Back in 2023, when I audited our beverage packaging spend, I noticed something that bothered me: the unit price we negotiated for aluminum cans accounted for only 61% of what we actually paid. Freight, pallet handling, line changeovers, and minimum order penalties ate up the rest. This checklist is what I use now before committing to any aluminum packaging contract. If you're responsible for sourcing cans or bottles for a beverage brand, these seven steps should keep you out of the same trap.
My experience is based on a mid-size beverage brand with a national customer list. If you're buying for a global portfolio, the numbers will be bigger, but the process should hold.
Step 1: Calculate landed cost, not list price
When comparing suppliers, put every quote into a simple total cost of ownership (TCO) model before you get excited about the lowest per-can number. I've seen a quote at $0.162/can beat another at $0.185/can on price alone, but once we added freight, customs, and a $4,500 tooling charge, the cheaper cans ended up costing us more. The difference was hidden in fine print.
Build columns for material, freight, duty, inventory holding, line change, and quality failure. If a vendor won't give you those line items, treat it as a red flag. (And don't assume you'll never pay them.)
Three suppliers can quote the same can at three different prices, and the total cost gap can be way bigger than the unit price gap. That's why our procurement policy now requires a TCO sheet from everyone who wants our business.
Step 2: Verify sustainability claims, don't just applaud them
Ball Corporation's aluminum recycling advocacy is one reason aluminum looks better than ever on a life-cycle basis. But as a buyer, you can't just accept the word "recyclable" from any supplier. Per the FTC Green Guides, a recyclable claim only holds up if recycling access exists for at least 60% of consumers where the product is sold. That's a practical, verifiable standard—use it in your RFP.
Ask for third-party documentation. Ask where their recycled aluminum comes from. Ask how the recovery rate is measured. If you can't trace it, you're paying for a story, not a material benefit. In our case, a supplier with a serious recycling program also had more stable scrap supply, which showed up in pricing.
You don't need to be an environmental scientist to ask these questions. You just need to demand evidence.
Step 3: Make innovation prove its ROI
Ball Corporation's packaging technology innovations—like lighter-gauge aluminum and improved can ends—can reduce freight costs and lower your carbon footprint. We estimated $45,000 per year in freight savings by shifting to a lighter can. But we also spent $18,000 on filling line change parts to handle the new geometry. That's still a net win, but you only get the win if you model both sides.
Talk to your plant engineer before signing off. Slick spec sheets don't show uptime data or changeover times. Also ask about compatibility with your existing filling equipment, because a great can that jams your line isn't a better can.
Step 4: Put every deadline on a 2026 poster calendar
This sounds low-tech, but it works. I bought a 2026 poster calendar for my office wall and marked every supplier price adjustment, contract renewal window, and recycling compliance report. When we did not get our price lock notice in on time in 2024, an escalation clause cost us $0.02 per can for two quarters. Twenty million cans? That's $400,000. Worth the wall space.
Mailing promotional calendars to customers? Watch postal costs too. As of January 2025, USPS First-Class Mail is $0.73 for a 1 oz letter and $1.50 for a large envelope. That affects the budget if you plan to send thick printed materials.
The calendar isn't just a marketing freebie. It's a tool for locking in value before price changes hit.
Step 5: Push back on vanity projects (politely)
Someone on our marketing team asked for a one-off aluminum display shaped like the world's biggest water bottle. The idea was fun, but quotes for specialty tooling and transportation came back painful. We didn't kill the whole idea; we ordered a four-foot version instead and redirected the remaining budget into product sampling. More consumers touched the product, and nobody missed the twenty-foot version.
Novelty packaging projects are never priced like standard SKUs. If the goal is awareness, compare the cost per impression against other channels before hitting approve. And if the goal is just a fun press photo, treat the spend like an ad buy, not a packaging line item.
Step 6: Keep small fixes in their proper lane
Here's a question that gets asked in every plant: can you use Teflon tape on a gas line? I'm a procurement manager, not a gas engineer, so I'm not going to answer that. But I can tell you what that conversation means for cost control: someone is about to run an unplanned repair through an unmanaged purchasing channel. That's how a five-minute handyman thought becomes an insurance claim.
Set a policy: all unplanned facility repairs over $500 need a maintenance ticket and at least two licensed contractor quotes. It isn't about rejecting small requests. It's about making sure whoever owns the risk makes the call.
The same logic applies to packaging. If someone asks you to switch sealing tape at the last minute, or to reuse a pallet wrap on a production line, route the question to the person who owns the spec. The $8 saving can cost thousands if it messes with the line.
Step 7: Score suppliers on documented performance, not slide decks
When we ran our last packaging RFP, we rated every supplier on measurable categories: delivered quality, on-time performance, recycled content, and response time. Ball Corporation scored well because their aluminum recycling advocacy and packaging technology innovations aligned with clear, auditable programs—but we would have held any supplier to the same standard.
Public commitments are nice. Tracked data is better. Ask for annual reports, third-party audits, and line-level carbon data. If the answer is "we'll get back to you," that is a data point too.
The Watch-Outs I Learned the Hard Way
The most frustrating part of packaging procurement is that the same hidden fees keep appearing in different forms. You'd think written quotes would prevent surprises, but they don't.
Three mistakes that still show up
- Always add a quote expiration date. Without one, a price can change mid-approval and no one owns the gap.
- Include changeover costs in every TCO. They often erase the "savings" from a cheaper unit price.
- Treat sustainability as a contract requirement, not a conversation topic. Recycling claims will be audited eventually, so verify the evidence now.
Bottom line
What worked in 2020 won't automatically work in 2026. Aluminum pricing, recycling regulations, and package designs have shifted. The fundamentals haven't changed: verify numbers, verify claims, verify deadlines—and don't be afraid to say no to the weird requests.
Check the numbers, check the claims, check the calendar. Then let the marketing team pick the colors.
