Wednesday 10 June 2020

Key Benefits of Flexible Packaging

From the use of aluminum containers to flexible packaging in the form of pouches or films, the packaging industry, especially for perishable products has come a long way. In the present day, the latter has become an essential, almost replacing rigid packaging. Flexible packaging is a non-rigid solution that can easily change its shape and be moulded into different forms like bags or pouches. It has wide applications that may vary from packaging solids to even liquid substances. Here are some key reasons why flexible packaging has proven to be beneficial across multiple industries.

Convenient & Lightweight 

  1. Flexible packaging solutions, available in forms like pouches, are easy to carry & store for consumers. 
  2. Features like zip locks and spouts add to its usability, making the consumer’s life easier by reducing the necessity of transferring its content into another container post opening. 
  3. These are light in weight and take less space. This makes transportation easier, drastically reducing the cost involved in shipping compared to heavier goods. 
  4. Since these are lightweight, it makes them less prone to damage. 
Prevents Spoilage 
Spoilage is one of the major concerns, especially in the food industry. According to FAO of the United Nations, food spoilage due to inferior packaging results in almost 1/2 of total food wastage across the world. To prevent this, companies have increasingly started using Barrier Films, a type of flexible packaging. These flexible films facilitate food safety by:

  1. Acting as Barrier: Certain types of flexible packaging act as barriers against outside elements like moisture, chemical and gases incl. oxygen which may otherwise become the reason for food degradation. 
  2. Preserving Inside Contents: While it does not allow entry of outside elements, it also keeps the inside aromas & food freshness intact. 
  3. Improving Shelf-Life: It increases the shelf life of food products by leveraging material that can aid in maintaining appropriate temperature and controlling the transmission of gases & other elements.
Environment-Friendly
All around the world, there have been various myths around this concern. Here’s why flexible packaging is beneficial for the environment as compared to other solutions:

  1. Use of flexible packaging reduces greenhouse gas emission as it consumes comparatively less power while being manufactured as opposed to its substitutes. 
  2. Both its production as well as transportation (since it’s easy to carry & lightweight) require less energy and make for a cost-effective & environment-friendly solution. 
  3. Its production involves less use of resources like fossil fuels and water. 
  4. It can be reused and recycled. 


Cost-Efficient 
Not only is it easy-to-handle & environment friendly but it’s a cost-effective solution too making it preferable for the manufacturers.

  1. It has a higher product to packaging ratio. This means that fewer resources are required in production of flexible packaging. 
  2. Even in the case of multi-layered films where material required for production increases, these eventually save the cost incurred by preventing food spoilage and wastage. 
  3. They are highly durable and reduce losses caused by tampering. 

Customizable & Innovative 
Flexible films can be moulded into any shape or form. The commonly used materials for this purpose are polyethylene, chloride and polyolefin. These can be easily converted into stand-up or lay-down pouches, or any other form of packaging.

  1. It enhances the look with its glossiness and clarity. 
  2. It gives graphic designers & marketers the opportunity to make the most out of the visual presentation, giving the product a competitive edge over the others. The designer can place his imagination & design freely anywhere on the package. 
  3. It offers amazing print quality so that the design could be brought to live effectively. 

With multiple producers in the market, it becomes hard to pick one. However, for Cosmo Films, a global brand accredited with prestigious national & international awards, one need not think twice. The company produces a variety of packaging films with versatile applicability & superior features. For more details, head over to the Cosmo Films website.