Cost Cutting Packaging Techniques Louisville KY

Greater convenience, longer-lasting product freshness, portion control and more brand-name exposure to consumers are all driving customer demand for resealable, flexible packaging.

Most packaging eventually ends up in the trash (unfortunately) or the recycling bins. When a consumer takes a product out of its original packaging for storage in an airtight container, the primary packaging becomes trash sooner rather than later. Consumer-packaged goods makers (CPGs) lose days or even months of valuable brand exposure, which translates into wasted dollars spent on developing a brand relationship with the end consumer. Adding a resealable feature to a flexible package not only protects products, preserves freshness and adds consumer convenience?it also extends the time consumers literally see the brand. This ?face time? reinforces brand recognition, which can lead to repeat business for your end-user customers.

An ultimate cost-cutter

While convenience packaging often means extra costs for converters, CPGs and consumers, flexible packaging that uses zippers can actually cut costs. Flexible packaging offers better cube utilization and pallet structure than rigid packaging. It has been estimated that only one truckload of flexible-film packaging can equal up to 20 truckloads of rigid containers.

Not only can resealable, flexible packaging reduce shipping and material costs, it is also a more sustainable way to package and ship products. Flexibles enable lighter-weight packages with smaller dimensions that lead to greater product-to-package ratios. Using resealable, flexible packaging can help earn greater business with environmentally-conscious consumers.

Here are six steps to improving the cost-effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of flexible packaging via resealable zippers for your CPG customers.

1. Match applications to zippers. Technologies for resealing flexible packaging, while not new, are evolving to fit changing consumer needs. Application-specific technologies help ensure that the product and its package work in harmony. Zip-Pak research has found consumers prefer a wider opening for easier access to contents. To create a wider opening by allowing the package to be opened and resealed down its side, Zip-Pak developed slider technology for integration into the fin-seal of an overwrap-style package (above left).

2. Back up premium products with premium zippers. Premium products are in a growth mode across the retail food sector. Premium closures can complete the product experience for consumers. Suppliers, such as Zip-Pak, have developed premium press-to-close zippers to help consumers reliably close packages. For example, Zip-Pak's Double Zipper technology uses two sets of interlocking profiles to guide the consumer's fingers along a path when closing a package (see package at left).

3. Find knowledgeable people to help fine-tune the bagmaking line. To help ensure a smooth transition to a zipper-capable converting line, pair operators with a zipper specialist with experience running many zipper-pack variations. Untrained operators have to rely on their intuition instead of their equipment and application knowledge to solve zipper-application problems. For example, an untrained operator might simply increase the sealing temperature, pressure or dwell-time when a zipper fails to attach to the film. While this solution seems intuitive enough, it most often is not the best course of action.

Film choice, application technology, machinery employed and the product itself all affect how a package will function. A zipper specialist can evaluate the cause of a converting/bagmaking problem and recommend the best solution.

4. Tap the marketing potential of instructions. Although zippers are familiar to most consumers, their market potential can be enhanced by well-printed visual instructions. Zip-Pak allows its packaging customers to use its logo and custom graphics.

5. Make it easy for consumers to access zippers. Research confirms a consumer can become frustrated when a cutting tool is needed to open an otherwise ?convenient? package. So, don't make consumers cut open a package just to access its zipper. Consumers could cut film too close to the zipper, making it difficult to reclose, or worse, injure themselves in the process. Instead, design and convert the flexible package with laser scoring or a simple perforated tab that can be easily applied in-line with a zipper.

6. Keep it simple. Use package design elements (slider zippers) to visually guide consumers to the easiest way of opening a flexible package. A slider serves as a visual and tactile clue as to how to open and close the pouch. In fact, most consumers surveyed immediately recognize how a slider works and trusted its integrity after it was reclosed. Even in many geographic markets where resealable technology is just beginning to become popular, consumers quickly understood the slider's function and preferred it over press-to-close zipper options.

MORE INFO:

SUPPLIER:

ZIP-PAK, an ITW Co., 800/241-1833, www.zippak.com