The Flexible Packaging Blog

Reviews, trends, and tips covering all things flexible packaging to protect your products and your bottom line.

Blog Feature

Packaging Materials | Environment | The Business of Packaging | Packaging Design | Food Packaging

As we move into summer, one thing that appears to be on many consumer's minds is sustainability Millions of people in the food industry are trying to figure out how to make less of an impact on our planet earth. Which, all things considered, is a good idea. While the thought of heading to the cold, desolate, desert world of Mars may be appealing to some, most of us plan on staying here. And, if that is the case, we obviously want to take care of our home rather than trash and destroy it, right? But, when it comes to making less of an impact on the environment and taking actions that make a difference, what can the everyday consumer do? How can you be a good steward of planet earth while still enjoying a modern lifestyle that’s so dependent upon copious amounts of packaging materials? As someone who works in the food industry, you are also thinking about these things and figuring out how to make your products more earth-friendly. You are looking for a food packaging material that will make less of an impact on planet earth. By this point, you have probably learned that flexible packaging is one of the most sustainable packaging material choices on the market today. But you're not exactly sure what the benefits of flexible packaging for your food products are. Today, we are going to change all that. Industrial Packaging has been working with earth-friendly and sustainable, flexible packaging materials for decades. And we have helped countless companies just like yours switch to greener packaging supplies. That is why we have invited UBE Europe GmbH to write on behalf of Change & Challenge to discuss the sustainable and environmental benefits of flexible packaging for food retailers. This article will explore the top 5 benefits of choosing flexible packaging for your products regarding sustainability and their impact on the environment.

Blog Feature

Supply Chain Services/ Contract Packaging | Food Packaging

By: Nathan Dube
May 4th, 2021

You have decided that contract food packaging is right for you. You are trying to figure out how to choose the right contract food packaging company. But, you are not sure which considerations are key when choosing a vendor. Industrial Packaging has been offering contract food packaging services for many years. We offer these services to everyone from small businesses up to Fortune 500 clients. While we may or may not be the right contract food packaging company for you, we can help guide you to choosing the right one. This article will take a look at the key considerations you must think about when choosing a contract food packaging vendor. With this information, you will be able to choose the right contract food packaging company for your business.

Blog Feature

Food Packaging | Fulfillment

By: Nathan Dube
March 4th, 2021

When working with a contract packaging company, in order to make room for occasional human error or mechanical issues, you need to supply your contract packaging company with enough product to allow for some waste. When offering contract packaging services, it is common for a contract packaging company to have to move from a warehouse that is too small. This is done to sustain the current requirements of their customer base. In this case, a move to a new location is a must. This would be waste produced by machinery and material problems or operator errors. There has to be some extra product available so that when products fail at some point in your packaging line, your contract packaging company will be able to use that extra product to replace those items. In the case of product waste, there is often a large amount of products left over after the order has been fulfilled. Normally, these products end up in a landfill. This is a travesty, particularly for food production companies. In fact, 218 billion dollars worth of food products is sent to a landfill each year. Food waste happens at all stages of the food production process. Each stage of the distribution and supply chain ecosystem also produces waste at times. Many people in the United States of America are going to bed hungry on a regular basis. With so much excessive food waste, this is absolutely unacceptable. However, navigating the complex laws surrounding food safety is a challenge. Even more so with the inability to reuse food products after expiration. But, it does not have to be this way. There are some fairly simple ways to negate such massive amounts of food and product waste. If you are willing to work with your local contract packaging company, you can do it. There are ways to develop a closed-loop system. This can reduce or altogether stop this type of unnecessary waste. Industrial Packaging has been offering contract packaging services for many years. During that time we have developed waste reduction protocols. These protocols have allowed us to largely reduce the waste of various products for our clients. In this article, we will explore the way in which waste reduction may be achieved by working with your local contract packaging company.

Blog Feature

Supply Chain Services/ Contract Packaging | Food Packaging

By: Nathan Dube
December 17th, 2020

Industrial Packaging Is The First Packaging Company In The World To Be Pandemic Prepared Certified By AIB International! In addition to the above's most exciting news, we are also the first company in the United States to achieve this certification! When the COVID pandemic hit the USA, we, like many companies, were not ready for the brave new world that had begun to rear its head. With that being said, we wasted no time in the process of adapting to the challenges before us. Our supply chain team, headed by then General Manager and our current Vice President Jarrod DiZazzo, worked quickly to implement the recommended guidelines brought forth by the CDC and the WHO. From the implementation of thermometers and thermal imaging technology to advanced social distancing and sanitization practices, the Industrial Packaging team worked tirelessly to meet the demands of a most unexpected global emergency. With protection being the forefront in our mission of “Protecting People, Products, and Brands throughout the Supply Chain”, we had to act quickly while also being extremely careful to ensure that the safety of our customers and employees was at the heart of our efforts. That is why we are extremely excited to announce this huge achievement!

Blog Feature

Packaging Materials | Food Packaging

By: Nathan Dube
November 26th, 2020

Most of the time, food packaging applications are driven by capitalist endeavors and by profits. However, that is the last thing that comes to mind when reading this heart-warming tale. Recently, the Eastfield Mall's employees took it upon themselves to package meal kits for families in need. The Mall's crew got to work packaging hundreds of meal kits for local family's who were struggling to put food on the table. The meal kits were packaged in cardboard boxes and stacked on pallets prior to being delivered to the Eastfield Mall where the Mall's employees worked hard to pack the trunks of folks finding it hard to make ends meet. With each kit featuring over thirty pounds of food filled with items such as fruits, veggies, milk, eggs, and meat, the Eastfield Mall was able to provide 1,000 family's with the much needed provisions. In this article, we will explore this thanksgiving miracle of food packaging made manifest by the kindness of others in a time where help is needed more than ever.

Blog Feature

Packaging Materials | The Business of Packaging | Food Packaging

By: Nathan Dube
November 3rd, 2020

There have been many industries hit hard by the pandemic. "Non-essential" businesses of many kinds have had to shut down for weeks, sometimes months on end. And while various different types of businesses have taken a hit during 2020, the restaurant industry was hit particularly hard. Initially, many restaurants were completely shut down. Then various states began staged re-openings across the country. But restrictions and limitations were imposed on the already struggling restaurant industry as it attempted to regain some of the losses that they had accrued. Once back open, most eateries were limited to lower capacities based upon state laws. Even with re-opening opportunities, many dining institutions saw a dramatic decrease in attendance. And while this situation proved quite challenging for this section of the food industry, it was quite another story for others. For example, with many former patrons of restaurants choosing to stay home and cook rather than go out for a night on the town, many supermarkets experienced a massive boost to normal business. Necessities such as food and toiletries in particular flew off store shelves at a rapid pace. And while pre-made or serve-yourself items such as hot-food or salad bars were shut down, pre-packaged foods, particularly frozen foods, ultimately saw a huge boost in sales. This resulted in many supermarkets having to stock up more than usual in an effort to meet the demands of the supply chain. And the story was no different when the pandemic met HEB supermarkets. And while the HEB team was more than happy to work hard to meet the rising demand, they took notice of their fellow food industry professionals in the restaurant scene. And that is when HEB supermarkets stepped up to help out their fellow foodie friends and help them to make ends meet. In this article, we will explore this wonderful story about people helping people and how a kind gesture was able to help some restaurants to stay afloat while they battle COVID.