Wisdom For Polyethylene vol.25
25. What Is the Minimum Order Quantity for Polybags?
2025-12-04
Polybags are mostly custom-made, except for standard sizes.
If you are wondering,
"I want to produce custom polybags, but I don’t know how many I can order..."
this guide explains the minimum order quantities for custom polybags and how to utilize standard bags effectively.
Three Size Specifications Required for Custom Polybags
Customers need to specify the following three elements:
(1) Thickness (e.g., XX μm or 0.XX mm)
(2) Width (expressed in mm, following industry conventions)
(3) Length (also in mm, e.g., 2 meters = 2000 mm)
Width and length can be set in 5 mm increments, but most orders are in 10 mm increments, reflecting JIS tolerance standards.
For example, for 200 L drum liners, typical size specifications may be:
- 0.1 mm × 950 mm × 1700 mm
- 0.08 mm × 1000 mm × 1800 mm
How Is the Minimum Lot Determined?
The minimum production lot depends on the polyethylene tubing manufacturer (the raw material for the bags).
Producers aim for an economically optimal lot, while customers consider the maximum tolerable quantity.
Producers aim for an economically optimal lot, while customers consider the maximum tolerable quantity.
Why Small Lot Production Is Challenging
For instance, if you want only 10 bags of a specific size, practical issues arise:
- Adjusting the thickness and size of polyethylene tubing is time-consuming
- Early production stages may produce unstable quality, resulting in material waste
- Changing resin grades requires purging residual resin in the extruder, increasing losses
As a result, small quantities lead to very high unit costs.
Methods for Handling Small Lots
The minimum lot is determined by the correlation between:
- Production meters of polyethylene tubing
- Resin weight used
While this varies by manufacturer, our company generally sets:
- Minimum production meters: 3,000 m
- Resin weight: 200 kg
Consequently:
- Thicker, larger bags → smaller production lot
- Thinner, smaller bags → production lots can reach 50,000–100,000 bags
Some customers remark, “This quantity would be a 10-year stock!”
Comparison with Overseas Markets and Future Outlook
In Europe, standardization has advanced, and a stable supply system has been established with mutual understanding between users and manufacturers.
Whether the Japanese market will adopt the concept of “bigger covers smaller” remains to be seen, but standard bags will become increasingly important for cost reduction and environmental reasons.
Whether the Japanese market will adopt the concept of “bigger covers smaller” remains to be seen, but standard bags will become increasingly important for cost reduction and environmental reasons.
Benefits of Using Standard Bags
We offer standardized polybags, which can be ordered in relatively small quantities.
With the growing need for environmental considerations, standard bags are recommended when slight size variations are acceptable.
With the growing need for environmental considerations, standard bags are recommended when slight size variations are acceptable.
However, the current market strongly favors custom-made bags, so standardization is progressing slowly.
Summary | Choosing Between Custom and Standard Polybags
The minimum order quantity for polybags varies significantly depending on thickness and size.
- Custom-made bags offer flexibility but can be costly for small lots
- Standard bags are convenient for smaller quantities and may save storage space and cost
We recommend considering your usage frequency and inventory space when choosing between custom and standard polybags.
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