FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

RESEARCH: WHY IS FLEXIBLE PACKAGING BETTER?

Water Usage

In a recent study, for example, the FPA found that ”a DPE bottle for motor oil packaging [uses] +513% more water than a flexible pouch with fitment” and that “a steel can for packaging coffee [uses] +1,605% more water than a flexible pouch.”

Greenhouse Gases

The FPA also compared cat litter packaged in a stand-up pouch, rigid plastic pail, and paperboard carton box.

The stand-up pouch was easily the most environmentally friendly of the three; the box produced 331% more greenhouse gases, while the pail produced a staggering 996% more.

Product-To-Package Ratio

Beyond the lower carbon footprint and water usage of flexible packaging, the FPA also reports that flexible packaging has a more efficient product-to-package ratio than rigid packaging. In one example of the FPA’s research (as per the diagram below), a flexible pouch for juice can be up to 97% more efficient than a rigid container in its use of packaging.

SUSTAINABLE E-COMMERCE

As online sales have grown in recent months and years, more and more companies have recognized the need to scale their packaging in an ultimately sustainable way.

This means using solutions that facilitate efficient transportation and shipping, reducing the number of materials used, and increasing the product-to-package ratio, while still having an eye-catching design to differentiate your products from the competition.

As ecommerce continues to grow, MTPak will be ready to support you throughout your journey to scale and optimize your packaging system. Our flexible packaging provides an eco-friendly solution that offers the benefits mentioned above while also reducing waste.

Flexible Packaging Company | Flexible Packaging Solutions

One of the fastest-growing categories in the global packaging market, flexible packaging has gained more than 2% per year since 2015. In the U.S., it represents almost 19% of the packaging industry ($177 billion or so, according to FPA) by value and is actually the country's second-largest segment. This fast growth and proliferation is indicative of the consumer’s need for convenience—but also an industry that has responded to flexible packaging as a lighter, more resource-efficient alternative that is better for the environment.

From coffee to food to e-commerce, flexible formats are rapidly supplanting non-flexible packaging. Brands are increasingly looking to partners such as MTPAK Packaging for bespoke solutions that can help prolong shelf life, cut down on logistics costs and show a clear path towards sustainability gains.

In this article, we’ll cover what flexible packaging is, why it’s witnessing such rapid growth, the materials and forms that characterize it, how brands can tailor these to suit their needs, and the role technology is playing in writing a more sustainable future for packaging.

What Is Flexible Packaging and Why Is It Growing?

Flexible packaging comprises non-rigid solutions namely pouch, film, wrap, and bag. These structures conform when filled and use fewer materials, as well as reduced shipping costs over rigid containers. According to a Harris Poll, 71% of Americans say they prefer purchasing products in flexible packaging, particularly for the added safeguards and convenience it provides (Packaging Strategies).

Lightweight packaging decreases the need for emissions during transportation, and contemporary laminates even extend shelf life by creating oxygen and moisture barriers. MTPAK Packaging’s design team has answered the FoodTech industry's demands for recyclable, compostable, or recycled films combining all technical benefits whilst ensuring that packaging fulfills performance and sustainability needs.

What Industries Benefit Most from Flexible Packaging?

Flexible packaging applications are endless, but only a few industries have been early adopters:

• Food and snacks: With resealable stand-up pouches, you can extend the freshness of spinach, chips, nuts, granola, or minimize waste.

• Coffee & Tea: Degassing valves and flat bottom bags preserve freshness and flavor, so they are popular among specialty roasters.

• Pet food: Side gusset bags can hold more complete dry pet foods and are more resistant to products being knocked around.

• Pharma and cosmetics: Multi-layer laminates provide barriers against pollution/sunlight to light-sensitive products.

• E-commerce: Light recyclable mailers to reduce shipping cost and comply with the consumers’ demands for eco-friendly delivery.

MTPAK Packaging has successfully offered flexible packaging formats to customers in all these markets, focusing on individual shelf-life targets, storage conditions, and brand objectives.

What Formats and Materials Are Commonly Used?

Formats That Define the Market

The most popular types are:

• Stand-Up Pouch: The retailer’s choice when it comes to packing products such as snacks and powders.

• Flat Bottom Box Bags: What makes this construction stand out is its box shape resemblance and printable surface for marketing design ideas.

• Side Gusseted Bags: Which maximize the volume of coffee bags or tea packages on shelves.

For large-scale production, roll stock films combine with form-fill-seal equipment and spouted pouches offer safe dispensing of liquids and gels. All the pouch types can be modified according to specific needs including product function, zippers for resealable or transparent window and degassing valve.

Materials That Balance Performance and Sustainability

The inherent selected material influences performance, i.e., durability, barrier properties, and environmental footprint. Here is an overview of some common materials:

At MTPAK Packaging, we regularly suggest hybrid solutions like kraft paper combined with PLA, which provide both protection and eco-friendly attributes.

Why Is Flexible Packaging a Sustainable Choice?

There are numerous reasons why packaging should be flexible and one of the strongest is with respect to the environment. Flexible formats need up to 70% fewer raw materials than rigid containers, generate less production waste and lighter shipments result in lower transport-related emissions.

The sustainable advantages include also a reduction of food waste. According to research by ePac Flexibles, barrier films prevent oxygen, moisture, and microorganisms from entering the package or moving through it, which retards spoilage and extends shelf life. This is particularly important considering that food waste per se represents close to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With extended shelf life, flexible packaging also indirectly lowers environmental impact beyond the packaging.

MTPAK Packaging offers recyclable monomaterial pouches and compostable coffee bags that enable brands to substantiate sustainable claims with quantifiable data based on certification and third-party testing.

How Can Flexible Packaging Be Customized for Branding?

Flexible packaging is two for the price of one as a branding tool. Customization through which the functionality, design, and sustainability can be balanced for businesses.

What Role Do Technology and Innovation Play?

Flexible packaging paves the way for innovation that will continue to drive forward the industry in three key areas.

Smart Packaging

• QR & NFC code, traceability characteristics

• Freshness indicators and anti-counterfeiting features

• Connect to users by being honest and properly recycling

Sustainable Materials

• Mono-material laminates (eg, mono-PE, mono-PP) to support recycling.

• New compostable films including PHA or algae-based alternatives

• Lower carbon footprints and adaptable with the systems of circular economy

Advanced Manufacturing

• Small runs and rapid turnaround with digital printing

• Lamination processes for solvent-free reduction of emissions

• Accurate processes that reduce waste and increase consistency

At MTPAK Packaging, we’re not frivolous about these innovations — think QR-enabled coffee bags that tell brand stories or fully recyclable laminates compliant with global eco-standards — keeping clients one step ahead of industry moves.

Picking the Right Vendor for Flexible Plastic Packages

Although the global market for flexible packaging is very competitive, every company will have its own particular expertise. Some of the names that might surprise you are well-known manufacturers.

Take Amcor, for example, with large-scale production capacity and a strong focus on innovation in the area of recyclable plastics, this multinational leader of packaging solutions.

Mondi, a European-based firm, has an extra edge in sustainable paper and flexible packaging formats - they are particularly keen on kraft-based solutions.

For most people, Sealed Air is best known for protective packaging. However, the company has spent heavily in recent years to develop flexible formats both for e-commerce and food.

Companies operating on a worldwide basis are established competitors in the global market today. History, however, teaches us that it pays to be cautious when it comes to choosing a firm that can combine sustainability certificates, tailor-made packaging, and cost performance with an innovative service model.

This is where MTPAK Packaging in particular shines out from the rest:

• First of all, Sustainability: Recyclable mono-material laminates, compostable PLA, and FSC-certified kraft paper are available, all following the standards ASTM D6400, EN 13432, and ISO 14040.

• Customized Solutions: From the homesteading coffee roasters needing their beans to de-gas to the e-commerce brands who require lightweight mailers, we provide personalized design solutions that combine performance and eco-credentials.

• Scalable Production: Giving with a new small-batch digital printing service. In our own production center, we have now also obtained demand for large scale.

• Innovation Ploughed Back: Since it began, EHP has evolved into an extraordinary new kind of business operation. QR-enabled coffee bags that connect with your phone, plant-based inks, and solvent-free lamination now help paper packaging to breathe and not only be useful but also forward-looking.

• Global Supply with Local Support: We use international logistics in combination with regional production facilities to reduce both carbon emissions and lead times. By making a decision to buy from us, clients not only get a supplier but are capable of turning their packaging into a strategic tool for sustainability, achievement, and brand upbringing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is flexible packaging?
 It refers to pouches, films, and wraps that adapt in shape when filled, making them efficient and versatile.

Is flexible packaging sustainable?
 Yes. It uses fewer resources, reduces transport emissions, and can be manufactured with recyclable or compostable films.

Can it be customized?
 Definitely. MTPAK Packaging offers solutions with custom printing, special finishes, and functional features like zippers or spouts.

Conclusion

Lightweight, efficient, and sustainable packaging that guards the product – flexible is a must-have for today’s brands. Its versatility across industries — from coffee to e-commerce — helps explain why it’s outpacing traditional advertising so fast.

At MTPAK Packaging, we consider packaging to be more than simply a container or wrapper protecting food products; it's as much a commitment to performance and the planet. By uniting certified materials, innovative formats, and expertise in design, we enable brands to keep pace with changing market demands while meeting new sustainability criteria.

Choices are a good thing: You can get samples of MTPAK Packaging or email account@mtpak.com for consulting.