UK Manufacturer Secures Major Contract with High-Speed Bagging and 80% Recycled Auto Bags

UK Manufacturer Secures Major Contract with High-Speed Bagging and 80% Recycled Auto Bags

A leading UK manufacturer secured a substantial new contract after Severn Packaging developed a high-speed automatic bagging solution using auto bags containing 80% recycled material.

The project combined high-speed bagging machinery, integrated printing, carefully trialled packaging materials, consumables and ongoing technical support through Severn Packaging’s Total Systems Approach.

The 80% recycled-content film was a particularly important part of the solution. It enabled the manufacturer to demonstrate a more sustainable packaging specification during the tender process and helped the business meet the environmental requirements of a significant new customer.

The Customer

The customer is a leading UK manufacturer and supplier of engineered products used across demanding commercial and industrial applications.

Its products are supplied in high volumes and require secure, consistently presented packaging that can be processed efficiently without creating a bottleneck within production.

The company has not been named in this case study at its request.

The Challenge

The manufacturer was competing for a major new contract that placed considerable importance on packaging sustainability.

The business needed to demonstrate that it could reduce the amount of virgin plastic used in its packaging while maintaining the strength, seal integrity and consistency required for a high-volume automated process.

This presented two connected challenges. The customer needed a high-speed bagging system capable of delivering the increased production volumes associated with the contract. It also required an auto-bag specification with substantially higher recycled content than conventional film that would still feed, open, print and seal reliably at production speeds.

The project focused on:

• Supporting the manufacturer’s tender for a major new contract.
• Introducing auto bags containing 80% recycled material.
• Reducing reliance on virgin plastic.
• Confirming the film’s suitability through application trials.
• Achieving reliable seals and consistent machine performance.
• Increasing packing speed and production capacity.
• Integrating product identification into the bagging process.
• Establishing dependable supplies of materials and consumables.
• Providing one point of responsibility for the complete system.

The Severn Packaging Solution

Severn Packaging supplied a high-speed automatic bagging system together with the auto bags, print consumables, installation, training and ongoing technical support required for the application.

Rather than treating the machinery and packaging material as separate purchases, Severn Packaging developed and tested the complete solution as one integrated system.

80% Recycled Auto Bags

The auto bags supplied for the project contain 80% recycled material, significantly reducing the proportion of virgin polymer required for each pack.

Recycled-content film can behave differently from conventional virgin material. Variations in stiffness, stretch, sealing characteristics and consistency can all affect its performance on automatic bagging machinery.

Severn Packaging therefore trialled the material before agreeing the final specification. The film thickness, construction, perforations and sealing characteristics were matched to the product and the high-speed bagging process.

This testing gave the customer confidence that the environmental improvement would not compromise production performance or finished pack quality.

Supporting a Major Contract Win

The sustainability of the proposed packaging was an important consideration within the customer’s tender.

Being able to offer a proven auto-bag specification containing 80% recycled material strengthened the manufacturer’s proposal and helped it secure the major new contract.

The packaging solution provided a practical and measurable reduction in virgin plastic use while demonstrating that the customer had considered sustainability across its wider production and supply process.

High-Speed Automatic Bagging

The new machinery provides the production capacity required to support the increased order volumes generated by the contract.

Pre-opened bags are presented ready for loading before the system completes the printing and sealing processes. This removes several stages associated with manually opening, filling, labelling and sealing individual bags.

The result is a controlled and repeatable packing process capable of delivering higher throughput with more consistent presentation.

Integrated Printing

Product, batch, barcode or other variable information can be printed directly onto each bag during the packing cycle.

Inline printing reduces the need for separate adhesive labels and helps ensure the correct information is applied consistently to each product. It also enables print formats to be changed for different products and production requirements.

Material and Machine Specified Together

A bagging machine can only perform consistently when the material running through it is manufactured to the correct specification.

Film thickness, web tension, perforation strength, bag opening, print registration and sealing performance can all affect machine reliability and finished pack quality.

By supplying and supporting both the machinery and the auto bags, Severn Packaging was able to test the complete process and take responsibility for how the individual elements performed together.

Severn Packaging’s Total Systems Approach

The project is supported through Severn Packaging’s Total Systems Approach, which covers:

• High-speed automatic bagging machinery.
• 80% recycled-content auto bags.
• Integrated printing.
• Thermal ribbons and other print consumables.
• Installation and commissioning.
• Operator training.
• Application and material testing.
• Routine servicing and preventative maintenance.
• Technical and breakdown support.
• Replacement parts and ongoing optimisation.

This gives the customer one knowledgeable point of contact for the complete packaging operation.

If a production issue occurs, the customer does not need to determine whether it relates to the machine, bag material, printer or consumables before seeking support. Severn Packaging can assess the complete application and work towards the correct resolution.

The Results

Major New Contract Secured

The proven 80% recycled-content packaging specification strengthened the manufacturer’s sustainability proposal and helped the business secure a substantial new contract.

Reduced Use of Virgin Plastic

Moving to 80% recycled material significantly reduced the amount of virgin polymer required for the customer’s auto bags.

Increased Packing Capacity

The high-speed bagging system provides the throughput needed to support the increased production volumes associated with the contract.

Reliable Recycled-Film Performance

Trials completed by Severn Packaging confirmed that the film specification was suitable for the product and automatic bagging process before full production began.

Consistent Pack Quality

Controlled feeding, printing and sealing provide a repeatable finished pack with consistent presentation and product identification.

One Point of Responsibility

Machinery, bags, print consumables, servicing and technical support are all covered by Severn Packaging, simplifying communication and ongoing system management.

Confidence from the Beginning

The customer highlighted the Severn Packaging team’s knowledge of both automatic bagging machinery and materials. This expertise gave the business confidence that the system and recycled-content film had been correctly specified from the outset.

Key Project Benefits

• High-speed automatic bagging system installed.
• Auto bags containing 80% recycled material.
• Significant reduction in virgin plastic use.
• Material trialled before the final specification was agreed.
• Recycled film matched to the product and machinery.
• Packaging specification supported a major contract win.
• Increased capacity for higher production volumes.
• Consistent bag feeding, printing and sealing.
• Product information printed inline.
• Machinery and materials supplied as one system.
• Consumables and replacement parts available from Severn Packaging.
• Installation, training, servicing and technical support included.
• One point of contact for the complete application.

Customer Comment

“The sustainability of the packaging was a critical part of this project and an important factor in securing the new contract. Severn Packaging did not simply offer us a standard bag and hope that it would run. Their team trialled the 80% recycled material, understood how it needed to perform on the machinery and developed the correct specification for our application.

Their knowledge of both the equipment and the packaging materials reassured us from day one. Having the machinery, bags, consumables and ongoing service supported by one company gives us confidence that the complete system will continue to perform as our production volumes increase.”

Business Manager
UK Manufacturer

Severn Packaging Comment

“This was a particularly rewarding project because the packaging solution contributed directly to the customer securing a substantial new contract. Achieving 80% recycled content was not simply a case of changing the material specification. The film still needed to open, print and seal consistently through a high-speed bagging process.

We trialled the material carefully and matched the bag construction to the machinery and application before the final specification was agreed. Our Total Systems Approach means we continue to support every part of the solution, including the machinery, auto bags, print consumables, servicing and technical support. The customer has one partner taking responsibility for the complete bagging process.”

Lee Williams
Sales Director, Severn Packaging

High-Speed Bagging with High Recycled Content

Severn Packaging supplies complete automatic bagging solutions for manufacturers that need to increase output while reducing the environmental impact of their packaging.

By developing the machinery and material specification together, Severn Packaging can trial higher-recycled-content films under realistic production conditions and confirm that feeding, printing, sealing and finished pack quality meet the needs of the application.