Packtally docs
The packaging library
Build your Packtally packaging library: materials, weights and where each came from, a weight estimator, starter templates, spreadsheet import and a purchase check.
In short: The packaging library on Set up, Packaging library lists every physical item you ship: boxes, mailers, jars, lids, labels, tissue and tape. Each item has a material, a weight and a note of where the weight came from. Only items you've confirmed go into a filing.
Add an item
- Name it, for example "12 x 10 x 6 shipping box".
- Pick the material from the list Packtally maps to each state's categories, such as corrugated box, paperboard, glass, LDPE film or a poly mailer.
- Say what it does: holds the product (jar, bottle, pouch, label), groups or presents units (carton, gift box), ships the order (box, mailer, void fill, tape), or only goes to retailers or warehouses (master carton, pallet wrap).
- Enter the weight of one in grams, or add oz or lb, like 0.4 oz.
- Say where the weight came from: weighed, supplier spec sheet, invoice or estimate.
- Check "I've checked the material and weight" when it's right. Unconfirmed items show on the to-do list and don't count in a filing until they're confirmed.
Getting the weight right
- Weighed several together? Weigh 5 to 10 of an item at once, enter the total and the count, and Packtally uses the average. It's the best number you can give.
- No scale handy? The estimator works out a likely weight from size: a corrugated box from its length, width and height, a poly mailer from its size and thickness in mil, or paper from its size and paper type. It shows a range and saves the result as an unconfirmed estimate with the method noted.
- Changed during the year? If you switched suppliers or sizes, add the date it changed and the new material or weight. Shipments before that date keep the old values.
Estimates are allowed but weaker, and CAA asks how you got your numbers. Packtally writes where every weight came from into your methodology and warns you when most of your weight rests on estimates.
The extra fields that other laws use
| Field | Why it's there |
|---|---|
| Plastic inside it, and plastic parts | Tape, a window or a plastic coating. California charges per pound of plastic and per plastic part |
| Recycled content % and proof | Recycled content claims and fee bonuses need a certificate or supplier letter behind them |
| Recyclable claim | Mark items that show the chasing arrows or say recyclable. California's SB 343 limits these claims on packaging made from October 4, 2026 |
| Supplier certificate of compliance on file, and its date | Toxics in Packaging: 19 states limit lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium to 100 ppm and expect this from each supplier |
| Supplier and size | So you know who to ask and which item it is next year |
Starter templates
Don't want to enter every jar and label before you see a number? Packtally has typical packaging for common products and shipments:
- Products (on Product packaging): candle in a glass jar, apparel, hats, skincare jars, dropper bottles, supplement bottles, coffee bags, snack or powder pouches, sauce or food jars, bar soap, jewelry and tins.
- Shipping kits (on Shipping): a poly mailer, a padded paper mailer, and small, medium and large boxes with tape, fill and a packing slip.
Every template item is saved as an unconfirmed estimate, so you see believable numbers on day one, and the report blocks it from a filing until you weigh it or confirm it from your supplier's spec. If your library already has an item with the same name, the template uses yours and leaves it as it is.
Import from a spreadsheet
Already keep your packaging in a spreadsheet? Set up, Import takes two CSV files, each with a template to download:
- Packaging list: one row per box, mailer, jar, label or insert, with name, material, weight (grams, ounces or pounds), plastic weight and parts, source, level, supplier, size, recycled content, certificate and recyclable claim. Items with the same name are updated. Rows marked as estimates come in unconfirmed.
- What ships with each product: one row per product and packaging item, matched by SKU, tag, product type or vendor. Rows for the same match become one rule and replace any rule already there.
Packtally checks every row and shows you what it will do before anything changes. A list of material codes is one click away.
Bought vs. counted
For any item, enter how many you bought in the data year from your invoices. Packtally compares it with how many your orders used and flags a gap over 20%. Stock on hand and damaged items explain small gaps. A big gap usually means a shipping rule or a product's packaging is off.
Supplier documents
Each item can carry its supplier's certificate, spec sheet or test report, and you can send a supplier a link to fill in weights, materials and certificates for you. See Suppliers and documents.