As the tumultuous and dare I say downright disruptive year of 2020 winds to a close, the packaging industry is looking at some very interesting trends as we head towards the new year. While there are some hot-button trends that remain from 2020 as we head into the first quarter of 2021 (such as sustainability and environmentally minded packaging materials), there are some huge new packaging opportunities that have come out of the pandemic. For example, the video game industry is experiencing a meteoric expansion of growth as gamers have spent more time at home playing video games and many new gamers are just beginning to experiment with the joy of gaming to pass the time while in quarantine or semi-mandated stay at home orders. More gaming = more opportunities for video game packaging applications. Then, we have the ever-growing expansion of eCommerce purchasing. Purchasing online was already steadily rising prior to the arrival of this pandemic. But it has only grown exponentially more than expected as a byproduct of the virus. Food packaging (particularly frozen food packaging) has also seen a massive growth spurt. More consumers are buying larger quantities of groceries either in person or via online driven delivery services. It’s a lot to keep up with. In this article, we will take a deep dive into the top packaging trends for 2021 so that you are set up to succeed in the new year.

Up until 2020, many supermarkets and other corporate entities were making it a point to phase out single-use plastics such as bags, cups, and straws. After the arrival of the corona virus, however, many of these institutions backpedaled on these decisions. They once again opted for single-use plastics as they had been proven to be safer options in the battle against COVID. Eventually, this pandemic will be over. And when that day comes, you can be sure that the environmental movement will be going full swing once again. We will likely see consumers once again demanding earth-friendly plastic alternatives to help protect the environment. Lately, we at Industrial Packaging have been getting questions about the various types of shrink films and their more environmentally friendly alternatives. Most recently, we received a rather interesting question from a prospect: Regarding shrink film, which is best for me? Recyclable OR Biodegradable? The honest answer to this question is, it depends! We will answer this questions based upon actual applications. This is case sensitive for each customer based upon their budget, their monthly volume of film used, and a few other different variables. In this article, we explore this question in-depth and help you understand which type of shrink film mentioned above is right for your unique packaging needs and business requirements.

As the days slowly creep towards October, the humid air of summer begins to fall into the shaded paths of memory that only an Indian summer can remedy. Mornings and nightfall share the brisk cold air that calls to the trees as they start to ignite with the colors of fall. Bright oranges, reds, and yellows begin to peek out from the edges of hardwoods, and you can often catch the scent of a campfire on the air throughout the day. Once again, pumpkin spice reigns supreme on the lips of many a passerby, and apples suddenly seem to be present in more than a few dessert offerings. Indeed, autumn has arrived, and if you are like me, you savor every sweet second of cold air, tree lines ablaze with fiery color, and the toasted notes of campfire smoke enticing the senses to reminisce. Now, if you work in the firewood industry, my guess is you are equally, if not even more excited than I am. During this time of year, many people begin to purchase firewood. Some do this for the occasional campfire aesthetic, while many place their cord-wood orders in preparation for a long winter. When bundling firewood for the former application, there are several ways to go about this process. When it comes to bundling firewood, you generally have three options. Stretch film, shrink film or strapping. Each of these are viable and appropriate ways to package firewood for consumers. Industrial Packaging has been bundling products with stretch film, shrink film and strapping materials for ages. We have learned a thing or two about bundling firewood during our many years in the packaging industry. This article will explore these firewood packaging processes and materials and help you decide which type of material and machinery is right for your firewood packaging business.

Are you feeling a little stressed out with the buying process lately?, with the continued complications coming from the presence of COVID, the global supply chain is experiencing new problems it has not experienced before. And while COVID will eventually end, the effects upon the supply chain will almost certainly be replicated in the event of other pandemics as time goes on. There was a time that purchasing foreign films made sense from a cost-savings perspective as many foreign films are often cheaper (and at times of lower quality). But, with the complications brought upon the world via COVID, the availability, delivery times, lead times, and other related parts of the process are being disrupted by the virus. Are you currently waiting for an order of shrink film from a foreign country? Have you received it yet? Do you think it will arrive on time? Wondering if you should purchase American made films instead? Maybe you are trying to figure out which option will ultimately cost less? If you are a purchasing professional or buyer, the issues the world is facing with the global supply chain is probably something you are dealing with on a daily basis. Chances are, you are continually attempting to buy the best possible product for the lowest possible price. While buying foreign films was once an option for cutting costs, choosing to do so in the age of COVID may result in late deliveries, higher prices, and low availability. Industrial Packaging has been actively engaged in buying, selling, and running shrink film not only on our lines but also for our clients. We sell both domestic and foreign films, but usually end up recommending domestic films due to price, quality and lead times. However, we know there are times when using a foreign film might make sense for your business. Our storied history of supply chain experience allows us to provide you with unparalleled insight and information regarding best practices for buying shrink film. In this article, we will discuss buying domestic shrink film vs. foreign/imported shrink film. We will take a look at several key considerations when choosing between domestic and foreign shrink films. When you are finished, you will have a good understanding of which one is a better purchase right now.

When launching a product as a new startup business, there is a lot to consider. Many steps must be taken to get your product designed, created, and ready to send to the market. You are most likely at the beginning stage of getting your products ready for packaging. Chances are, you have been doing research online, which is how you stumbled across this article. You probably feel some level of worry, stress or uncertainty about choosing packaging for your products as you have not done this before. Some of the questions you are asking your self probably resemble these: What material should I choose for my packaging? What equipment do I need for my packaging? How much will my packaging materials cost? How much will my packaging machinery cost? Most likely, you are looking for guidance on launching a new product and trying to understand the appropriate packaging protocols. Industrial Packaging has been helping companies package their products and get them to market in a timely fashion for over 65 years. In that time, we have become thought leaders on this subject. In this article, we will help you to understand what needs to be done when developing packaging for new products for your startup.

Determining the yield of your shrink film can help you optimize your film choices to help you run an efficient packaging line on which you will be able to squeeze every last ounce of value from. However, if you are reading this article, you are probably trying to figure out how to determine the yield of your shrink film. With that being said, you probably have a few questions about yield including: When do you need to determine the yield? You will likely have to be able to show the metric of yield in reports regarding waste reduction or other financial KPIs which will be effected by yield. Being able to show this data quickly will help you to shorten and simplify the buying process. Is it commonly difficult to calculate yield? If you are not a fan of doing math, calculating your yield can be frustrating. We will help you to do it with ease. Is calculating yield a common metric to calculate? Many companies over look this valuable metric, but others do not. Understanding your yield will help you to make better purchasing decisions and help you to reduce costs and waste. Does choosing the wrong film yield lead to wasted dollars? Yes! This is not something you want to get wrong. With the correct yield in hand, you will be able to choose the right film for your packaging needs and also choose the film which you will be able to get the most value out of. Industrial Packaging has been selling shrink film for generations. We are going to help you understand how to determine the yield of each type of film so that you can choose the right film for your unique packaging applications.