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Returnable container loop calculator

Calculate the container pool, the pallets, the investment and the payback of one returnable packaging loop against single-use packaging.

Example: 120,000 parts a year in containers of 48 parts on a 21-day loop need 166 containers on 11 pallets. At $18.00 per container the pool costs $2,988, and a trip costs $1.29 against $4.50 of single-use packaging. The pool pays back in 4.5 months, after 931 trips.

Your loop

Volume and packing
Get this figure from a part file in Quick Plan.
Loop
Calendar days from filling to the next filling, with return and washing.
Extra containers for delays and peaks.
Containers lost or scrapped on each trip.
Costs in USD
Purchase price of one container with its insert.
Washing, handling and return freight for one container.
Box, dunnage and wrap that one container trip replaces.

No parts per container yet? Pack your part file in Quick Plan to get the count, the container and the pallet.

Pool and payback

Containers in the pool
166144 running, the rest safety stock
Pallets in the pool
11Counted, not priced
Investment
$2,988Containers in the pool
Cost per trip
$1.29Operations and container loss
Annual saving
$8,025Against single-use packaging
Payback
4.5 months931 break-even trips

How these figures are calculated

  1. Container trips per year⌈120,000 parts ÷ 48 parts per container⌉2,500 trips
  2. Trips per container per year365 days ÷ 21-day loop17.38 trips
  3. Containers in the pool⌈2,500 trips × (1 + 15% safety stock) ÷ 17.38⌉166 containers
  4. Pallets in the pool⌈166 containers ÷ 16 per pallet⌉11 pallets
  5. Investment166 containers × $18.00$2,988
  6. Cost per trip$1.20 operations + 0.5% loss × $18.00$1.29
  7. Annual saving2,500 trips × ($4.50 single-use − $1.29)$8,025
  8. Payback$2,988 ÷ $8,025 per year × 12 months4.5 months
  9. Break-even trips⌈$2,988 ÷ $3.21 saving per trip⌉931 trips, 5.6 per container

All amounts are in USD. ⌈x⌉ rounds up to a whole number.

How the calculator works

  1. Container trips per year = ⌈parts per year ÷ parts per container⌉. One trip is one full container out and one empty container back.
  2. Trips per container per year = 365 ÷ loop cycle days. The loop counts calendar days, because containers travel at weekends too.
  3. Containers in the pool = ⌈trips per year × (1 + safety stock) ÷ trips per container per year⌉.
  4. Pallets in the pool = ⌈containers in the pool ÷ containers per pallet⌉.
  5. Investment = containers in the pool × container unit price.
  6. Cost per trip = operating cost per trip + loss rate per trip × container unit price.
  7. Annual saving = trips per year × (single-use packaging per shipment − cost per trip).
  8. Payback months = investment ÷ annual saving × 12. Break-even trips = ⌈investment ÷ saving per trip⌉.

Loss covers containers that are lost or scrapped, and the calculator buys them again at the unit price. Pallets are counted, not priced. Container lifetime, interest and price changes are not included. If a trip costs as much as single-use packaging or more, the loop has no payback.

From one loop to a packaging project

Parts per container from your part

Quick Plan packs a part file or part dimensions into a container and stacks the containers on a pallet. It gives the parts per container and the containers per pallet for this calculator.

Open Quick Plan

Several years and several packaging items

The Optipacker platform models the pool investment, operating and replacement costs, amortization, payback and multi-year cash flow for containers, inserts and pallets of a project.

See the platform