Food packaging can generally be broken down into three fundamental forms: rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible. Rigid forms of food packaging have experienced a long history of use. Recently however, the flexible packaging market has emerged and is experiencing substantial growth for a number of different reasons including: consumer demand for convenience, variety in packaging styles, and high quality labeling options over metal and glass.
Over the years many rigid food packages have met the shelf requirements necessary such as moisture barrier, oxygen barrier, light barrier and more from a single, homogenous material such as steel, aluminum, and glass. In order to achieve the same desired properties in flexible packaging a combination of materials are used to compose flexible food pouches.
The packaging industry, especially where the food industry is concerned, is in a period of transition. Heavy, rigid cardboard and plastic containers are on the way out to make way for more convenient, environmentally friendly option to take their place.
Benefits Found With Flexible Packaging
- It Costs Less: Flexible food packaging requires fewer materials for production and costs less to manufacture than heavy, rigid plastic containers. Flexible pouches are budget-smart without a compromise to quality.
- Available Options: Flexibility doesn’t come just in the form of the package itself but also in the options that are available to the packaging. Flexible packaging options include: tamper-evident, peel and reseal, disposable and oxygen barrier films, tap options and more.
- Decrease Transportation Costs: With fewer materials and a lighter product the cost of shipping will decrease substantially. It is much more cost-effective to transport flexible materials than it is to transport rigid containers. Flexible pouches are lighter while taking up less space, some even lie flat which makes transportation even easier. Smaller loads of freight also put less stress on the environment meaning fewer greenhouse gas emissions and a lower carbon footprint. Less transportation, lower freight costs, and cleaner air – we all win.
- Longer Shelf Life: If you need optimum food purity and protection from contamination than flexible packaging is your best bet. Multi-layer liners are stronger and more durable and high barrier liners prevent oxygen infiltration allowing food product to last substantially longer than before.
- Smaller Burden on Landfills: There’s no material that combines as many benefits with eco-friendliness as flexible packaging. It’s one of the most responsible choices that you can make.
- Space Conservation: Flexible food packaging components are designed to conserve space. That’s true, whether they are unfilled, stacked and waiting, or filled and ready for the end user. Numerous unfilled bags take up less storage space than one empty rigid container. They stack smaller requiring less room on a warehouse shelf or transport truck.
Consumer demand drives the popularity of flexible packaging. They are easy to handle while fitting neatly on the shelf. Cost, performance, and sustainability all make flexible packaging the right choice when looking into labels and packages for your products.
Learn more about Anchor Printing and their vast line of custom product label & packaging options including: Shrink Sleeve Labels, Flexible Packaging, Roll-Fed Labeling, Pressure Sensitive and Cut & Stack Labels at http://anchorprinting.com/flexible-packaging.php. To contact one of our label specialists call toll free at 800.748.0209 or via email at info@anchorprinting.com.