Recent packaging technology has risen due to its excellent efficiency, low cost, and environment-friendly properties. It’s known as flexible packaging.
Rigid packaging, which includes product packaging in cans, jars, and bottles, is costly, less efficient, and contributes to the waste of many resources, including time, fuel, and transport. Corporations are leaving conventional packaging behind and moving on to the packaging of the future, which is proving to be highly beneficial.
But what exactly is flexible packaging? How does this save costs? And how is it beneficial for your business? You’ll learn all this and much more in this article. So let’s start by understanding the term flexible packaging.
Flexible packaging is a box or container constructed of flexible materials that can be easily altered in shape after being filled or closed. Paper, plastic, film, foil, or any similar fabric can create the structure.
Let’s take a walk down the history of packaging milk. Milk was dipped from big cans into the consumer's vessels until the mid-1880s. Then came the glass bottles, which used to have the manufacturer's name so that it is to be returned.
Soon it was realized that cans could be more effective to store milk as there is less chance of breakage when compared to the glass bottle. Today we see milk packed in paper cartons and foil.
Now imagine the space it would take to deliver thousands of bottles, cans, or cartons compared to flexible foil packaging. Let’s dive in deep to understand this concept and learn how flexible packaging saves resources.
There are different benefits of flexible packaging, but how is this new packaging method proving to be so beneficial? Let’s see.
Flexible packaging has less base material and is easy to fill because of its flexibility and formability. Raw product handling This means that a lot of time can be saved during the production phase and cut down the energy costs.
Likewise, production area and storage costs are also reduced because products in flexible packing consume less space.
Flexible packaging materials enable package forms to be more imaginative and unique. It offers eye-catching packaging with an attractive design that contributes to more excellent marketing value. It helps the product to stand out on the shelf from the rest of the competitor’s products.
Because this approach is lighter and takes up less space than rigid packing, shipping and handling expenses are considerably lowered. Conventional packaging takes 26 trucks to load the same amount of product loaded in 1 truck using flexible packaging.
Take your calculators out now and see how much you are going to save with flexible packaging!
Rigid packaging consumes more energy than flexible packaging. Fuel consumption and environmental footprint are significantly reduced during transportation. Furthermore, many flexible packaging materials are designed to be reusable and recyclable.
Flexible packaging shields items from moisture, UV rays, mildew, dust, and other environmental pollutants that may harm them, preserve their quality, and prolong their shelf life.
While cans can be disfigured and sold at lower prices because of packaging damage and jars can break, flexible packaging keeps the product intact for a more extended period and protects it safely.
That means you can deliver the product anywhere in the world without thinking twice about package damage.
Many materials can be used when it comes to flexible packaging. Read more to know which packaging material is suitable for your product.
Its flexibility allows it to be used in various sectors, including cosmetics, multimedia, sports goods packaging, and toys. Since it is FDA approved, it is also food safe.
The material is 100% recyclable, has good tensile strength, and offers a high level of puncture resistance, allowing a range of irregularly shaped products to flow smoothly through the supply chain life cycle.
Also known as Polyethylene High Density (PEHD), is polyethylene that is petroleum-based thermoplastic. Because of its high strength-to-density ratio, HDPE is used to make plastic bottles, pipes that can resist corrosion, polymeric membrane, and plastic form of timber, also called lumber.
Due to its great adaptability, HDPE is the most frequently used plastic. It is commonly recycled and may be found in everything from protective headgears to milk bottles.
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is lower in density than HDPE. That indicates that it has less mass than its volume.
Moisture and chemical resistance are all the best bits for LDPE. It's also ideal for recycling because solid LDPE goods like bottles, containers, lids, caps, and other similar items are commonly collected by roadside recycling facilities.
In the packaging business, this is one of the most often used films!
This polyethylene film is the most flexible of all the polyethylene films. LLDPE is a blended version of LDPE that has increased strength and stability, making it ideal for stretching.
LLDPE is ideal for stretch wrapping pallets and safeguarding large cargo transportation since it doesn't shrink as much as other films.
PET is a kind of plastic that is transparent, durable, and has excellent gas and moisture barrier characteristics. Yes, you got it right. It is the same material used in beverage bottles for cold drinks, water, and juices.
PET is a strong, lightweight, flexible, and 100% recyclable raw material that is used all over the world.
PVC helps packaging accomplish its function of maintaining the integrity of the items within, especially medications since it is reliable and lightweight. Although it is more brittle than many other packaging films, it is nevertheless a popular choice for packing.
PVC has a wide range of applications in many sectors, including construction, healthcare, electronics, automobiles and more.
Flexible packaging has surpassed rigid packaging in market share due to several factors, including technological advancements and cheaper costs due to lower material usage.
Businesses seeking more flexible packaging choices to promote their products have pushed the flexible packaging industry, which a rising economy has fueled.
A shift in patterns, as well as essential packing technologies, have aided the cause. Flexible packaging has become an inexpensive alternative to conventional, rigid packaging thanks to a shift in trends and valuable packaging automation.
With so many options, you need to find the right solution for your packaging needs. Consult our experts now at BluePrint Automation and switch to flexible packaging.
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