The hidden costs of corrugated boxes for the poultry industry

The poultry industry has spent the 2020s navigating a difficult landscape. 

Avian influenza outbreaks have put pressure on the supply chain. Grocery prices—including poultry and eggs—are higher than they’ve been in years, leading to consumer frustrations.   

Meanwhile, new regulations, such as the FDA Proposal on Salmonella in Poultry, have established new layers of obligations that businesses must translate from principle into practice. 

These shifts in the landscape put greater pressure on businesses to safeguard their products as they navigate an increasingly long and disruption-prone supply chain. 

Yet a long-standing problem complicates this mission—the way poultry is packaged.

The history of poultry packaging

Corrugated boxes have been a standard packaging solution in the food industry for decades, thanks to their low cost and easy accessibility. For the poultry industry, this can be traced back to the surge of poultry consumption in the 1960s and 70s. Corrugated boxes were the go-to solution for transporting high volumes of fresh poultry. 

However, while corrugated boxes initially appeared cost-effective, it has created hidden costs in today’s supply chain. 

Supply chains are now more complex, with greater shipping distances, higher volumes, and stricter quality expectations. And corrugated boxes’ weak points—durability, safety, and ability to support compliance requirements—now directly impact profitability. 

Every time a box fails, it affects the product. Increase in product damage leads to higher rejection rate, affecting both supplier’s profitability and retailers’ ability to stock much needed product. In a competitive industry where the average price of poultry has nearly doubled since 1997, businesses can’t ignore these losses. More importantly, they can’t ignore the need for a better solution.

The corrugated box profitability problem—and how RPCs solve it

Today’s poultry supply chains are fast, high-volume, and complex. And in the face of this, corrugated boxes have become a weak point. 

Below are six ways these products fall short—and how reusable plastic containers (RPCs) can provide a business-friendly solution.

1. Corrugated boxes aren’t durable enough

Ice crusts are commonly used to maintain product freshness, so transporting poultry inevitably leads to moisture. Moisture leads to product damage and leaks, and because corrugated boxes aren’t made from paper pulp, they lose their integrity quickly.

When this happens, boxes collapse, box collapse compromises the safety and quality of products, which leads to higher rejection rates and potential food safety violations.

How RPCs solve durability challenges

RPCs offer a practical solution to moisture and durability issues. Unlike corrugated boxes, RPCs maintain durability and product protection even when conditions become cold and wet, and aren’t subject to box crush from high stacks.

Increased durability means that businesses can protect the maximum amount of product, even when issues like Avian Influenza threaten availability.

2. Corrugated boxes can’t handle the weight

Poultry is heavy—up to 70% of its weight is water. Corrugated boxes often can’t stand up (literally) to the pressure when boxes are stacked upon one another. When these boxes collapse, loss ensues in the form of:

• Damaged products
• Increased rejection rates at distribution centers & retail stores
• Decreased productivity 
• Increased safety hazards
• Inability to meet volume demand

How RPCs solve weight challenges

RPCs are engineered to handle heavy shipments like poultry. According to a study by Clemson University, Tosca’s RPCs are four times stronger than standard corrugated boxes. Their strength and reliability make for stable pallets, preventing product damage and keeping the supply chain moving—both of which protect profits. 

3. Inefficient transportation

Efficient transportation speeds up the delivery of products to suppliers, but that’s not the only benefit. More efficient transportation also lowers costs and emissions. 

When poultry providers use corrugated boxes, achieving maximum efficiency is difficult. 

Corrugated boxes vary in size and can quickly collapse, reducing cube and increasing product damage. To avoid unstable loads, shipments don’t meet the truckload capacity. 

This leads to more trips, higher fuel costs, and a larger carbon footprint.

How RPCs solve transportation challenges

RPCs solve this problem by improving cube utilization. Their sturdy, stackable design offers a 25% better use of truck space, allowing for larger loads and reduced trips. 

Take Fieldale Farms as an example. While they initially sought to work with Tosca because of the pooled RPC solutions, they found Tosca’s RPCs offered another benefit: improved product transportation. Since Tosca’s RPCs can carry more poultry without breaking, Fieldale was able to reduce 500 packages per truckload, a 24% reduction in boxes needing to be handled at distribution centers.

For example, the use of a stronger box has translated directly to significant labor savings by way of reducing the number of boxes that need to be handled. Since Tosca RPCs are strong enough to carry more products without breaking, Fieldale is able to send the same amount of chicken in fewer boxes. It is estimated that this upgrade reduced 500 packages per truck from the process, translating to 24% fewer boxes that need to be handled in the customer’s distribution centers. With advantages like this, Fieldale can be a better partner for their retail customers.

4. Automation issues

Automation is essential in today’s supply chains, particularly when improving profit margins in a competitive industry. 

However, automation systems require precise technical specifications, and corrugated’s inconsistent sizes and variable quality make it a poor fit for automated systems. 

For example, damp or torn corrugated boxes can get caught in a machine, causing jams. These jams can slow down—or even halt—the entire operation. And along the way, this jeopardizes food safety. A torn box that spills poultry onto conveyor belts or automated systems can lead to product loss and cross-contamination. 

How RPCs solve automation challenges

RPCs eliminate these issues with their standardized dimensions and durable construction. Because of their solid construction, they can be easily used within automated systems, keeping workflows moving and reducing interruptions. 

As a result, automation becomes the reliable, cost- and time-saving part of the poultry supply chain it was intended to be.

5. Lack of traceability

Traceability is a key term for the food industry in 2025, with emerging obligations like the FSMA 204 now requiring businesses to track certain products across the supply chain. 

FSMA 204’s traceability requirements are new, however, and long-held solutions like corrugated boxes don’t make implementation easy. In fact, they can directly hinder it; without RFID tags or active tracking sensors, it’s next to impossible to monitor shipments in real time or comply with traceability standards. 

How RPCs solve traceability challenges

RPCs can be equipped with both passive tracking (RFID tags) and active tracking (IoT sensors) features. These capabilities allow businesses to follow product journeys in real time and track compliance-required data points.

For example, a truck carrying RPCs enabled with active tracking features can log humidity levels, temperature, and trip duration. If dwell time exceeds the product’s limits, the provider can receive alerts, which allow them to intervene and prevent lost assets. 

6. Corrugated boxes aren’t sustainable

Sustainability is a priority for both businesses and consumers. But although corrugated boxes are the most recycled packaging material, 17.65 million tons were still landfilled in 2019. 

This represents a lost economic value of $4 billion and adds to the larger issue of waste in U.S. landfills.

These staggering numbers underscore the critical need for sustainable packaging solutions in the food supply chain—as well as an opportunity to reduce environmental impacts.

How RPCs solve sustainability challenges

RPCs offer a greener alternative. Studies show that RPCs can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 60% compared to corrugated. 

Designed to be reused hundreds of times, they significantly reduce waste. Their 100% recyclability at the end of their lifecycle further minimizes environmental impact, making RPCs a key part of sustainable supply chain practices. 

7. Food safety shouldn’t be a compromise

As a product, poultry is wet. It also has to be kept cold during transport. In these cold, wet conditions, porous corrugated boxes fall apart as they absorb moisture from ice crusts and condensation. 

This creates a breeding ground for bacteria and contamination and once wet, corrugated can’t be sanitized. Not only does this waste products and packaging, but it also costs companies extra time. 

How RPCs solve food safety challenges

Non-porous RPCs are designed for food safety in high-moisture environments. Unlike corrugated, they are waterproof, durable, and (in the case of Tosca’s products) sanitized after every use through a multi-step wash process that removes bacteria and debris. 

The long-term benefits of switching to RPCs

Switching to RPCs doesn’t just solve the immediate problems of these boxes—it transforms how businesses operate.

1. They save money. Fewer collapses waste less product, and labor costs for cleanups and re-stacking are minimized. By optimizing cube utilization and enabling fuller truckloads, RPCs also reduce transportation expenses.
   
2. RPCs contribute to increased consumer trust. Their sturdy, clean design keeps poultry fresher and more appealing on store shelves, improving the shopping experience. Reduced waste also helps retailers stabilize prices, which matters to consumers facing tighter budgets.
   
3. They strengthen a sustainable supply chain. Pooling programs give businesses easy access to reusable containers without requiring them to manage their inventory. Built-in tracking options, like Tosca’s Asset IQ, also reduce the risk of recalls, improve inventory accuracy, and provide greater visibility.

Putting profitability, trust, and sustainability into your bottom line

Switching to RPCs is more than switching up your packaging—it’s a smarter way forward for the poultry industry. It reduces costs, minimizes waste, and creates opportunities for long-term growth and success.

Ready to make the change? Tosca’s RPCs can transform your poultry supply chain with sustainable, compliance-ready packaging solutions—check out Protecting the poultry: How reusable plastic containers solve an ongoing poultry problem for unique insights into the poultry industry.   

Time to get started? Connect with a Tosca expert today.