In packaging, just as there is no “one size fits all,” there is “no application fits all.” And this maxim certainly also applies to the economics of the packaging, too, as Schönwald Consulting (Erlangen / Germany; www.schoenwald-consulting.com) points out in its new multi-client study “The Economics of Containers for Non-carbonated Beverages.” The 420-page English-language study encompasses 175 tables and 128 graphics.

The crucial question in doing the calculation, the consultants say, is what type of product is to be packaged and how big – or small – it is. In the 200ml category, stand-up pouches and cartons will fill the bill best, for 330-1,000ml the best choice is a PET bottle, a carton or an aluminium or steel can.

Schönwald’s study compares the economics of the two types of cans; glass bottles; beverage cartons; asceptic and hot-filled PET bottles; and stand-up pouches sold in the EU in volume sizes of 200ml, 330ml, 500ml and 1l. The consultants provide tables for each type of packaging considered. They also calculate on the basis of EUR 1,000 per unit the total cost associated with the packaging, including manufacture, secondary packaging, filling, transport, caps and closures.