Written by Alexandra Blanck
Content Manager, Esko
Space. Cost. Carbon footprint.
Every packaging engineer knows the triangle.
They also know the painful truth that optimizing for all three at once feels like chasing the Holy Grail.
You can save space but pay for it in materials. You can lower cost but raise emissions. Or you can go green and blow your budget.
Until now.
With Cape Pack’s latest evolution, that impossible balance suddenly looks… possible.
For the first time, packaging teams can see how every decision affects space, cost, and carbon — and make smart, data-backed trade-offs that fit both their sustainability goals and their bottom line.
Let’s get into it.
Why Balancing All Three Is So Hard
Finding the right balance in packaging design is kind of like juggling three bowling balls and someone keeps changing their weight.
Every brand wants to use less material, reduce emissions, and lower costs. But in reality? Those goals often compete.
As Heidi Larsen, VP of Software at Esko, explained in our recent interview, “It’s very hard to do all three things at once… If you can find that, you’ve found the Holy Grail of packaging.”
The most sustainable materials might not survive long transport routes. The cheapest box might waste valuable space on a pallet. And the most space-efficient layout might bump up your carbon footprint.
Add in the fact that procurement, logistics, and sustainability teams rarely work from the same data, and you’ve got a recipe for endless trade-offs and spreadsheets that never quite tell the full story.
As Susie Stitzel, Director of Product Management at Esko, put it during our conversation: “Most companies don’t have anywhere they can see all three at once.”
That visibility gap is exactly what Cape Pack set out to close.
Visibility Through Cape Pack
Cape Pack changes the game.
Instead of juggling separate systems, endless spreadsheets, and educated guesses, teams can now see everything that matters all in one clear, visual interface.
“You finally have visibility. Even if you decide to go for the lower-cost option that raises your footprint, at least you’re doing it consciously,” said Stitzel.
In other words, Cape Pack doesn’t tell you what to choose. Rather, it empowers you to choose wisely.
You can compare pallet designs side by side, filter by what’s most important to your business, and instantly understand the trade-offs.
Larsen summed it up best: “When you can evaluate an option across all those vectors — cost, space, carbon — that’s real power.”
And maybe best of all, Cape Pack finally brings everyone to the same table.
Procurement can see how sustainability affects cost. Operations can visualize load efficiency. Sustainability teams can quantify emissions in real time.
The guessing game is not only over, but it’s been replaced by clarity, collaboration, and confidence.
Because once you can see the full picture, smarter decisions come naturally.
When Data Changes Minds
Sometimes it takes seeing the data to truly change the conversation.
Let’s look at an example: One Cape Pack analysis compared two different pallet configurations for the same product.
Both fit the exact same number of packs — 720 units per load. On paper, the first layout looked better: higher cube efficiency and better space utilization.
But here’s the twist — its carbon footprint was significantly higher.
Why? Because the design used more, smaller cases, which meant extra cardboard, glue, and stretch wrap. The “efficient” option turned out to be less sustainable overall.
It’s a perfect reminder that optimization isn’t just about what fits. It’s about what matters most to your business.
That side-by-side visibility, powered by Cape Pack and its integration with CarbonQuota, gives companies the chance to rethink what “efficiency” really means.
When Optimization Sparks Innovation
Sometimes that clarity doesn’t just improve packaging; it inspires innovation.
Larsen shared a story from a power tool manufacturer that started out as a basic load optimization project.
The goal was simple: ship more tools per container. But after running different configurations in Cape Pack, the packaging team realized they could save enormous space if the product itself was slightly reengineered.
They took those findings to their R&D department, redesigned how the tool was assembled, and the results were staggering:
- Fewer containers shipped per year (hundreds fewer, in fact).
- Lower material usage.
- Massive savings in transport costs and emissions.
- A better customer experience thanks to a sleeker package.
It’s proof that sometimes, the path to smarter packaging starts with smarter questions.
As Stitzel put it, “The best companies think about this holistically, early in the process. Before you even start structural design, you should be thinking about palletization.”
When packaging and product design teams collaborate from the start, the wins multiply for cost, carbon, and creativity.
Integrations That Keep the Data Flowing
Of course, no system works in isolation.
Cape Pack gets even more powerful when connected with other tools in the packaging ecosystem — like ERP, PLM, and LCA systems.
“Cape Pack can’t be all things to all people,” Stitzel said. “But integrations are the key. ERP systems hold shipment data, PLM systems manage product details, and LCA tools calculate environmental impact. When they share information, you can finally make those analyses accurate.”
Integrations ensure data stays consistent across departments from planning and production to sustainability reporting.
And as Larsen pointed out, “Once organizations have that seamless flow of data, that’s when they can focus on innovation.”
When information moves freely, ideas move faster.
When Cost and Carbon Finally Align
So, what’s next?
For years, cost was the dominant factor in every packaging decision.
Sustainability goals often existed as side projects — nice in theory, difficult in practice. But that’s changing fast.
New Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations are linking sustainability directly to financial impact. As Stitzel explained, “These regulations charge you fees based on how sustainable your packaging is. So, cost and sustainability now come together.”
In other words, greener packaging isn’t just good for the planet, it’s becoming essential for profitability.
Brand values are also reshaping priorities. Larsen noted, “Some companies are leaning toward sustainability because it defines their brand. They’ll invest in it now and find the cost savings later.”
It’s a future where doing the right thing is also the smart thing.
Data Was the Answer All Along
Finding the “perfect pallet” might still sound mythical. But Cape Pack is proving it’s anything but.
By turning complex trade-offs into clear, visual insights, it helps packaging teams make choices that balance space, cost, and carbon without compromise.
Because in the end, the Holy Grail of packaging isn’t about perfection.
It’s about informed decisions powered by data, collaboration, and a little bit of Esko magic.
