Packaging trends pop up pretty quickly, and even when you have your finger on the pulse of the industry, there are always innovative new ways to present your items that you may not have considered. One of the most convenient, flexible, and trending new options are stand up pouches. They’ve been around for decades, but with the public’s growing interest in efficiency and waste reduction, they’re rapidly growing in popularity. Basically, stand up pouches are soft sided containers that stand up on their own, unsupported. They usually have a resealable zipper, track, and/or spout, and can carry solid, liquid, or powdered items.

Minimizing excess stretch film usage is important for reducing waste, saving money, and keeping your operation as efficient as possible. While stretch film is an invaluable product, the less you use while properly securing your loads, the better for your bottom line. Load containment is one of the most important factors in this process. The term refers to the different forces that work in unison to hold your pallets together. Proper load containment secures your product so it can travel and arrive intact. Here’s everything you need to know about making load containment your secret weapon:

In an increasingly connected world, there are few areas that the internet hasn’t gotten its megabytes into. The rise of data sharing is only on track to continue, with the Internet of Things (IoT) growing in scope and significance. In keeping with this rising trend, smart packaging (also known as intelligent packaging) is becoming the new standard in the manufacturing space. Think of it as an upgrade — like watches and televisions, adding “smart” elements to packaging can vastly improve the consumer’s (and manufacturer’s) experience, with infinite opportunities to take advantage of the technology. Read on to learn all about the possibilities of smart packaging, and how it’s being utilized by manufacturers.

You’ve probably heard the term Internet of Things (IoT), but what does this ubiquitous industry buzzword refer to, exactly? The IoT is the interconnectedness of everyday objects and machinery to the internet through computerization (microchips, sensors, etc.), enabling inanimate items to exchange data and communicate with other connected objects. Industry insiders are predicting that the IoT could change manufacturing as we know it by tracking and measuring every previously unquantified element of operations. Read on for everything you need to know about the IoT and packaging, including what’s trending now, how companies are innovating, and a predictive look forward.

There’s no escaping the images and videos depicting plastic bottles and waste floating along nature’s waterways and oceans, nor the devastating predictions about pollution’s increasing impact on the demise of our environment. As inhabitants of this great planet, we play a monumental role in effecting positive environmental change. We have a responsibility to ourselves (and humanity at large) to adopt effective ways of reducing waste and caring for Mother Earth. So, too, do the companies and large corporations developing, manufacturing, packaging and transporting the goods and materials that leave an ecological footprint.

The flexible packaging movement is proving to be a highly fluid one, and the new year is poised to bring about a distinct, industry-wide transformation. Flexible packaging trends seem to be bending toward the consumer in 2019, with a major focus on the areas of sustainability, convenience and e-commerce. As brands remain hyper-focused on consumer preferences, packaging technology and standards are moving in the same direction. Discover what changes are in store for the new year, and find out how these shifts can impact your own brand.