How Much Does a Bulk Bag Cost (and Why)?

You’re a purchasing manager. As you make decisions to support the various initiatives that your business owns, you have your bottom line in mind. 

This makes sense. You have to think this way in order to survive. Efficiency, efficacy, and economy are what you need. When you’re choosing your packaging solutions, the same thing is true: You’re interested in quality, customizability, and sustainability—but, at the end of the day, you’re also interested in cost.

We get it, and we’re ready to help. 

We believe that selecting the right bulk bag for your business can save you money in the long run, which is why the right partner will work tirelessly to provide versatile, durable bulk bags that can be specifically manufactured to meet your unique company’s precise needs.

What goes into the cost of a bulk bag? 

Ever wondered the rationale behind the price tag when it comes to your packaging and storage goods? 

As it turns out, there’s a lot that goes into the price of each and every bulk bag. It can be a lot to consider! 

We’ll break it down for you. These are the processes and quality standards you should be thinking of when you’re deciding on which bulk bag supplier to go with. Each of these factors will influence the price of your bag order. 

Every bag producer should be able to customize and cater their bags to specific customers’ needs. 

Your bag supplier should start by learning about your business, listening to your needs, and crafting a bag that will work to help you meet your goals. Think of it this way: Your FIBC supplier will be your business’s bag expert. They’re ready to use their expertise and technical knowledge to help you solve your workflow issues. 

Solutions-oriented bulk bag suppliers can help you choose bag specs to match your business model, such as bag liners, fabrics, labels, and more. The teams fulfilling those orders have rigorous research and quality processes to analyze the performance of the bags your supplier recommends. When you’re deciding which bulk bag supplier to go with, you need to think of their research processes, the types of performance analyses they do, the specialized expertise they bring to the table, and the quality standards they adhere to. It’s also key to remember that all of these processes require resources and time, which can relate to the end cost of your bags. However, these aren’t steps you want your bag supplier to be skipping. 

Pro tip: It’s a good idea to look for companies that have in-house technical support. That way you’ll be able to speak to someone who is ready to help you optimize your packaging products, including your FIBC bulk bags, for the specific application you have in mind.

Your bag supplier should have many different specifications of bulk bags available for you to choose from.

A bulk bag begins as a blank slate. You should be able to choose from a wide range of specifications in order to make your bag as useful as possible. For example, check to make sure that your supplier offers different fabrics, bag styles, accessories, and even loop designs, all of which work best with specific applications. Your supplier’s packaging experts should be able to recommend specifications for you to help you perfect your bag order.

Your bag supplier should have rigorous quality standards in place to make sure your investment is worth it. 

Quality is king. There are some suppliers that source their bags from the cheapest manufacturer possible to cut costs, but this solution never pays off in the long term. Check for an FIBC supplier that lives and breathes quality control. That’s the only way you’ll really be able to trust your FIBC distributor and the bags they send you. The time and resources that go into quality control processes can be a cost driver, but the alternative is far more costly—think entire shipments of bags that are unusable due to contamination, substandard construction, or inaccurate fulfillment. 

How much does a bulk bag cost? 

Typically, bulk bags can range in price from $5-$35+ per unit. Where your order will fall on that spectrum depends upon the technical features you select as well as the testing and regulatory requirements required for the bag. Your supplier should have testing protocols in place to make sure that they never ship you a product without making sure it meets high standards of excellence. 

Pro tip: Set up a blanket order to purchase your bags in bulk with scheduled releases. Not only will you never run out of bags at inopportune moments, but you’ll also save money. Buying bags in bulk quantity will help reduce your price per bag.

There are a lot of companies that make bulk bags. When you’re making this choice, make sure to look carefully at the integrity of the processes and the quality of the products used by your prospective supplier; it will likely make a huge difference in your selection. You may have also considered sourcing your packaging from big-name e-commerce resellers. It’s a fair option. Ultimately, you’ll find that while buying bulk bags individually from big online retailers can seem convenient upfront, you’ll definitely pay a premium in the long run. 

Ready to order bulk bags for your unique needs?         

Reach out to the customer service team at your bulk bag supplier. This group will work with you one-on-one to figure out the product that best fits your needs. They will also be able to help you with a detailed price quote to give you all the information you need to make this decision. 

Conitex Sonoco provides effective, cost-efficient, and sustainable packaging solutions.

Remember: Not all bags are created equal. If you’ve ever gotten halfway to a location only to realize that there was a hole in your tote or noticed after the fact that your packaging is far too thin to support your product, you know what we mean. Now, imagine the opposite: Complete confidence in your bags at all times and the knowledge that your bags are actually saving you time and money because they fit your business model like a glove. 

At Conitex Sonoco, we make the good kind of bags: completely customizable, sustainable FIBC bulk bags that you can count on. We’re also ready to help you with any other information that you need to help you optimize your packaging systems. Call our experts today with any questions that you have. We can’t wait to learn more about your packaging needs.