Plastic Packaging Innovation
For decades plastics have driven innovation in packaging design.
From tamper resistant medicine packaging to the Heinz dip/squeeze packet, plastic helps drive innovation and is a leading material in creating effective packaging solutions for a variety of needs.
Did you know:Plastics became more widely adopted to replace metal and glass in the 1970’s? A major driving force to move to plastic packaging was weight reduction—to reduce fuel used to transport consumer goods by reducing the weight of the packaging.
The packaging stream is evolving. Resource efficient flexible plastic packaging provides outstanding product protection in innovative formats. Currently, in North America, flexible plastic packaging is not typically accepted in recycling programs. As the expectation for full lifecycle management of packaging increases, it is important that the related industries take part in the foundation of future solutions to provide effective and economic recovery options for flexible plastic packaging.
Recent Innovations in Plastic Packaging Materials
Plastics are a material of choice in packaging applications because of their performance, cost effectiveness, and durability. To be useful, packaging must safely protect and deliver a product from the manufacturer to the consumer. Packaging must meet regulatory requirements. For example, pharmaceutical and drug packaging is tightly regulated, as well as any plastics packaging that comes into contact with foods.
Did you know:The polymers most commonly used in packaging are polyolefins, specifically polyethylene and polypropylene.