FPA honors flexible packages for cost and material reductions

As the world population grows and new technologies raise international demand for packaged products, companies have focused on ways to minimize the depletion of valuable resources and its aftereffects on the environment, while still producing a high-quality package at a competitive price.

With this goal in mind, the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) has rewarded eight flexible packaging converters for their recent accomplishments--including highlighting one of these companies for its environmental achievement by naming it the Green Globe Award winner.

The following 1998 Top Packaging Award winners (listed below alphabetically) have successfully marketed flexible packaging that improves product protection, reduces material usage and transportation costs, opens new markets and delivers innovations to the consumer.

For more information about its Top Packaging Awards competition, call the Flexible Packaging Association at (202) 842-3880 or mark Item 4/231.

1 For meat and poultry cuts, the Rotated Patch TBG multilayer, high-barrier shrink bag from Cryovac Div., Sealed Air Corp. (call (800) 845-3456 or mark Item #232) eliminates the need for additional boneguards. Oxygen-barrier layers extend freshness for roast-size products. The heat-sealed bag reduces the square inches of packaging material and eliminates leaks and over-packaging. A clear patch incorporated into the bag lets consumers judge the meat's quality and freshness prior to purchase.

2 Stand-up pouches made by Duralam Inc. (call (920) 734-6698 or mark Item #233) for the gardening market gave Joe's Fertilizer Spikes a competitive advantage, a broader market and reduced packaging materials. Previously packaged in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) thermoformed tray sealed to a paper pegboard or a carton with PVC shrink overwrap, the new pouches reduce the packaging elements from two to one. The tough, waterproof, fade-resistant package features a resealable zipper, a stand-up gusset for easy display, a peg hole and a tear notch for easy opening.

3 Also the winner of the Green Globe Award for environmental achievement, the bird suet package from Flexicon Inc. (call (847) 639-3530 or mark Item #234) uses a forming web and top web that is run on a refurbished Tiromat horizontal form-fill-sealer. The forming web is an adhesive lamination of 21-millimeter PVC to a 0.002-inch polyethylene sealant, while the top web is a 48-gauge-polyethylene terephthalate (PET) laminated to a 0.0025-inch coextrusion with a peelable sealant skin layer, resulting in a hermetically sealed package with no potential for leakage of the oil-based suet cake, longer shelf life and little-to-no bug/rodent infestation.

4 The flexible single-dose pouch by Glenroy Inc. (call (414) 255-4422 or mark Item #235) was developed to distribute Listerine Cool Mint mouthwash as an insert in newspapers. To protect the product and maintain its integrity, the multilayer pouch consists of a polyester laminate, white low-density polyethylene extrude, foil, ethylene acrylic acid copolymer extrude and Barex film. Reverse-printed polyester is used as a strength layer with seven color flexographic printing. The foil barrier protects against long-term loss of water, alcohol and aromatic oils. The heavy-duty Barex film pro vides a high-strength sealant and retards scalping of the essential ingredient from the mouthwash.

5 An alternative to rigid portable containers, the Cantene offers users a wide mouth, large capacity and leak-proof performance. It weighs 50% less than rigid containers and, when empty, uses 80% less space at the landfill. The bag, supplied by Pactech/Nagle, (call (716) 2885480 or mark Item #236), can be boiled or frozen when filled and withstands the six-foot drop test. The Cantene is a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) blend, multilayer film with nylon, offering gas barrier properties that help prevent pH and bio-changes of the bag's contents. It can be used alongside rigid containers on the same production line with capital expenditures required.

6 This high-barrier bag from Printpack Inc. (call (800) 241-9984 or mark Item #237) allows Kettle Tortilla chips to be shipped over high altitudes without bursting and have a 30% longer shelf life than the previous package structure. The matte finish ink provides a natural paper look consistent with the potato chip line, yet features a clear window that lets consumers see the product. The new bags also exhibits superior stiffness, scratch resistance and puncture resistance.

7 The stand-up pouch for the highly toxic Ortho Fire Ant Killer features a reclosable zipper which prevents dangerous accidental spills. The PET/polyethylene/LLDPE pouch from Printpack Inc. (call (800) 241-9984 or mark Item #238) provides improved moisture protection and allows nursery/garden retail stores to stock the packages near misting devices for plants without fear of water seepage. The pouch is filled on a standard multiwall bag line with heat sealers and features high-quality graphics for product differentiation. The crushable package takes up less landfill space than its rigid predecessor.

8 Clear-Tire 16 high-barrier shrink bags for respiring cheeses maintain high tensile film strength across unsupported areas and shrink at an optimum temperature: 195[degrees] F. The bag, made by Viskase Corp. (call (708) 496-4200 or mark Item #239), reduces downtime and prevents eye holes from forming in the hot water shrink tunnel. Made from patented resins and multilayer coextrusions, Clear-Tite provides a smooth, flush surface and prevents preprinted labels and film from wrinkling.

Jennifer Billings, Senior Editor

COPYRIGHT 1999 Stagnito Communications
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group