How to track lots of packaging material used and returned?

How would you track what lots of packaging material (e.g. film, trays, bags) production uses and returns everyday? Loaded question I know, but we can't come up with a plan, besides having a "store" for our dry goods, which would not work well logistically at our facility. Currently banging my head trying to figure out a good traceability system.

What we did was assign our own lot numbers to packaging materials. The operator of whatever machine is using said materials signs out X amount by product AND lot number. At the end of the day the remaining unused parts are signed back in and tracked that way and are then on the first out for the first in first out rotation. The lot coding starts as soon as product is received.

Hi Girzaznot, to provide you with meaningful advice we need to understand your product and process some more, especially helpful would be to know how the various packaging items are transported to and from production...for example are they inside secondary or tertiary packaging with lot codes or dates etc.

Thanks,

Simon