Do you consider the benefits of packaging when shopping for products? Research by the Flexible Packaging Association reveals that shoppers seek packaging that provides convenience, product safety, and longer shelf life. Flexible packaging provides all of this and more! Check out these 7 key benefits below!
Protects your products
Flexible packaging features a multi-layer construction that keeps food safe, keeps oxygen out, and keeps aroma in. Each layer works to prevent and reduce spoilage by keeping products together, ensuring fresh food for you to enjoy. Flexible packaging is resistant to denting and breakage, so it protects products throughout the shipping process!
Reduces food waste
Flexible packaging simultaneously protects and extends the shelf life of products without the use of preservatives. As shelf life increases, food waste decreases. This is a key benefit, as food waste is a major challenge in the United States, where approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is thrown away annually. Visit this link to see how dramatic the impact is for a number of everyday foods stored in flexible packaging!
Material and resource efficiency
Compared to traditional forms of packaging, flexible packaging can be made with less material, so it conserves resources and contributes to sustainability. It also requires fewer trucks for shipping and uses less energy to transport. This means conservation begins before you even purchase it!
Sends less materials to landfills
Although some materials such as glass and steel are recycled at higher rates than flexible packaging, they are bulky and send more package material to landfills than flexibles. Because flexible packaging is lightweight, made with fewer raw materials than traditional forms of packaging, and has recycling capabilities, less plastic ends up in landfills!
Convenience is KING
Flexible packaging can go places that other packaging cannot. It is easy to open, carry, reseal, and store! You can easily throw it in your bag and take it with you on the go. Since it is lightweight and easy to store, it also saves space in your kitchen and throughout other areas of your home.
Reusable
Along with reducing food waste and being environmentally friendly, flexible packaging is also reusable! According to the U.S. EPA Waste Hierarchy, the most preferred method for waste management is using fewer resources to produce and reusing the packaging. There are many ways to reuse flexible packaging. Get started today by checking out our blog post for 16 ways to reuse flexible packaging.
Recyclable
In the U.S., approximately half of all flexible packaging can be recycled into new packaging or be recycled through in-store drop-off programs. Single layer polyethylene (PE) films can be recycled through the Wrap Recycling Action Program (WRAP) by leaving items at your local flexible packaging recycling location. Research is progressing on many fronts to develop additional recycling solutions that we can expect to see in the near future. Use the TerraCycle database to quickly find the best local recycling options and drop-off locations near you!
The features of flexible packaging make life more convenient. It’s easy to store, open, reseal, and carry. Best of all, it extends product shelf life and provides positive benefits to the environment! To learn more about flexible packaging, visit our resources page for more information.
