Flexible packaging is a fast growing packaging medium in food, beverage, health, pet chemical, and pharmaceutical products. But even as many industries switch to flexible packaging, these pouches and bags continue to face some inherent challenges.
If you are considering flexible packaging for your product before you move forward learn a bit about common challenges with flexible packaging. This includes information about sustainability, design limitations, and packaging challenges.
Sustainability
Consumers are continually plagued by the negative stigma surrounding plastic packaging and its effects on the environment. In comparison to other package materials, flexible uses less plastic and is therefore considered more environmentally conscious.
Less plastic reduces material consumption and carbon dioxide from producing that plastic. The fact that flexible packaging is stored and shipped flat means less emissions in transport and storage of empty packaging. Flexible packaging also plays an important role in reducing landfill waste since it will take up less space in its flat form than other packaging materials.
With this said flexible packaging is typically a 2 or 3 layer material for barrier characteristics and while technically recyclable in the real world recyclers throw away multi-layer packaging as opposed to trying to separate them.
Design Limitations
Unlike rigid containers that can be made in any shape and support the product inside, flexible packaging requires specific shapes and utilizes the material characteristics and tension within the packaging to keep its form.
Typically packages will fall into specific designs with a large flat bottom and a narrower top. This is to maintain stability while on a shelf or pallet.
Packaging Challenges
Flexible packaging is a relatively new container style compared to rigid packaging and really only gained popularity from 2009 on.
As a new technology you will not find as many co-packer options for filling as you can with rigid packaging and the equipment to package on is more expensive since the units need additional handling during production.
Knowing The Challenges Of Flexible Packaging
Discussions about sustainability, design limitations, and packaging challenges should not deter your company from using flexible packaging, rather they should be a consideration that allows you to see the entire life cycle of your product.
If you want to have an in depth discussion please don't hesitate to reach out to us and we can consult with you to help make a decision.
