Automated Preformed Pouch Filling, Contract Packaging, General, Innovation, Preformed Pouches, Resealable Packaging, Sustainable Packaging / September 10, 2018
The growth of the flexible packaging industry is exciting to us—and not surprising considering its numerous benefits. Led by the popularity of stand-up pouches, being adopted at a rate of 7-9% annually, flexible packaging is meeting a variety of manufacturer and consumer needs, with more than 4/5 of manufacturers incorporating the format into their product packaging offerings—if not adopting it across all their product lines.
Driving this rapid growth and adoption are 4 significant features of flexible packaging that are bound to make it a staple not only in food and beverage packaging, but in health and beauty, and a variety of consumer and industrial goods.
Flexible packaging is more than simply pliable bags for containing products. Available with a variety of features designed to protect the perishable and nonperishable products stored within, flexible packaging can be customized to stand up to challenges such as oils and volatile ingredients inside, as well as sunlight and oxygen outside. Seals, closures, and pour spouts add to the protective capabilities of flexible packaging while also providing helpful portioning and product delivery mechanisms. It’s also an outstanding substrate for unique and eye-catching all-over graphics printing to truly make products stand out on shelves. Flexible packaging isn’t just “flexible” because it is soft-sided and not rigid, but it is also customizable and useful in a variety of product deployments.
Continued growth of the industry is both dependent upon and the result of ongoing engineering development and innovation. In order to expand into new markets and better serve existing markets and companies, new capabilities, features, and materials (both of the packaging itself and sealing/resealing methods) are constantly being explored, developed, and optimized. The unique needs of new industries, new companies, and established manufacturers migrating to the flexible packaging format often drive innovation that can benefit many other manufacturers as well.
Flexible packaging offers many benefits to consumers who appreciate how easy it is to manage and store even bulk quantities in more minimal packaging, plus how well flexible packaging protects the products contained within while storing until the product is fully consumed. Pouring and resealing features add to consumer (or industrial) usability. Even on the manufacturer side, flexible packaging offers the great benefit of transportation efficiency and reduced cost, as significantly more packaged product can be shipped in the same space as fewer bulkier rigid containers.
Responsible manufacturing and packaging are in great demand from consumers, with sustainability factoring into buying decisions every day. Growing options for sustainable flexible packaging make it not only possible but ideal for eco-conscious companies and those who produce natural products in particular. From reduced waste to recyclability to compostable materials, sustainable packaging appeals to suppliers and buyers alike. It is also an effective way to advertise to your consumers that you care about them, your product’s integrity, and the environment by matching high quality eco-conscious products with packaging designed with the same values in mind.
Are you ready to explore your flexible packaging solutions, or adding the format to your product line? Give us a call or contact us to get started.