How to Source Sustainable Packaging Materials, Smartly

The first time I helped a client figure out how to source sustainable packaging materials, an "eco" mailer looked perfect on paper and then failed the first humidity test in our Shenzhen facility. The seam puckered after 48 hours at 85% relative humidity, and a $0.21 unit turned into a very expensive lesson. We had 5,000 pieces on the table, a production window of 14 business days, and exactly zero patience for a package that looked fine in a PDF but curled like stale paper once the dehumidifier switched off. Pretty packaging. Ugly invoice. I still remember the buyer's face, which was a mix of denial and "please tell me this is a joke." It was not a joke.

I do not treat sustainability as a sticker you slap on product packaging and call it done. Real sourcing means looking at the substrate, the ink, the adhesive, the freight weight, the end-of-life path, and the actual claim you can defend if a buyer or retailer asks for proof. If you are trying to learn how to source sustainable packaging materials, you need a process that balances product protection, compliance, brand presentation, and the annoying little thing called reality. In one Guangzhou run, the "green" version of a carton saved 38 grams of board but added a lamination step that pushed the unit cost from $0.42 to $0.57 at 8,000 pieces. That is the sort of math people skip right before they say something very confident and very wrong. Honestly, I think a lot of packaging gets called "green" because nobody wants to sit through the boring part where the numbers get checked.

Here is the clean version: recyclable, recycled content, compostable, biodegradable, renewable, and responsibly sourced are not interchangeable. A mailer can be made from kraft paper and still be a terrible choice if the lamination blocks fiber recovery. A corrugated box can use post-consumer content and still fail if the flute crushes under a 1-meter drop with a 2.4 kg load. The goal is not the prettiest label. The goal is to source packaging that ships, prints, protects, and disposes the way you promised. If that sounds less glamorous than a mood board, good. It should. A 350gsm C1S artboard box that survives a 72-hour transit lane to Los Angeles beats a "premium eco" box that caves in on day two.

In the next sections, I will walk through how to source sustainable packaging materials without getting trapped by vague supplier claims, bad pricing, or a launch schedule that collapses the first time someone asks for a sample change. We will cover material choice, supplier vetting, test reports, pricing structure, and rollout timing, plus a few hard-earned opinions from factory floors in Dongguan, Yiwu, and Shenzhen that saved real money. And a little frustration, because suppliers have a special talent for turning a one-line question into a nine-slide presentation with a stock photo of a leaf.

How do you source sustainable packaging materials?

When I visited a corrugator outside Dongguan, the plant manager showed me two nearly identical mailers: one made from 100% recycled kraft and one from virgin fiber with a cleaner print surface. On a spec sheet, the recycled version looked like the smarter answer for how to source sustainable packaging materials. In the warehouse, the recycled one held up better because the inner liner had stronger tear resistance at the same 140 gsm, while the virgin version looked prettier but failed a corner crush test at 19 kg. That is the kind of detail that matters more than a marketing badge. The spec sheet did not tell the whole story. The pallet did.

Sustainable packaging is a system, not a single material. It includes the raw input, the energy used in conversion, the transport weight, the ink chemistry, the closure method, the shelf-life performance, and what happens after the customer opens the box. A package is only as sustainable as its weakest step. If a supplier uses FSC-certified board but adds a non-recyclable foil layer, you have already complicated the recovery path. I have seen a "responsible" pack become a recycling headache because someone wanted a little shine on a carton that shipped from Foshan to Seattle in a 40-foot container. Of course they did.

If you are sorting through terms while learning how to source sustainable packaging materials, keep these distinctions straight:

• Recyclable means a material can be collected and processed in an existing recycling stream, but only if your local market actually accepts it.
• Recycled content means the material contains recovered fiber or resin, such as 30% PCR in a mailer or 80% post-consumer kraft in a folding carton.
• Compostable means it can break down under a verified composting standard, usually industrial conditions, not in a backyard bin next to last week's basil.
• Biodegradable is the loosest term of the bunch, which is exactly why I do not trust it without test data.
• Renewable usually refers to plant-based feedstock, such as paper fiber, bamboo, or sugarcane bagasse, but that does not automatically make the package better.
• Responsibly sourced means the material comes with traceability, chain-of-custody paperwork, or supplier documentation that can be checked.

One of the biggest mistakes in how to source sustainable packaging materials is treating those six labels like they all mean the same thing. They do not. I have seen a brand on a retail shelf pay an extra $0.14 per unit for a compostable pouch that had no local composting stream in five states they sold into, including Texas, Georgia, and Ohio. That is not sustainability. That is expensive optimism. Also, it gives procurement people headaches and gives me more email than I ever wanted.

"We did not need the greenest option. We needed the one that passed the drop test, kept our serum bottles safe, and still let us print a clean brand panel," a client told me after a pilot run failed at 1.2 meters. They were right. Packaging design is supposed to serve the product, not sabotage it. That batch had 12,000 units planned for a launch in Chicago, and we stopped it after the second sample cracked at the shoulder seam.

To understand how to source sustainable packaging materials correctly, start by thinking like a converter. Raw pulp becomes board. Board becomes a custom printed box, a pouch, an insert, or a label. Ink sits on top. Adhesive bonds the closure. Finishing changes the feel. Every step adds or removes environmental impact. I have watched a buyer request a "fully sustainable" retail packaging spec and then approve a soft-touch lamination that made the entire carton unrecyclable in several municipal programs from Vancouver to Phoenix. That happens more often than people admit in the meeting room. They nod, they smile, and then somehow the film layer shows up in the final quote like a surprise guest nobody invited.

If you want a quick reality check, use the same question I ask every supplier: What happens after the customer throws this away? If they cannot answer with a country-specific disposal path, a certification number, or a documented compostability standard, keep moving. Sustainable sourcing without disposal reality is just branding with better fonts. And yes, I have said that in supplier meetings in Shenzhen and Ningbo. Usually after someone tries to sell me a vague "earth-friendly" claim without any paperwork behind it and a sample cost of $0.15 per unit for 5,000 pieces that mysteriously excludes freight.

How sustainable packaging materials work across the supply chain

Learning how to source sustainable packaging materials starts with the supply chain, not the showroom sample. The raw fiber, resin, or pulp is only the first line item. Then comes converting, printing, finishing, packing, palletizing, and shipping. A supplier can buy excellent recycled kraft paper and still damage the environmental profile with oversized cartons, too much void fill, or a freight plan that sends a 22 kg master case halfway around the world for no reason. I once had a supplier quote me a beautiful box in Jiaxing and then casually forget that the air freight alone would make the carbon story look like a crime scene.

Paper, molded fiber, recycled plastics, bioplastics, and compostable films behave very differently in print and sealing. Kraft paper loves certain water-based inks and hates over-wetting. Molded fiber handles shock well but usually gives you less precise surface detail than a 350 gsm coated board. Recycled PET is durable for shipping mailers, but if your buyer expects a matte luxury feel, you will need to plan your finish carefully. Compostable films can be useful for dry goods, yet they often struggle with barrier performance around grease, oxygen, or moisture. There is no magic material that does everything. If a supplier says otherwise, I start looking for the catch, usually in the adhesive spec or the fine print about humidity.

Here is the part most people miss while they are researching how to source sustainable packaging materials: the same substrate can be brilliant for one product and a disaster for another. A 120 gsm recycled kraft pouch might be perfect for tea sachets. Put the same material around a greasy snack or a damp beauty sample, and the seal can fail within 72 hours. If your SKU has a shelf-life requirement, a temperature swing, or a shipping route with humidity above 70%, you need testing, not wishful thinking. Hope is not a barrier property, and neither is a nice render on a product page.

When a supplier turns your brief into a sample, the workflow usually looks like this: a spec sheet, a substrate recommendation, ink selection, adhesive choice, finishing notes, and then a prototype. If you are serious about how to source sustainable packaging materials, ask for all of that in writing. I have negotiated with converters who wanted to send a quote with no board grade, no coating detail, and no tolerance range. That is not a quotation. That is a guess with a letterhead. And yes, they were offended when I said that. They survived, and the spec sheet became a lot less mysterious after that.

Certifications and test reports fit into this process at the exact point where claims become risky. FSC and SFI can support responsible fiber sourcing. GRS can help when you are dealing with recycled polyester or mixed recycled content. ASTM D6400 and similar standards matter if you are making compostability claims. For shipping performance, I still like to see an ISTA test approach, especially if the package will ride through parcel networks and get tossed by three different handlers. The people at FSC and ISTA have spent more time on actual standards than most sales decks ever will, and it shows in the paperwork.

My blunt advice: if a supplier talks only about aesthetics, they are not helping you with how to source sustainable packaging materials. If they talk only about certification logos, they may be hiding a poor structural spec. You need both. I want the chain-of-custody paperwork and the production details in the same folder. That saves time, and time is what keeps a launch from slipping into a second quarter of apologies. Also, I do not enjoy explaining to a client why their "sustainable" box fell apart because someone liked the uncoated texture too much on a 300 gsm carton that should have been 350 gsm from the start.

Key factors that drive cost and pricing

Pricing is where how to source sustainable packaging materials stops being philosophical and starts being arithmetic. The biggest cost drivers are material type, recycled content, coating, print complexity, size, structural strength, and any special performance layer you add for moisture, grease, or shipping abuse. A plain 120 gsm kraft mailer is not priced like a three-color molded fiber insert with a custom die line. That would be nice, but suppliers do not run charities. I have yet to meet the factory that says, "Sure, we will eat the tooling cost because you used the word eco." The quote usually lands somewhere between polite and painful.

Here is a simple table I use with clients when they are comparing how to source sustainable packaging materials across multiple formats. These are realistic ballparks from custom runs I have seen, usually at 5,000 to 10,000 units, depending on print count and freight terms. For a plain recycled kraft mailer in Dongguan, I have seen $0.15 per unit for 5,000 pieces when the print is one color and the size is standard. Your mileage will vary, because of course it will.

Material / Format	Typical Best Use	Ballpark Unit Price	Main Watch-Out
Recycled kraft mailer, 120 gsm	Light apparel, inserts, small retail packaging	$0.18 to $0.24 at 5,000 units	Moisture resistance and seam strength
Corrugated cardboard mailer, E-flute	Heavier product packaging and e-commerce shipments	$0.31 to $0.49 at 5,000 units	Higher freight weight and larger storage footprint
Molded fiber tray or insert	Cosmetics, electronics, fragile branded packaging	$0.42 to $0.68 at 10,000 units	Tooling cost and surface print limitations
Compostable film pouch, custom printed	Dry goods, sample packs, light food applications	$0.55 to $0.95 at 10,000 units	Barrier performance and disposal claims
PCR rPET shipping mailer	Durable e-commerce shipping with recycled content	$0.26 to $0.41 at 10,000 units	Consumer perception and recycling instructions

Those numbers move with print coverage, order size, and shipping terms, which is why I always ask for a full cost breakdown instead of one shiny unit price. If you are serious about how to source sustainable packaging materials, ask for setup fees, sample fees, tooling, freight, duties, and replacement cost if the first batch fails inspection. I once saw a brand celebrate a $0.07 lower quote and then pay $1,200 for revised plates because the artwork shifted by 4 mm on a 210 mm by 148 mm carton. That is how people get fooled by the first page of the quote. The supplier smiled, the buyer groaned, and I reached for coffee.

Another cost trap is minimum order quantity. A supplier may quote 3,000 units at $0.41 each and 10,000 units at $0.22 each. The per-unit price looks brutal at the low MOQ because setup costs get spread across fewer boxes. That does not mean you should blindly buy more. It means you need to know your sell-through rate and storage plan before you commit. I have seen 25,000 boxes sit in a warehouse in Long Beach for nine months because the buyer got excited by a lower unit price and ignored cash flow. Warehouses are not free, even when people talk about them like they are.

Also watch the hidden material swaps. A supplier may propose a greener board that needs a thicker caliper to survive compression, or a recycled film that requires a better liner and a slower converting line. Those choices are not wrong, but they do change the math. If you are learning how to source sustainable packaging materials, think in total landed cost, not just factory price. Freight, damage rate, and reprint risk can erase a cheap quote fast. That is usually the part that gets skipped in the first meeting and rediscovered in week six with everyone's blood pressure slightly higher and the shipment already on the water.

My rule is simple: request a quote that shows unit price, setup fee, sample fee, lead time, freight terms, and the replacement plan if testing fails. If a supplier will not itemize those five lines, they are not ready to help you source responsibly. They are ready to hand you a surprise later. I am too old for surprise charges disguised as "small adjustments," especially on a carton order leaving Shenzhen with a 15-business-day proof-to-production promise that somehow turned into 26.

How to source sustainable packaging materials step by step

If you want a reliable process for how to source sustainable packaging materials, start with a packaging audit. Look at what ships now, what breaks in transit, what gets tossed by customers, and which SKUs actually need a sustainability upgrade first. I like to pull returns data for 30 days, check damage photos, and compare it with current carton specs. That tells you whether the problem is structural, visual, or simply overpackaging. Half the time, the "sustainable" fix is actually just "stop sending air" in a box with 55% headspace.

Next, define the performance brief before you talk to suppliers. I want product weight, shelf life, moisture exposure, shipping route, brand goals, budget ceiling, and any claim you plan to make. If you are launching Custom Printed Boxes for a 1.8 kg skincare kit, say that. If you need corrugated cardboard strong enough for stackability in a 4-high warehouse pallet, say that too. The more specific the brief, the easier how to source sustainable packaging materials becomes, because every supplier is answering the same question. Specificity saves you from the classic "we assumed you meant something else" conversation, which somehow always happens right after approval.

Then build a shortlist based on proof, not promises. Ask for material data sheets, certificate numbers, actual case studies, and photos from real production work. If they claim FSC, ask for the scope statement. If they claim recycled content, ask for the percentage and the verification method. If they claim compostability, ask for the standard and the exact product name that was tested. A polished sample without paperwork is just a shiny object. A shiny object is not a sourcing strategy, and it definitely is not enough for a carton supplier in Ningbo to get my approval.

Here is the sample comparison step I recommend every time I explain how to source sustainable packaging materials to a new client:

1. Order at least three samples with the same dimensions and print coverage.
2. Test them under the same conditions: 24 hours at 60% humidity, then a 1-meter drop and a 4-hour hold under stack pressure.
3. Check seal strength, edge crush, scuff resistance, and print rub before anyone on the team gets emotionally attached to the prettiest one.
4. Record the result in a spreadsheet with unit cost, sample date, and supplier response time.

That last point sounds boring. It is also where money gets saved. I once sat in a client meeting in Austin where the "favorite" pouch had the nicest matte finish, but it failed a leak test by 11% after a 72-hour shelf simulation at 25 degrees Celsius and 65% humidity. The second sample was uglier, cheaper by $0.09 per unit, and passed. Guess which one launched? The one that did not leak onto a retailer's floor. The room went quiet for a second, which is exactly how you know the right answer just entered the building.

Once you have a winner, negotiate from the spec sheet, not vibes. Confirm quantity, tolerance, color standard, approval process, and what happens if the first run misses target. If your quote is for branded packaging, spell out whether the supplier is responsible for proof approval, plate changes, and overage. And if you still need production support, you can browse Custom Packaging Products to compare formats before you commit to a final structure.

That is the practical version of how to source sustainable packaging materials: audit, brief, shortlist, sample, test, negotiate. Repeat as needed. It is less glamorous than a mood board, but it keeps you from buying a warehouse full of nice-looking problems. It also keeps marketing from falling in love with a package that finance will hate three weeks later, which is often the same week the first freight invoice lands.

Process and timeline: from sampling to shipment

People ask about how to source sustainable packaging materials and then immediately ask how fast it can happen. Fair question. A normal custom project moves through brief, quote, sample development, revisions, production approval, manufacturing, packing, palletizing, and freight. If every decision lands on time, a simple conversion might move in 20 to 30 business days. If the project includes a new substrate, custom print, or structural changes, I budget more like 35 to 50 business days before freight clears the last mile. Fast is possible. Magical is not, especially for a factory in Dongguan that still has to run your box through print, die-cutting, gluing, and QC.

The slowdowns are usually predictable. Unclear specs add a week. Missing artwork can add 3 to 5 days. Certification checks can add another 2 days if someone cannot find the certificate number. Custom die lines can add 4 to 7 days. Sample churn is the worst of all, because nobody wants to say "approve" and everyone wants one more tweak to a logo that already looks fine at 100% scale. That is how launches miss their window. One tiny change becomes six tiny changes, and suddenly everyone is pretending not to notice the calendar while the factory holds a line of 6,000 cartons waiting for sign-off.

For offshore sourcing, the calendar matters as much as the quote. A factory in southern China may give you a stronger unit price, but ocean freight to the U.S. West Coast can add 18 to 28 days, and customs plus domestic delivery can add another 4 to 7. If you are working on seasonal retail packaging, I would rather see a 12-day production cycle with clean logistics than a bargain quote that arrives after the shelf date. How to source sustainable packaging materials is partly a sourcing problem and partly a scheduling problem. If the box shows up late, the planet does not care that it was made from noble intentions.

Different formats also move at different speeds. A stock-size kraft mailer can sometimes be turned around in 10 to 15 business days. A custom molded fiber insert with a new mold can take 4 to 6 weeks just to get sampling stable. Compostable films often need extra time because the supplier may have to verify barrier performance and run a separate seal test. If you need custom printed boxes for a launch set, do not assume every material follows the same clock. That assumption costs money. It also tends to create awkward calls with people who were already planning a launch party for Friday.

The best rollout plan I have seen uses a hard decision deadline. Internal review gets 72 hours. Sample feedback gets one consolidated round, not five separate emails from five stakeholders. Production approval gets a single sign-off from the person who controls the budget. Then buffer at least 7 days for print, transit, customs, and rework. If you are disciplined about how to source sustainable packaging materials, you can still move quickly without turning the calendar into a crisis. I like one clear owner, one clean spec, and one manufacturing slot in a city like Shenzhen or Ningbo, not three people changing art files at 11:40 p.m.

I learned that the hard way during a client rollout for a beverage accessory line. The packaging looked ready, the supplier promised "rush," and nobody locked the dieline dimensions before final print. The result was a 6 mm mismatch on the insert and a two-week delay. The lesson was simple: speed is useful only when the spec is frozen. Otherwise, it is just a fast way to reprint. I wish I had a nicer lesson, but that one was expensive enough to remember forever, especially after the replacement run cost another $860 in plates and rework.

Common mistakes when sourcing sustainable packaging

The biggest mistake I see in how to source sustainable packaging materials is greenwashing language with no proof behind it. "Eco-friendly," "earth-safe," and "premium sustainable" sound nice in a deck, but they mean almost nothing unless the supplier can show test data, certification scope, and disposal reality. A claim without documentation is just a sales line. Nice font, wrong job. If I had a dollar for every "eco" label that turned out to mean "we used a beige color," I could fund a small packaging lab in Guangzhou and still have enough left for lunch.

I watched a beauty brand buy "biodegradable" pouches because the quote was $0.09 cheaper than the recycled option. They launched in three regions, only to discover there was no industrial composting access within 300 miles of most customers. The brand spent $9,800 on a reprint and then had to update the disposal language on the carton. That is not a sustainability win. That is a labeling headache with a logo. The worst part was that everyone acted surprised, as if geography had personally betrayed them. It had not. The county waste map was there the whole time.

Another classic mistake is assuming the cheapest quote will somehow become acceptable after production starts. It will not. Suppliers do not magically upgrade a weak film into a strong one because your launch date got tense. If the gauge is too light, the board is too soft, or the adhesive is wrong, you will see it during testing or on the customer's doorstep. How to source sustainable packaging materials works best when you are honest about performance from the beginning. That honesty may hurt for a minute. It hurts less than reprinting 12,000 units and paying for a second shipment from Shenzhen to Chicago.

Skipping real-world tests is expensive. I want humidity, abrasion, leak, compression, and stack testing before approval, especially for retail packaging that sits under lights or ships through humid lanes. A package that looks clean in a studio can scuff badly inside a van. A mailer that passes a tabletop demo can fail after 12 hours in a hot warehouse. That is why I still care about ISTA-style testing and not just sample-room aesthetics. The studio does not have a delivery truck in July, and it definitely does not have a forklift in a 38 degree dock bay.

Compliance mistakes can be even worse than performance failures. Wrong disposal claims, missing country-specific labeling, and certifications that do not match the actual product can create legal friction and customer confusion. If your supplier says "FSC certified," confirm that the exact board grade and print run are inside the certificate scope. If they say "compostable," ask for the exact standard and the region where it is recognized. This part is not glamorous, but it matters more than a gold foil logo on a box. Fancy is not the same thing as correct, and a glossy carton in a municipal recycling stream does not care how nice the render looked.

"The cheapest sustainable quote is often the most expensive one after freight, testing, and rework," I told a client during a supplier review in Chicago. He laughed, then spent another $3,600 fixing the artwork and board spec. Not my favorite kind of vindication, but there it is. The revised run went out of Dongguan 19 days later, which felt slow until we compared it with the cost of being wrong.

One more thing: do not ignore logistics just because the material is technically better. If a package is heavier, bulkier, or more fragile in transit, the carbon math can get worse even while the label looks cleaner. That is why how to source sustainable packaging materials should always include transport weight, pallet count, and warehouse handling. A smarter package saves more than one tree-shaped sticker ever will. It has to survive forklifts, not just hashtags, and it has to do it on a pallet stack in Houston or Hamburg, not just in a studio photo.

Expert tips for how to source sustainable packaging materials

After enough factory visits and supplier negotiations, I have learned that how to source sustainable packaging materials gets easier when you treat vendors like partners and not miracle workers. Ask for cost breakdowns. Ask for alternate materials. Ask what changes if you move from 30% PCR to 60% PCR, or from virgin board to recycled kraft. The best suppliers will explain the tradeoffs in plain numbers, usually with a $0.03 to $0.12 swing per unit and a clear reason why. The weak ones will give you a brochure and a smile, which is not enough for anyone trying to keep a launch on track in Q3.

I also recommend a supplier scorecard. Weight sustainability proof, price, lead time, communication, and consistency separately. I use a simple five-point scale and compare three vendors side by side. The cheapest quote rarely wins once testing and communication are included. A supplier that answers within 24 hours, sends clean dielines, and understands ASTM or FSC documentation can save more money than a slightly lower factory rate ever will. Honestly, I care a lot about the person who can respond without making me chase them through six time zones and three WeChat threads.

My 3-sample rule is non-negotiable if you are serious about how to source sustainable packaging materials. Compare at least three options under the same test conditions before you approve anything. I once had a team pick a beautiful rigid box because it felt premium in hand. The second option, made with less ink and a cleaner board spec, passed compression better and cost $0.27 less per unit at 8,000 pieces. The first one was prettier. The second one was smarter. We all like pretty. Pretty just does not always survive the warehouse in temperature swings from 18 to 32 degrees Celsius.

If you want a fast action plan, use seven days instead of seven meetings:

1. Day 1: Audit current packaging and pull damage data for the last 30 days.
2. Day 2: Define your top two sustainability goals, such as recycled content or reduced freight weight.
3. Day 3: Write a spec sheet with dimensions, material targets, and claim language.
4. Day 4: Request quotes from three suppliers and ask for certification numbers.
5. Day 5: Order samples and set the same test conditions for each one.
6. Day 6: Review results with operations, marketing, and finance together.
7. Day 7: Approve the winner, lock the artwork, and book production.

That approach keeps you grounded. It also helps you avoid the trap of chasing the "most sustainable" label instead of the most sustainable outcome. A well-designed box with 80% recycled content, clean printing, and a lower damage rate is often better than a fragile compostable structure that gets replaced twice. For branded packaging, package branding, and Product Packaging That actually needs to survive the trip, that tradeoff matters. A package that fails twice is not responsible. It is just fancy waste with good PR and a slightly nicer color palette.

So here is the honest closing: how to source sustainable packaging materials is not about finding the prettiest eco claim. It is about choosing the right substrate, confirming the proof, testing under real conditions, and negotiating from a spec that a converter can actually hit. If you do that, you will save money, protect the product, and keep your credibility intact. That is the whole point. And if you have ever had to explain to a client why the "green" option leaked in transit from a warehouse in Shenzhen to a store in Austin, you already know why I feel so strongly about this.

If you are still working through how to source sustainable packaging materials, keep your focus on the spec sheet, the test data, and the real disposal path. Start with one SKU. Write the brief. Order three samples. Test them in humidity, drop, and compression. Check the certificate scope. Then choose the option that protects the product and fits the actual recycling or composting system where it will be sold. That is the cleanest route to packaging that looks responsible because it actually is.

And if you are building custom printed boxes, corrugated cardboard mailers, or kraft paper packaging for real shipping abuse, begin with a supplier who can prove the material, not just describe it nicely. I like a spec sheet that a factory can hit, a sample that survives testing, and a disposal claim I would be willing to put in front of a retailer without flinching. That is the takeaway. Not vibes. Not a leaf icon. Proof, performance, and a package that can survive the trip.