Product Packaging Ideas Using Flexible Packaging

The term flexible packaging encompasses a variety of packaging materials that change shape when closed or sealed. For this post, we are going to focus on shrink wrap packaging and poly packaging products. With the multiple varieties of packaging options, these two forms offer, companies can generate professional packaging at an affordable cost.

Shrink wrap packaging can be made from a variety of materials. The most common materials used in shrink packaging are PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride), Polyolefin, Polyethylene, and Polypropylene. For most retail applications, polyolefin and PVC are most commonly used. Heavy retail applications such as cases of water bottles often use a polyethylene shrink wrap. In this post, we are going to look at some examples of PVC and Polyolefin shrink wrap packaging.

Poly packaging products refers to Polyethylene packaging products. Polyethylene comes in a variety of different forms. Most retail packaging polyethylene products are made from a Low-Density Polyethylene. These products often offer the ability to be sealed shut with a heating element or reclosed with a reclosable zipper. In this post we are going to look at options of sealing poly bags shut to offer a professional packaging, leaving the poly bags open, and using a reclosable poly bag for retail packaging.

Shrink Packaging with a Printed Sticker

This is one of our most recommended options for customers rolling out a new product or companies trying to fill a new order and meet a retailers criteria. Shrink packaging is a very affordable and efficient packaging solution. Depending on the type and size of shrink film being used, the cost per package when using shrink film is often pennies per package.

A clear PVC or Polyolefin shrink wrap offers the ability to display and protect a packaged product. A professionally printed sticker offers the ability to brand the packaging with the company name, logo, product info, and contact info. Stickers can be obtained from a variety of print companies including Vista Print, uprinting.com, etc.

A shrink wrap machine can be purchased for a few hundred dollars up to a few thousand dollars depending on output levels. Printed stickers can be purchased for pennies per sticker depending on the quantity ordered. New products can begin to be packaged with the use of this method within days of concept. Check out some examples to the right.

Shrink Packaging with a Printed Carton

This form of packaging typically requires higher production levels and higher order minimums. Using a clear shrink film with a printed chipboard carton, corrugated carton, or any other type of printed container is actually one of the most common forms of retail packaging used.

Looking through any grocery store or retail store there are a large variety of packaged products using a printed carton and shrink film. The shrink film offers a clear tamper-evident packaging to protect the package. The printed carton contains branding and a professional look to make products stand out on store shelves.

For companies producing medium to high output levels, printed cartons are a great option. Minimums on printed cartons often require several thousand cartons to drive cost down. View some printed cartons to the right used with Centerfold PVC and Polyolefin shrink wrap.

Poly Bags with a Sticker

Like the shrink packaging with a sticker, poly bags with a sticker are an excellent packaging option to offer a professional look at an affordable price. Poly bags can be sealed, but cannot be shrunk down to conform to the product as a shrink wrap can.

Poly bags are a very common form of packaging. A large factor in the popularity of poly bags is cost. Poly bags are often cheaper than shrink packaging. The use of a poly bag with a professionally printed sticker requires low minimums and offers a professional looking package. The image to the right is a completely sealed poly bag with a printed sticker.

Poly Bags with Printed Chipboard

This is another affordable packaging idea with a variety of options. Poly bags used with a printed piece of chipboard is a very common form of packaging found in stores around the world. This form of packaging can come in several different varieties.

Probably the most common form of this packaging would be the use of printed and folded chipboard often stapled to a poly bag with hanger holes. Depending on the product within the packaging the poly bag is sometimes completely sealed and other times companies use the staples as the only form of closure. Printing can often be done by a local corrugator and minimums can be high, but the overall cost is fairly low due to the affordability of chipboard. The image to the right is using an unsealed poly bag with a folded chipboard sheet and hanger hole.

Another commonly used form of packaging uses a flat printed chipboard with a poly bag. Some companies prefer to place the printed chipboard into a sealed poly bag with the product behind the chipboard. This offers a branded display on shelves and hangers as well as a tamper-evident packaging to conceal and protect products.

As mentioned above, poly bags and printed chipboard are inexpensive and required costs to meet printing minimum are often affordable for most companies.

The last use of poly bags with printed chipboard often uses small heavier stock chipboard as a tag connected to the products with a form of zip tie. The tag often has branded as well as bar codes for scanning. The advantage of this form of packaging is the ability to display the full product with no obstructions. Some companies prefer leaving the poly bag open and others prefer a sealed poly bag with this method.

The image to the right uses an open poly bag to protect the product with a printed chipboard tag for branding, bar codes, and the ability to hang on shelves. The image below uses a reclosable poly bag with a printed chipboard tag to protect the product within.

We offer a variety of flexible packaging options. Call our sales team, we would love to assist with packaging ideas. For chipboard printing, we recommend a local corrugator and an affordable online source for sticker printing as mentioned above.