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

By: Nathan Dube
August 23rd, 2022

Curious about PCR and PIR packaging materials? In a world where sustainability is becoming ever more prevalent, that is no surprise. If you are like most companies, you are looking for sustainable packaging solutions to some extent or another. Maybe you are looking for recyclable packaging materials. Then again, you might be looking for information about biodegradable packaging. Perhaps you are looking for ways to recycle plastics that your local recycling center can't recycle. Regardless of what brought you here today, you are interested in learning more about PCR (post-consumer recycled) and PIR (post-industrial recycled) packaging materials. You have probably seen the terms PCR and PIR popping up in newsletters, emails, websites, or social accounts from some of the manufacturers and distributors that you use. But, you are new to these items, and you don't fully grasp what they are or what they mean. You would like to understand these terms better as they may help you source more sustainable packaging materials. Today, we will explain what PCR and PIR packaging materials are and the benefits of using these packaging supplies.

Blog Feature

Packaging Materials | Packaging Design

By: Sophia Laura
August 11th, 2022

Are you looking for effective product packaging strategies to snag consumers' attention? Well, so is everyone else these days. When it comes to gaining consumers' attention in retail settings, breaking through all the noise and bringing a customer's attention to your products is hard. With an excessive variety of items to choose from, consumers often feel overwhelmed by all the options they have when perusing store shelves at their local retail establishments. But that is where great packaging can intervene on your behalf and help consumers to choose a product. And if that packaging is applied appropriately, the product they choose may very well be the ones that you are selling. But how can you use packaging to grab customers' attention? Which packaging strategies should you use when attempting to get consumers' eyes on your products? In this article, we will review four effective product packaging strategies that will allow you to capture the attention and wallets of today's consumers.

Blog Feature

Equipment | Packaging Materials | Environment | The Business of Packaging | Technical Service and Support | Plant Performance | Investment | Shipping Protection

By: David Roberge
August 9th, 2022

Are you stretch wrapping your pallets by hand? Relying on manual labor to consistently protect your products in transit may be causing your company to lose money in the long run. Suppose your products are in high demand and you are cutting it close or, even worse, missing your customer's requested orders. In that case, you may be able to remedy this with automation at your end-of-line. Hand-wrapping pallets are less cost-effective than using a stretch wrapper at a certain point. At the same time, automated stretch-wrapping machinery can save on time and costs. Does the idea of saving money have your attention? Learn how to determine when to switch from hand-wrapping pallets to automated pallet-wrapping machinery.

Blog Feature

Equipment | Packaging Materials | Technical Service and Support | Supply Chain Services/ Contract Packaging | Plant Performance | Investment

By: David Roberge
July 28th, 2022

Are you still using hand stretch wrap to secure and palletize your products? If so, it might be time to consider upgrading to a stretch wrapper! Depending on the volume of pallets you are wrapping and the number of laborers you are employing to handle these responsibilities, you may be able to save a ton of money by switching to a stretch wrapper. For many businesses that are hand stretch wrapping their pallets, upgrading to a stretch wrapper can save labor, time, and most importantly, money. Stretch wrappers are faster and more precise than human laborers. And, they do not take a vacation, personal time off, or sick days! Depending on the unique dynamics of your company, a stretch wrapper may be a good investment for you. But, how do you know if buying a stretch wrapper is the right decision for your business? What questions do you need to answer to determine if this is the right move for you? This article will explain why upgrading to a stretch wrapper from using hand stretch wrap for your product palletizing processes may be a good choice for your company.

Blog Feature

Packaging Materials | Packaging Design

By: Nathan Dube
July 26th, 2022

Have you considered single-serve packaging when trying to formulate new avenues for revenue? If not, it is something that you may want to think about. Today, many consumers are looking to buy single servings of food or beverage products. This is due in part to the response to COVID. As people wanted to prevent the spread of germs, many consumers began buying single-serve packages so individuals would get their own food or beverage without having to touch other people's items. However, that is not the only driving factor behind consumers' push to buy single-serve products. Regardless of the reasons that led to this push, offering single-serve products in single-serve packaging is a new way to get your products into previously unavailable places. By offering single servings of your products, you have the opportunity to get your products onto shelves they have yet to be featured on. When offering single servings of your products, you can engage consumers differently than you currently are. This opens up new opportunities to sell the same product in new ways or launch a new product. But, is single serve packaging and product sales right for your business? What do you need to know before you start offering single serve products? In this article, we will explore the current boom in single-serve packaging and provide information that will help you decide if single-serve packaging is suitable for your business.

Blog Feature

Packaging Materials

By: Nathan Dube
July 21st, 2022

Stretch film and strapping are often used in tandem for palletizing and securing heavy obscure loads. In such cases, pallets will often be secured with four or more bands of strapping and then wrapped with stretch film. This tactic is an excellent way to ensure that heavy and oddly shaped loads are properly contained so they do not fall or go lopsided during transit and storage. Many companies use stretch film and strapping in tandem for applications as described above. But, having to use these two materials can be pricey. Pallets that are wrapped in both strapping and stretch film require extra material to ensure proper load containment. And this leads to the need for extra labor or automation to complete the process of applying these materials to your pallets of products. In a world where everyone is looking for ways to cut costs, these processes are concerning as they are expensive to implement. This is especially true when the cost of packaging materials continues to rise regularly. Many companies are looking for a way to eliminate extra packaging in an effort to reduce the cost of their product palletizing protocols. Many businesses ask themselves, "wouldn't it be great if we could replace stretch film and strapping with a single packaging material?" And, we must agree that it would be awesome if this could be done. If you could swap out two materials for one, you could save time, money, and labor by using only one type of packaging to palletize your products. Well, we have good news for you. Thanks to Alliance Plastics, there is now a single type of flexible packaging film called steelflex titanium stretch film that can replace the use of traditional stretch film and strapping for the types of applications mentioned above! But, how is this film able to accomplish this? And, where can you purchase this material? In this article, we will explain how you can use steelflex titanium stretch film to replace the use of traditional stretch film and strapping for palletizing heavy and obscure loads!