They make a profit. If their expenses go up, but they don't raise prices, they make less profit - which is not necessarily loss. It's not hard to understand. Manufacturers have to put up with temporary increases in material cost all the time. They cannot expect to always pass that off to the consumer. Once a product price is raised, no one ever believes it will be lowered.
You're talking about savings for the consumer. Skipping the cardboard box stage of packing their product would save them lots - they don't need to pass that savings on to the consumer. It could help prevent the need to raise prices.
There is a valid genuine concern regarding these price increases. In the past, film was the only option for taking photos. At present, the easiest option by far for the vast majority of people is to never buy any film at all. Every year, digital photography improves. Every year, the ability to manipulate digital images becomes easier and cleaner. Many people have already stopped buying the more expensive film stocks in favour of cheaper film stocks. In spite of what is considered an upswing in popularity, film use is now, more than ever, a curiosity for most people. It's an indulgence for most of the rest. It will take a very small number of people changing their practice to make manufacturing these films no longer viable.