Understanding Flexible Packaging Film
Before looking at the different types of packaging films, let’s first define what flexible packaging film is. Unlike traditional rigid packaging, flexible packaging films are those that can easily be molded and shaped according to the product packed inside. These films are commonly made from various plastic polymers, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyester, and they come in multiple forms: rolls, pouches, and wraps.
Some of the major benefits of flexible packaging films include:
- Lightweight: By nature, flexible films are much lighter in weight compared to rigid packages. This greatly cuts shipping costs and reduces environmental impacts.
- Strength: They provide great resistance against puncture, moisture, and the environment.
- Customizable: The flexible packaging films can be printed with bright graphics and customized for specific brands.
Now, let’s look at the variety of packaging films and why each one is suited best to a particular product.
1. Polyethylene (PE) Film: Ideal for Basic Protection
Polyethylene is one of the most utilized raw materials in flexible packaging film. Noted for being resilient, cheap, and thus overall an economical solution, PE has turned out to be favored when products require only simple protection.
Applications: These are quite common in packaging food, beverages, household products like breakfast cereals, snacks, and fresh vegetables.
Benefits: PE is totally resistant to moisture and water; it therefore stands out as one of the most appropriate forms of packaging where dry conditions need to be maintained. Furthermore, PE has varying levels of thickness, is effortless to seal, and also allows a good deal of adaptation for many other uses that are necessary. While very serviceable in general-purpose applications, PE film may not provide the barrier protection desired in the most sensitive high-value-added applications, such as pharmaceuticals or high-class cosmetics.
2. Polypropylene (PP) Film: Strong and with High Gloss
Polypropylene is yet another popular variant of packaging film that, besides having strength, boasts a high-gloss finish. Unlike PE, PP has higher clarity and usually features on premium products intending to stand out on shop shelves.
Applications: PP film finds very popular applications in snack food packaging, baked goods, and ready-to-eat meals, among other foodstuffs, and even non-food items like cosmetics and health supplements.
Benefits: PP film has great clarity, useful for those products that need to look good. It is also more resistant to grease, oils, and fats, making it ideal for packaging oily foods such as chips or baked goods. The glossy finish that characterizes PP film is, in itself, an added touch of class that is pleasing to the sight when used on your product. Unfortunately, being less flexible compared to some of the other materials available would not make it perfect material for products with geometrically complicated shapes.
3. Polyester (PET) Film: High Strength and Excellent Barrier Properties
Polyester is a high-strength, durable polymer with very good barrier properties. For this reason, it often finds use in applications where improved protection against moisture, oxygen, and UV is required.
Applications: This finds application in packaging products to retain freshness, such as snacks, frozen foods, and pharmaceutical products. It’s also used for high-end retail packaging, such as for electronics or luxury items.
Benefits: PET film offers superior barrier protection from oxygen, moisture, and light, ideal for items that have a long shelf life. It also forms the basis for excellent printability, enabling you to display great-looking graphics and branded messages on your packages. The reason PET film usually forms multilayered films with other films, making them strong and protective, is due to its excellent barrier properties. However, it is pricier compared to the rest of the films; thus, it should be used on high-end products or those needing a very long shelf life.
4. Barrier Films: Safeguarding Delicate Products
Barrier films are multilayer films made to provide a superior barrier against moisture, oxygen, light, and other environmental factors. These are mostly made by combining different polymers such as polyamide (nylon), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Applications: Barrier films find their application in packaging products susceptible to external factors, food products, especially long-shelf-life food products, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.
Benefits: The major advantages of barrier films are their ability to prolong the life of a product by keeping moisture, oxygen, and UV light off. This is particularly so for products such as coffee, dried foods, and cosmetics that are subject to degradation upon contact with these elements. This obviously provides increased protection for barrier films, though at a higher cost; the added cost is well worth it to maintain quality and freshness in certain products.
5. Shrink Films: Tight and Secure Packaging
Shrink films are used to wrap products tightly, thus providing a secure, protective barrier. When shrink films are subjected to heat, they shrink to the shape of the product to provide a snug fit.
Applications: Shrink films can be applied to bottle wraps, can wraps, or multi-unit wraps, such as six-pack bottles or cans, and small product grouping for convenience in handling. Benefits include excellent tamper-evident protection, wherein the product remains sealed up until opening by the consumer, and also provide a smooth, clear finish that allows the product inside to be highlighted. While shrink films are great for packaging and bundling products, they are generally not used for the packaging of individual products that require flexibility or reclosability.
6. Biodegradable and Compostable Films: Sustainable Solutions
With sustainability a growing concern, many brands are moving toward biodegradable and compostable films made from plant-based materials, such as PLA or other bio-based plastics.
Applications: Snack, coffee, and other foodstuff wrappings, and personal care products.
Benefits: The biodegradable and compostable film is considered an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastic packaging in several applications. They degrade naturally with time and have the potential to reduce environmental impact from packaging wastes. While these films are a great fit for brands committed to sustainability, they may not have the same durability or barrier properties as traditional films and so are best suited for certain products with shorter shelf lives.
Selecting the Correct Packaging Film for Your Product
When it comes to choosing the right flexible packaging film for your product, consider the following:
- Shelf life: Does the product require any special protection against moisture, oxygen, or light? It can use barrier films or might need PET.
- Aesthetics: In conditions where a good look/feel is highly imperative of your product, the normal PP film has generally a very good clarity and good gloss, and in their turn, PET offers perfect printability.
- Functionality: Do you need easy-open, resealable packaging, or will a tight, secure wrap be enough? Shrink films might be the solution for bundling, while everyday packaging is well served by PE and PP films.
- Sustainability: If your goal is to reduce environmental impact, consider biodegradable or compostable films.