A single-use carton is one line in the books, but its cost builds up in several places. It is bought again for every shipment: a company sending 40,000 parcels a year makes the same decision 40,000 times and pays for it 40,000 times. A reusable container is paid for once, and each trip leaves only washing, handling and tracking.
| Line | Single-use | Reusable |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase | Every shipment | Once, then depreciation |
| Warehouse | Carton stock before the season takes racking and forklift aisles | A container that folds when empty shrinks to a small volume |
| Exit | Separate collection, baling, disposal invoice | Share of containers broken or lost |
| Price risk | Tied directly to paper, resin and freight prices | Tied to washing chemicals and energy |
The waste line should not be underrated: in 2023 the EU generated 177.8 kg of packaging waste per inhabitant, and 40.4% of it was paper and cardboard (Eurostat). Somebody moves that pile, and the fee lands somewhere in the invoice chain.
The calculation fits on one page. For single-use, add purchase, inner packaging, coolant, dimensional freight, shelf share, reshipment after damage and the waste fee. For a reusable container, divide the investment by the trips actually completed and add washing, tracking, loss and empty returns. Divide both by accepted deliveries, keep routes and protection conditions apart, and write down the price date.
