are a single decision, because the format you pick limits the materials available and vice versa. Corrugated, folding carton, rigid plastic, flexible film, glass, aluminium and moulded fibre each carry different barrier performance, unit cost, tooling cost and freight profile. Ask to see what comparable products in your category use, and why. Resist settling the material before the barrier and shelf-life requirement is written down.
Prototype and sample
Get physical samples before committing. For cartons and corrugated this can mean a plotter-cut sample at no tooling cost; for moulded or formed parts it may require a soft tool. Pack the actual product in the actual sample and handle it the way a courier will. Drop tests, stacking tests and a transit trial catch problems that drawings do not.
Tooling, plates and dies
Most custom packaging carries a one-off cost before the first unit ships - cutting dies, print plates, embossing tools or moulds. Establish the amount, whether it is charged once or amortised over the order, and critically, who owns the tooling and who holds it. Tooling ownership determines whether you can take the job to another supplier later, so settle it in writing rather than assuming.
Minimum order quantities and lead times
Minimum order quantity is usually set by the production process, not by the supplier's preference, so there is often less room to negotiate than buyers expect. Ask for the first-order MOQ and the reorder MOQ separately - they can differ. Get lead times for both a repeat run and a new run with new tooling, and ask whether the item is made locally or imported, because that is what sets the lead time and how it behaves when something goes wrong.
Compliance and labelling
What applies depends on what you are packing. Food contact materials, therapeutic goods, cosmetics, dangerous goods and products sold by measure each sit under different rules and different regulators. Country of origin and mandatory labelling requirements are separate again. Identify which regulator covers your product early, and ask the supplier in writing what they certify and what remains your responsibility - the line between the two is where disputes happen.
Sustainability and end-of-life
Decide what happens to the packaging after use, and what you intend to say about it. Recyclable, recycled-content, compostable and reusable are different claims with different evidence behind them, and a claim you cannot substantiate is a bigger problem than no claim at all. If you intend to state that something is compostable, ask for the certification and the certificate number rather than a description. Kerbside recyclability also depends on local collection, which varies by council.
Ongoing supply and freight
Packaging is bulky and light, so freight and storage often move the landed cost more than the unit price does. Check how the item is palletised, how many fit a pallet, and where it ships from. Ask whether the supplier holds stock locally, what happens in a shortage, how long a quote is held, and how price changes are notified. For anything you will reorder, the supply arrangement matters more than the first quote.
Australian packaging companies
Larger Australian manufacturers, converters and distributors, grouped by what they primarily do. Listed alphabetically within each group.
| Name | Location | Website |
|---|---|---|
| AmcorFlexible and rigid packaging across food, beverage, healthcare and personal care. | Global, ASX and NYSE listed | amcor.com |
| OpalPaper and fibre packaging and recycling. Operates as Paper Australia Pty Ltd, part of the Nippon Paper Group. | Australia and New Zealand | opalanz.com |
| OroraBeverage cans and glass, and packaging distribution. | Global, ASX listed | ororagroup.com |
| Pact GroupRigid plastic packaging, reuse and recycling, and contract manufacturing. | Cremorne, Victoria — national | pactgroup.com |
| Pro-Pac PackagingFlexible films, industrial and rigid packaging. | National | propac.com.au |
| VisyCorrugated board, cartons and recycling. Australia's largest privately held packaging manufacturer. | National | visy.com.au |
| Name | Location | Website |
|---|---|---|
| CospakBottles, jars, closures and containers for food, beverage and cosmetics. | National | cospak.com.au |
| Sealed AirProtective and food packaging systems, including void fill and vacuum packaging. | Global | sealedair.com |
| SignetIndustrial packaging and warehouse consumables — strapping, tape, stretch film, cartons. | National | signet.net.au |
| Name | Location | Website |
|---|---|---|
| BioPakCompostable and fibre-based food service packaging. | National | biopak.com.au |
| Close the LoopResource recovery and end-of-life processing for packaging and consumables. | Victoria — national | closetheloop.com.au |
| DetpakPaper-based food service and retail packaging. | National, part of the Detmold Group | detpak.com |
About this list. Compiled from public company information. Inclusion is not an endorsement and we have no commercial relationship with any company listed. The list covers larger suppliers and is not exhaustive — there are many capable specialist and regional packaging businesses not shown here.
Know one that belongs here? Corrections and additions are welcome.
Questions worth asking a supplier
Ask these before you compare quotes, not after.
- What is the tooling or plate cost, and who owns the tooling? Tooling is often the largest one-off cost and the thing that locks you to a supplier. Ownership and physical possession decide whether you can move the job later.
- What is the minimum order quantity, first run and reorder? MOQ is usually dictated by the production process rather than the supplier, so it sets the floor on your stock commitment. The reorder minimum can differ from the first run.
- What is the lead time, and is stock held in Australia? A quoted lead time means little without knowing whether the item ships from a local warehouse or a factory overseas. Locally held stock is what protects you when a reorder goes wrong.
- Is this made here or imported, and by whom? Many Australian packaging suppliers distribute rather than manufacture, which is fine but changes who controls quality, lead time and specification changes. Knowing which you are dealing with tells you who to call about a fault.
- What do you certify for compliance, and what is left to me? Food contact, dangerous goods and therapeutic or cosmetic packaging each carry obligations, and suppliers differ in how much of that they document. Get the division of responsibility in writing before the first order.
- What evidence sits behind any recyclability or compostability claim? Ask for the certification, the standard it was tested to and the certificate number, not a description. If you repeat the claim on your own packaging, you are the one who has to substantiate it.
- How is the price structured, and how long does the quote hold? Check whether freight, pallets and storage are included, and how many units fit a pallet - packaging is bulky, so freight can outweigh unit price. Ask how long the price is held and how increases are notified.