New Packaging Made of Both Rigid and Flexible Materials

Ana’s Food of Austin recently became the first commercial customer in North America to use both rigid and flexible material. The container features a square, injection-molded tub with flared sides that are made from rigid polypropylene posts. Then four panels of flexible and printable PP material are fused to the posts to create the sides of the container.

The company’s main objective in reformatting its packaging was to improve the sustainability and the new container uses up to 50% less plastic than regular salsa tubs. The polypropylene container is also 100% recyclable and the new design allows for easy stacking which can help reduce costs in shipping and stocking.

The trend for more sustainable packaging seems to be continuing to grow as we previously wrote a blog post about the market, which is predicted to reach $244 billion by 2018. Food manufacturers and packaging companies must ensure that the lighter packaging will still meet quality regulations as well as customers’ expectations. At Mark-10 we manufacture force and torque measurement products that not only test to ensure that the packaging will securely hold the contents but also that consumers will be able to easily open the package.

To learn more about our packaging testing solutions or to configure your own measurement system, visit our website. We also post more packaging industry news on our Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages.

New Innovations in Plastic Packaging

This summer Avantium closed a $50 million deal to create a polyethylene furanoate (PEF) bottle. PEF is a material made from plant-based 2nd generation feedstock. This new bio-based resin could bring changes to the plastics packaging market as Coca-Cola, Danone, Alpla, and others have invested in Avantium’s commercial scale plant.

Some of the benefits of PEF include its sustainability factor as well as some performance advantages. According to packaging expert Gordon Bockner, PEF has a superior gas barrier when compared to PET packaging and also has better tensile strength which allows for improved light-weighting and superior thermal stability without heat-setting. However, Bockner also notes that PET packaging still remains strong in the US and that although a 100% bio-PET molecule does not yet exist, it may in the future.

At Mark-10, we have extensive experience working with the packaging industry, satisfying numerous applications including t-peel, 90-degree peel, tensile, top load, cap torque, and may others. To learn more about Mark-10 solutions for the packaging and other industries, visit our website. We can also be found on Twitter and LinkedIn where we post more industry news and company updates.