Packaging Industry Trends – Part I

Some of the latest trends in the packaging industry have been on-going initiatives that are evolving over time. For example, environmentally-friendly packaging products have been on the rise for the past 10 years. Product producers are searching not only for ways to make their packaging more ‘green’, but they are also looking to cut the cost of packaging. Some new lighter weight films and other innovations are assisting in both these areas. For example, as opposed to using shrink wrap to contain loose boxes on skids, there are now anti-slip blocking disks with small hooks on both sides that penetrate the cardboard on the cartons to keep them in place. Large wire-wrapped plastic containers are now available that will hold the same amount as 5 large drums, thus compacting the product down from 5 containers to one.

Another innovation cutting down on both packaging costs and waste is the creation of Retail Ready Packaging. These come in various forms. For the bakery industry it is utilizing plastic trays that stack and can have wheels attached to the bottom to allow the products to be placed on the trays in the factory, delivered to the stores and rolled out to the display floor without any additional packaging. The trays are switched out every day and re-used. Another form of Retail Ready Packaging is used when the factory places the products in shelf ready cardboard boxes. The boxes are printed on the outside with consumer-pleasing graphics and information. They are pre-scored to open across the top and partway down the front to display the individual products inside the boxes ready for the consumers to take out.

What other trends are changing our packaging world? Visit my next blog to learn about other changes and innovations that are making a difference.

The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading packaging machinery manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.