You have a lot to consider when deciding between flexible pouches vs. glass bottles for beverage packaging. On the one hand, glass has been used for beverage packaging for hundreds of years.
On the other hand, flexible pouches are seeing massive growth in the beverage packaging industry. There are various pros and cons to both packaging materials.
Glass is entirely recyclable but has a much higher carbon footprint than flexible pouches. Most flexible pouches are not recyclable but have a significantly lower shipping cost and carbon footprint.
The are many reasons why you may want to choose one of these beverage packaging materials over the other. But which material is best for your beverage packaging needs?
We will compare flexible pouches to glass bottles for beverage packaging applications today. After reading this article, you will know which material suits your needs.
Flexible Pouches Or Glass Bottles? Which is Right For You?
When trying to decide which type of packaging material to package your beverages in, you have many options to choose from.
There are plastic bottles, glass bottles, flexible pouches, and various other types of containers that are appropriate for packaging beverages.
With that being said, two of the hottest packaging materials on the market today that are used for packaging beverages are flexible pouches and glass bottles.
Both have their pros and cons. And some applications are more appropriate for one than the other. But, which of these packaging materials is right for your beverage packaging applications?
Below, we will review both of the packaging materials mentioned above.
Flexible Pouches For Beverage Packaging
Flexible pouches are one of the fastest-growing packaging materials on the market today. They have seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the past decade or so.
This is primarily because they are lightweight, cheaper to ship, shatter-proof, and take up much less space in our trucks, warehouses and our landfills when compared to other popular beverage packaging materials.
Flexible pouches have replaced many different packaging materials for various packaging applications. These include packaging for food, industrial liquids and powders, and other consumer products.
Flexible pouches are made from different types of plastic formulations and are mostly not recyclable. But they have a noticeably lower carbon footprint than popular alternative materials such as glass, cardboard, paperboard, hard plastic, and other popular packaging supplies.
Many companies have adopted them for many different types of food packaging applications.
But, flexible pouches have also become hugely popular as alternative beverage packaging materials. Specifically for beverages, we are talking about spouted flexible pouches.
Spouted Flexible Pouches For Beverage Packaging
There are many different types of flexible pouches, including stand-up pouches, bottom gusseted pouches, side gusseted pouches, valved gusseted pouches, and pillow pouches.
But, when it comes to beverage packaging, most beverage packaging companies spring for spouted flexible pouches.
Spouted flexible pouches are a type of flexible pouch that may or may not feature bottom gussets. What makes these pouches different from all other flexible pouches are the spouts that are featured on this type of pouch.
Generally speaking, a spouted flexible pouch will have a spout on the top of the package. The spout has a corkscrew texture, allowing a removable cap to be removed and then reattached.
These spouted flexible pouches are popular with consumers for many reasons. For one thing, unlike glass, they are highly resistant to breakage and shattering.
If you drop one on the floor, the packaging and product stay intact and may be retrieved and still enjoyed. They can be branded with eye-catching full-color graphics from edge to edge, enticing customers to pick them up.
Spouted flexible pouches are resealable and allow you to save a portion of the beverage for later if you do not feel like finishing the product upon opening.
Spouted flexible pouches are much lighter than most other popular beverage packaging bottles and cost notably less to ship and transport.
While spouted flexible pouches are, for the most part, not recyclable, they have a much lower carbon footprint than the majority of other beverage packaging materials.
So when buying spouted flexible pouches, you are saving money and our airways as well.
Glass Bottles For Beverage Packaging
Glass bottles have been a prevalent beverage packaging material for over one hundred years. They emit an air of luxury and are popular with many consumers to this day.
Glass bottles are 100% fully recyclable and allow consumers to see the beverage packaged inside the container. Glass bottles may be branded with full-color labels or printed directly onto the glass.
Glass bottles are a reflective surface that nicely reflects lights in retail settings and are rather eye-catching to consumers.
When reaching for a beverage at the supermarket, gas station, pharmacy, and other beverage retailers, many consumers choose glass bottles.
But, glass bottles are one of the heaviest packaging materials for beverages. As such, they are significantly more expensive to ship when compared to alternative materials such as spouted flexible pouches.
Glass bottles are also prone to cracking, breakage and shattering when shipped or dropped. In these instances, they also become a safety hazard.
And while glass bottles are 100% recyclable, they have one of the highest carbon footprints of all beverage packaging materials.
This carbon footprint essentially negates many of the benefits associated with the material's full recyclability.
Which Is Right For You? Flexible Pouches Or Glass Bottles?
In order to figure out if flexible pouches or glass bottles are the right packaging materials for your beverage packaging applications, you will need to answer a few questions.
With the answers to these questions, you will be able to choose the proper beverage packaging materials for your products, packaging line, and needs.
- Are you looking for a recyclable beverage packaging material? - If you answered yes, then glass bottles are the best choice.
- Are you looking for a beverage packaging material with high shatter resistance? - If you said yes, flexible pouches are the materials for you.
- Are you looking for a luxurious beverage packaging material? - If the answer to this question was yes, glass bottles are the better choice.
- Are you looking for a beverage packaging material with a low carbon footprint? - If yes is the answer, flexible pouches are right for your needs.
- Are you looking for a traditional beverage packaging material? - If you said yes, glass is the superior choice.
- Are you looking to cut costs on shipping? - If you are, flexible pouches would be the better choice.
Where Can You Purchase Flexible Pouches And Glass Bottles?
After reading this article, you should have a pretty good idea of which type of beverage packaging material makes the most sense for your needs.
Have you chosen flexible pouches? Are you interested in getting prices for these flexible packaging materials? If you answered yes, please contact one of our packaging experts.
They will be able to help you choose the proper flexible pouches for your beverage packaging needs.
On the other hand, if you have chosen glass bottles, we cannot help you with those. But, if you would like some assistance in finding a glass bottle vendor, feel free to reach out to one of our packaging experts, and they will help you find the appropriate vendor for your needs!
