By Daniel Caceres

Rising resin prices and ongoing supply chain volatility continue to put pressure on packaging budgets, especially for stretch wrap and other film-based products. While price increases may be unavoidable, Group O is helping companies find ways to offset those costs by taking a more strategic, total‑cost approach to packaging decisions.

Rather than focusing on unit price alone, leading organizations are asking a bigger question: How can we reduce risk, improve performance, and lower total cost - even in a high‑cost market?

Moving Beyond Price Increases

Manufacturers are innovating with high‑performance films and domestic production to help control costs. As a distributor, we take that further by helping customers evaluate the entire packaging ecosystem - materials, suppliers, equipment, and operations - so every decision works harder.

Here’s how we are helping companies to successfully offset resin cost increases today:

1. Evaluating More Options, Not Fewer
Instead of locking into a single resin type or supplier, companies are reviewing multiple materials and sources to identify the best balance of cost, performance, and availability. This flexibility creates leverage and reduces exposure to sudden market shifts.

2. Qualifying Alternatives to Reduce Risk
Proactively qualifying alternative films, suppliers, and specifications helps businesses stay agile. When disruptions or price spikes occur, qualified backups allow operations to continue without costly downtime or rushed decisions.

3. Reducing Material Through Packaging Audits
One of the fastest ways to offset higher resin prices is to use less material. Packaging and stretch film audits (like Group O's SMART Audit®) often uncover opportunities to downgrade gauge, improve load containment, or eliminate unnecessary wrap, without sacrificing performance.

4. Leveraging a Broad Supplier Network
A diversified supplier base improves supply continuity and helps mitigate disruptions tied to geography, resin allocation, or production constraints. It also enables faster pivots when market conditions change.

5. Optimizing Equipment, Processes, and Automation
Stretch wrap performance is closely tied to equipment setup and operator consistency. Improving machine settings, upgrading equipment, or adding automation can significantly reduce film usage, labor costs, and damage rates.

6. Focusing on Total Cost of Ownership
True cost goes beyond resin price. Labor efficiency, load stability, damage reduction, and throughput all impact the bottom line. Companies that evaluate total cost of ownership - not just price per pound - are better positioned to stay competitive.

A Smarter Path Forward

Cost pressures in packaging aren’t going away. The companies that perform best in this environment are those making informed, data‑driven decisions that reduce risk and improve operational efficiency.

Our goal is simple: help customers make better decisions, protect profitability, and stay competitive no matter where resin prices go next. 

About the Author

Daniel Caceres is Vice President of Packaging Sales at Group O, where he works closely with manufacturers, distributors, and operations leaders to help them navigate packaging cost pressures, supply chain risk, and performance challenges. With deep experience in the packaging industry, Daniel partners with customers to evaluate materials, suppliers, and processes through a total cost of ownership lens. His approach focuses on helping organizations reduce risk, improve efficiency, and make smarter, data‑driven packaging decisions especially during periods of market volatility and rising raw material costs. Daniel is a frequent contributor to market updates and customer discussions around supply continuity and packaging optimization. He brings a practical, solutions‑oriented perspective grounded in real‑world operational needs, helping teams balance cost control with performance, reliability, and long‑term competitiveness.