Benefits of Flexible Packaging for Fighting Food Waste

A new infographic from the Flexible Packaging Association highlights how flexible packaging can help keep food fresher and prevent food waste.

Anne Marie MohanSenior Editor

Sep 4th, 2017

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According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 40% of food is not consumed. The annual amount of food waste is 36 million tons, which is worth $162 billion.

The typical American family throws away 40% of fresh meat, fish, and poultry purchased; 51% of dairy and fruit purchased; and 44% of fresh vegetables purchased.

When packaged in flexible packaging, the shelf life of green beans extends from seven days to 19 days. Some other examples of shelf life extension for food, when packaged in flexible packaging, include grapes, from seven days to 70 days; broccoli from six days to 20 days; steak from three days to 20 days; and cheese from 190 days to 280.

More information is available from the FPA.

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Wrap It. Strap It. Secure It.

Wrap It. Strap It. Secure It.

While there has been an increased focus on automation investments across the supply chain – with an estimated $244 billion forecast in 2022 – an often-overlooked area is the importance of consumables of all types.

This bag immediately draws attention with its vibrant colors and captivating image of a blue-and-gold macaw, and a see-through window allows shoppers to ensure the product is fresh and pest-free.

Digital and Flexographic Printing Create Appealing Birdseed Package

Creating a fresh, pest-free seed product can be a challenge since insect eggs and larva can be hard to detect when seeds and grains are being harvested and then packaged. A window in this pouch lets a consumer know that the contents are indeed pest-free.

The face mask needed a single-dose pack that would simultaneously deliver on luxurious looks and nearly three-year’s worth of shelf life.

High Quality Gold Print Earns Gold Award in Printing

Repêchage and its suppliers leaned into the gold theme with high-quality flexographic printing satisfying the prestige-brand appearance, coincidentally earning them an FPA Gold Award for Digital Printing.

Scrumptiously Printed ‘Box Pouch’ Expands Distribution, Consumer Convenience for Gourmet Popcorn

To expand merchandising options for its tube-packed gourmet popcorn, Popcornopolis introduces a resealable, stand-up box pouch decorated with images of the iconic tubes.

To ensure the highest level of graphic quality could be maintained with the sustainable materials, Printpack had to complete a 'square one' press 'fingerprint,' including modified dot-gain compensation curves.

Frito-Lay Achieves Ambition for a Quieter, Industrially Compostable, 100% Bio-based Snack Bag

The Off The Eaten Path bag is unique in that the entirety of the materials used—the print web, barrier sealant webs, inks, and adhesive—had to meet current, often stringent, third-party certification requirements for industrial compostability.

The proprietary overlacquer, applied in-line on the press, adds heat-resistance and protects the surface-printed paper from rubbing and scuffing in use.

Nestlé Canada’s Smarties Pouch Moves from Plastic to Paper

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Wrap It. Strap It. Secure It.

Wrap It. Strap It. Secure It.

While there has been an increased focus on automation investments across the supply chain – with an estimated $244 billion forecast in 2022 – an often-overlooked area is the importance of consumables of all types.

The tube is made with Forest Stewardship Council- (FSC) certified virgin kraft paper, which helps reduce the tube’s body weight by up to 45%.

Paper Cosmetic Tube Changes Game for Skincare Products

WoW Skin Science uses a tube developed to reduce plastics and the overall impact on the environment compared to that of a traditional plastic tube used for skincare and cosmetic products.

The pouch also has laser scoring for easy tearing by the consumer.

KitKat Mini Moments Make a Big Shelf Impact

To make the lamination recyclable, OPP non-heat sealable film and metalized biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) are used on both sides of the treated material instead of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and metalized PET.

The FlexPrep portion-dispensing device is in action here in a foodservice setting. It uses pouches (inset image) with two coextruded transparent films (A) to form the pouch body, and a blue spout (B) for pressure-based dispensing.

Flexible Pouches Replace Rigid Containers at McDonald’s

Rigid containers for back-of-house condiment applications in McDonald’s foodservice settings were wasteful and bulky to store. So, the fast-food giant and its suppliers teamed up to invent a flexible packaging-based applicator solution.

The campaign generated considerable earned media, with hundreds of posts, reposts, and likes on social media platforms.

Digitally Printed Hershey’s Wrappers Celebrate Women

The Celebrate SHE Campaign was undertaken as a form of unique media and a vehicle to celebrate acts of courage and determination by women.

It takes 11 trucks to transport a year’s worth of empty bags to his manufacturing/filling sites. It would take 177 trucks to transport empty jars and caps.

Nearly Half PCR, Beachbody Pouches are Eye-Catchers

This pouch is novel as it incorporates 45% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content at a minimum, earning it Gold recognition in the 2022 FPA Awards for Sustainability.

The new material delivers high levels of clarity, stiffness, and heat and abuse resistance—qualities that are unavailable in any other recycle-ready films on the market today.

Tyson Meal Kit Shines Through in Flexible, PE-Stream-Ready Carrier Pouch

The Tyson and Amcor meal kit pouch collaboration received a 2022 Gold Award from the FPA for Expanding the Use of Flexible Packaging.

The cast and cure technique improves overall aesthetics, which landed the company a Gold Flexible Packaging Achievement Award in the Printing category.

Ahmad Tea Awarded Gold FPA Award in Printing for Anti-Counterfeit Package

Emirates Printing suggested to the brand that it use a cast and cure printing technique on the front panel of the quad seal pouch, which is made of high-barrier metalized PET film. The pack won a Gold Award in the Printing category from the FPA.

2022 FPA Awards Highlight User Experience, Shelf Impact

Sustainability, technical innovation, & print quality continue to be driving forces behind advances in flexible packaging. Noteworthy among the 2022 Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) Award winners was how consumers or end users interact with the packs.

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