6 Questions to Ask Your Flexible Packaging Supplier

Whether you are a manufacturer of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, pet supplies, or some other form of packaged goods, you know full well how important high-quality packaging is for both providing your consumers with a superior product and marketing your products to a specific demographic.

The flexible packaging industry has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, as manufacturers have recognized the valuable benefits of flexible packaging, over more traditional packaging solutions like cardboard, metal, and glass.

If you have not already hopped on board the flexible packaging trend, then the time to do so is now!

However, before you make the decision to partner with a particular flexible packaging manufacturer, make sure to ask them these six important questions. Their answers to these questions will help you to determine if they are the right partner for your business.

Plus, since you are already here, we’ll just go ahead and answer these questions for you! 

What Is Flexible Packaging?

Flexible packaging has a wide selection of shapes; sizes and attribute features; flexible packaging is usually made with plastics, but other non-rigid materials like foil and paper can be used as well. The flexible packaging market has roots back to the 1950s and has seen significant growth in recent years, thanks to continued innovation efforts, efficiency, customizability, and sustainability focus.

Why Choose Flexible Packaging over Rigid Packaging?

Before you decide to partner with a flexible packaging manufacturer over a rigid packaging manufacturer, make sure you understand the opportunities that flexible packaging makes available to you. Below we have listed some of the reasons why flexible packaging provides value over rigid packaging.

Innovative and Heavily Customizable

Flexible packaging can not only be customized in its visual design but in its functionality as well. We offer services; such as PreMedia and a Packaging Engineer team to make sure the packaging is designed with the products endgame in mind. The Plastic Packaging Technologies’  Thrive line of sustainable packaging solutions can be leveraged to provide you an environmentally friendly packaging solution.

Added User-Friendliness

We have a toolbox of add-on features to apply to your packaging format to afford you complete control over consumer accessibility, functionality, and usability of your packages. The lightweight nature of flexible packaging reduces transportation costs and the likelihood of breakage to maximize consumer convenience. In addition, consumers appreciate the size of flexible packaging over rigid containers like glass jars.

Maximizes Shelf Life

Flexible packaging materials can also be used to extend the shelf life of your products. They protect products from moisture, UV rays, mold, dust, and other environmental contaminants that can harm your products.

What Are the Different Packaging Formats You Have to Offer?

Plastic Packaging Technologies has several different packaging solutions to offer you.  If you don’t see what you are looking for, partner with our packaging engineer team to develop a solution.

Stand-Up Pouches

Our stand-up pouches are one of our most popular packaging solutions. They offer a variety of display options to offer a flexible in-store presence, extend shelf life, and improve the consumer experience with convenient features such as handles, reclosable zippers and sliders, and pour spouts. They offer the best strength and performance.

Roll Stock

From pet treats to snack food, high-quality rollstock is one of the most important elements to produce reliable flexible packaging. It enables increased production efficiency and reduces scrap and waste; add superior graphics and engineered specifications to meet your individual needs.

Flat-Bottom Box Pouches

Flat-bottom box pouches are becoming an increasingly popular choice for packaging companies due to their versatility. Flat-bottom box pouches increase the number of facings on the retail shelf, allow for secure placement, and have an increased printing area for brand promotion.

Pinch-Bottom Box Pouches

Pinch-bottom box pouches are similar to their flat-bottom counterparts, but they can be produced in all shapes in sizes to increase the amount of volume they can hold. At Plastic Packaging Technologies, we also offer our pinch-bottom box pouches with ultrasonic sealing capabilities.

Single-Web Quad Bags

Single-web quad bags are the ideal choice for products that are typically sold in large quantities, including, but not limited to, pet food and industrial, lawn, and gardening products. They are engineered to deliver the best solution for your products and can accommodate the extra weight that these types of products can bring to the table.

3-Side Seal Pouches

These pouches are sealed on all three sides to increase product protection, and they deliver enhanced consumer convenience due to re-closable feature options. 3-side seal pouches also offer increased run-speeds with Form, Fill, and Seal machines.

In What Ways Can Your Packaging Solutions Be Customized?

A great flexible packaging company needs to be able to accommodate the specific needs and requirements of its partners and their products. 

Is your product designed for kids and needs to be easy to access? Does it need to be resealed after the initial opening? Or is it a single serving with a tear opening? Solutions need to be designed to solve your packaging needs.

To this end, Plastic Packaging Technologies offers more than a dozen additional features to make your packaging more customizable and accessible.

• PRESS-TO-CLOSE-ZIPPERS… Single- or double-track zippers and easy-to-open tear notches
• TRUE FLAT-BOTTOM… Side gussets for a powerful, carton-like presence and added shelf life
• DIE-CUT SINGLE HANDLE… A convenient solution for transporting and dispensing products
• FULLY-OPENED TOP… Allows for additional product space and easy filling
• PERFORATION CAPABILITIES… For air evacuation to allow for easy filling
• SLIDER CLOSURE & END CLIP… Slider technology allows for convenient opening and closing
• SPOUTS & FITMENTS… Allow for easy and convenient dispensing of liquid or dry products
• FOLDOVER & GLUED-BOTTOM… Better shape, appearance, and another panel for graphics
• INDIRECT VENTING… Increases product filling rates and efficiency

 

These are just a handful of the additional features we have to offer. These add-on features help your products stand out from the rest, and consumers will appreciate the features that increase accessibility and usability.

What Steps Are You Taking to Make Your Packaging Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly?

If eco-friendliness and sustainable packaging are important to you, then this is a question you will definitely want to have an answer to before agreeing to partner with a flexible packaging manufacturer.

Our team here at Plastic Packaging Technologies prides itself on our sustainable packaging solutions, and we take the effects of waste very seriously.

We take pride in our extensive industry partnerships to stay informed and in front of the best sustainable alternatives and processes. We make an effort to capitalize on any opportunity we have to recycle, limit our energy consumption, or minimize waste inside our plants.

The ability to recycle packaging is something that many consumers are conscientious about, and it is often a contributing factor when they are making a final purchasing decision. Even if eco-friendliness isn’t your focus, it is likely very important to your consumer.! 

Why Should I Choose You Over Another Flexible Packaging Manufacturer?

Alas, what is probably the most important question of them all: why should you choose one flexible packaging manufacturer over the other?

While we cannot speak for other companies, Plastic Packaging Technologies is the best choice for your flexible plastic packaging needs. Not only do we offer state-of-the-art packaging solutions that are head and shoulders above the competition, but we also have a commitment to our craft that is unrivaled in the industry.

Our mission is to enrich people’s lives and the products they use through purposeful, powerful packaging, and we work to accomplish that mission each and every day. Plastic Packaging Technologies has a strong dedication to sustainability, offers innovative solutions, and delivers consistent and reliable product quality.

Our talented team not only offers fast, responsive service, but we are also experienced industry professionals that provide in-depth knowledge and expertise beyond just taking orders. We take pride in our high-level of unparalleled personal service and the partnerships it allows us to develop with our clients.