The thinning trend in flexible packaging materials intensifies: low-carbon and eco-friendly

As a kind of industry trend, the packaging structures of flexible packaging appear to have more vitality, because they take a relatively long time to change. Below are some flexible packaging structures that have already changed or are changing.

Packaging boxes open in more ways and are easier to operate

Compared with the past, today's packaging boxes use small fittings for opening and closing. For example, the zippers on some stand-up pouches mean that users do not need to tear the pouch open but simply twist it open. Major progress has also been made in machinery: as functions increase, it is possible to provide a one-stop service from filling to packaging in the shortest possible time.

Clear high-barrier films

The barrier performance of a new generation of clear films and coatings is beginning to approach that of metal foil and metallized films. It offers an opportunity for display, enabling people to see appetizing food directly. This packaging structure also makes it convenient to heat food in a microwave oven.

The preferred packaging for new products

After many years of development, it is widely believed that flexible packaging will sweep across all products. Typical examples are tuna and pet food: after decades of canned packaging, retort pouches have become widely used. More recently, glass jars for baby food have also been replaced by retort pouches.

One step ahead of others

Since packaging ketchup in larger, more flexible stand-up pouches is no longer a novelty, pouch packaging for other condiments cannot be far behind. Successful test marketing in Europe, Asia and Latin America has proved this to be a marvel. New packaging for shampoo and laundry detergent was launched when the time was right, and the same is true for canned fruit.

The global breakfast cereal flexible packaging industry advances slowly

In both low-end and high-end markets, flexible packaging has already come into the sight of cereal manufacturers. But experts admit that if a switch to flexible packaging were to be made in a short time, manufacturers would have to invest a great deal in packaging machinery. Moreover, although renewable resources have many advantages, it is unlikely that flexible packaging materials can be directly replaced by recycled paperboard. The main reason is that flexible packaging does not mean that consumers across the whole country will accept it, especially Americans.

There will be more layers in the coextrusion step

At first hearing, this claim seems wrong, but in fact adding layers to a flexible packaging structure can save costs and increase performance. How does it work? It requires more precise control of the layers. 3-5 layer film coextrusion lines are constrained by the size of the extruder and the mold design. 7-9 layer coextrusion lines can produce flexible packaging materials with better performance and greater thickness, and at lower cost because there is no need to redesign the structure. One approach is to use cheaper resin as the bulking layer material. Another is to separate the moisture barrier layer into two thinner layers, one of which serves as a backup in case pinholes connect with other layers. This method also increases the number of moisture barrier surfaces, further reducing the permeation rate. There are various technologies that can separate moisture barrier materials into many layers, and there is also data showing a linear improvement in moisture resistance.

The right flexible packaging shape

Contemporary packaging styles can produce more shapes than before. Consumer packaged goods companies crave new packaging shapes; for them, making products stand out on the shelf is very important. Stand-up pouches with a shape that has almost two curved spaces removed are already out of fashion, although the machines of machinery companies elsewhere are almost all producing this conical stand-up pouch. At the same time, as stand-up pouch shapes become more complex, how to curb design waste is a challenge that must be faced.

The broad impact of pouches

Because pouch structures can be customized on demand, many new physical product forms have emerged: liquid, viscous, powdered, granular and particulate. As a result, products from different categories have converged, including food and beverages, cosmetics, healthcare, pet food, automotive, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products. At present, the filling speed of flexible packaging has not yet reached that of common packaging boxes, but the gap is narrowing, especially in the field of dry products.

The low-carbon and environmental protection storm has reached the packaging industry

In recent years the global storm of low-carbon and environmental protection has reached the packaging industry, and the concept of low-carbon packaging has been put forward. The main contents of low-carbon packaging include lightweight packaging, clean production, green products, energy saving and emission reduction, and replacing wood with paper; replacing wood with paper is the core of low-carbon packaging. Recycling waste paper not only reduces the amount of wood used, cuts down fewer trees and protects the ecological environment, but also saves energy, conserves water and reduces emissions. In product development, companies need to give full consideration to social responsibility, closely focusing on the theme of green packaging, so that the packaging materials developed can be recycled, regenerated or degraded, and do not affect the human body or the environment throughout the entire life cycle of the product; and on the premise that the product meets packaging functionality, the amount of waste generated should be minimized as much as possible, thus presenting the development of packaging films and materials toward lightweight and thinner films. At present, the regulation prohibiting the use of EPS foamed plastic cushioning materials has already forced Chinese enterprises to eliminate foamed plastic from the packaging of exported home appliances and switch to environmentally friendly cushioning such as honeycomb paperboard. Honeycomb paperboard is a new type of environmentally friendly and energy-saving material with a sandwich structure made by combining high-strength honeycomb paper cores with various high-strength kraft papers, and it has advantages such as low cost, low material usage, sound absorption and heat insulation, high strength and good impact resistance. Honeycomb paperboard is made entirely from recyclable and renewable paper materials, can replace wood, and can be fully recycled and reused after use.

At present, China's packaging machinery products have few varieties, a low technical level and poor product reliability, and have no advantage in the international market; more than 80% of processing and packaging equipment is imported. Facing tasks such as developing deep processing of agricultural products, building a conservation-minded society and developing a circular economy, the market for packaging machinery products is very broad. If packaging machinery enterprises can accelerate technological innovation and adapt to market demand, they will gain considerable profits.

This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-373071.html. All rights belong to the original author; this article is for industry exchange and learning only.