Millwood Lab

Packaging science is the study and application of methods to design, test and optimize packaging for performance, safety, and sustainability.

At its core, packaging science brings together engineering, materials research and supply chain expertise to solve real-world challenges. By analyzing how packaging responds to pressure, vibration and environmental conditions, companies can develop solutions that minimize product damage, lower costs and improve efficiency. Packaging science ensures that packaging isn’t just functional but also optimized for modern supply chain needs — balancing durability, material efficiency and compliance with ESG goals. This discipline supports both cost savings and sustainability, helping businesses meet customer demands while strengthening their bottom line.

ISTA testing is a standardized packaging test that measures performance under simulated transport conditions.

ISTA (International Safe Transit Association) testing ensures that packaging can survive real-world shipping challenges such as drops, vibration, compression and environmental changes. By running packages through ISTA testing protocols, businesses gain measurable data on performance and compliance. This helps reduce costly product damage, protect brand reputation and meet retailer requirements that often mandate ISTA certification. Packaging science labs with ISTA-certified capabilities can also run custom simulations, offering clients tailored insights to improve packaging durability, reduce material waste and align with logistics standards across industries like e-commerce, food & beverage, and industrial equipment.

Vibration testing simulates the jostling and impact packages endure during transit to ensure they remain intact and reliable.

When goods move across trucks, trains or ships, constant vibrations can loosen fastenings, crack materials or wear down packaging over time. Vibration testing replicates these conditions in a controlled packaging science lab, enabling businesses to see how their packaging performs before it enters the supply chain. The results guide packaging adjustments such as reinforced materials, optimized pallet patterns or cushioning improvements. This proactive approach helps companies cut costs from product loss, meet compliance standards and increase confidence that their shipments will arrive safely. It’s an essential component of modern packaging testing services.

Packaging testing helps businesses cut costs, protect products and build a more efficient and sustainable supply chain.

Beyond preventing breakage and customer complaints, packaging testing provides measurable data on performance and compliance. By analyzing packaging under drop tests, compression, vibration and environmental simulations, companies can identify weaknesses before they cause real-world problems. This reduces returns, lowers insurance claims and ensures consistency across facilities. Testing also supports sustainability by avoiding over-packaging and optimizing material use. In today’s competitive markets, packaging testing is no longer optional — it’s a smart investment that ensures customer satisfaction while boosting profitability and ESG performance.

Packaging science helps companies reduce waste, optimize materials and align with ESG and circular economy commitments.

Sustainability is no longer an afterthought — it’s a business requirement. Through packaging science, companies can test and refine solutions that use less material without compromising safety, incorporate recycled or renewable resources and meet strict environmental standards. Packaging science labs also help design solutions that extend product life cycles, minimize landfill waste and improve recyclability. Whether through ISTA testing, vibration testing or broader packaging testing, the results provide actionable insights that help companies lower their carbon footprint, satisfy sustainability reporting and win contracts tied to environmental performance.