What are the different types of packaging materials? (2023)

Getting into the world of product packaging? If so, there are many things to consider and further education. One of the most important things to consider during this time is choosing the right type of packaging materials.

If you want to pack a product, you have to decide what kind of material you want to use. But which material should you choose? Plastic, metal, cardboard, paperboard, foil, shrink wrap, bio-plastic, boxes, clamshells, or something else?

After exploring your options, you can choose the best material(s) for your packaging needs. However, you need to know which consumables are right for your applications.

Industrial Packaging has been selling, operating and advising on packaging materials for generations. We know the entire field of packaging materials inside and out.

This article will show you some of the packaging materials currently available. We'll help you understand each option. Then you can make an informed decision about which material is suitable for your products.

We will dive into different types ofpackaging materialsunder. Each section describes in detail what the packaging material is made of and when it is best to use it.

Each type of material is linked to a more detailed article. These articles offer a deeper exploration of this particular type of material.

corrugated boxes

corrugated boxesare an integral part of the packaging industry. Corrugated boxes have been a popular packaging material for generations. They are used to pack tons of products on packaging lines worldwide.

Corrugated boxes are often purchased preformed into a traditional rectangular box shape. On the other hand, they can arrive in flat piles, in which case the boxes have to be assembled by hand.

Corrugated boxes are often used in packaging applicationsCardboard erector.Case erectors are a type of packaging machines. People use these machines to form flat cardboard into a traditional box shape. The boxes are then used to pack and ship products.

Corrugated boxes are made from (you guessed it) corrugated cardboard.

corrugated cardboardis a packaging material made of fiberboard. Generally corrugated cardboardis madefrom one orseveraltypes of fiberboard. corrugated cardboardcreatedvia a process called fluted lamination (AKA: fluting).

Corrugated cardboard is also sometimes referred to as corrugated cardboard. cardboard cantechnicalany heavy-duty paperboard based pulp material.

Items commonly packaged in corrugated boxes include electronics, DVDs, consumer products and pre-packaged foods such as cereal, chips and cookies.

Dehn foil

Dehn foilis one of the most commonly used packaging materials in the world. Companies that have a shipping department almost always use stretch wrap. They use it to enclose their products on pallets before shipping.

This is done to protect products from collapse or damage during the shipping process. stretch filmachieves this goal with what "load securing."

Simply put, cargo securing allows your cargo to be adequately secured so that it arrives safely at its destination.

Various types of stretch film material are currently available. Everyoneis madefor special applications. These film types include:

• machine stretching
• Cast Stretch
• Blown stretch
• pre-stretching
• hay bale line

• stretch hand
• color stretch
• UVI-Stretch
• VCI-Stretch
• Ventilated stretch
• Reinforced stretch
• No adhesion stretch

stretch film isfrequentlyUsed for packing and combining multi-packs. This includes multipacks of toilet paper, paper towels and bottled water.

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shrink wrap

shrink wrapused on millions of packaging lines in companies around the world. It is one of the most popular types of packaging materials currently available on the market. It is used to package an amazing array of products.

There are different types of shrink wrap formulations. The most common formulations are polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE) and polyolefin (POF). Any wordingis designedfor special applications. For example, Polyolefin is the best shrink film for food packaging.

Using the wrong shrink wrap for the wrong products can result in poor packaging. It can also lead to safety risks and machine problems.

Shrink film is used for packaging products along withshrink tunnelAndVersion geller. These are two types of packaging machines required to process shrink film on your packaging line. The product is first fed through the sealer, which places the product in a shrink-wrap pouch.

Each side of the bag is then heat sealed. The product moves along the line into the shrink tunnel (also called heat tunnel). From there, the shrink wrap bag evenly contracts around the product inside.

Shrink wrap is widely used to package board games, frozen pizza boxes, and small consumer goods.

More sustainable shrink wrap alternatives

Although only available in limited quantities at the moment,biodegradable shrink wrapAndrecycled shrink wrapArecurrently available. For those of you who value sustainability and environmental friendliness, these may be of interest to youOf.

It should be noted; These films tend to be significantly more expensive and may be difficult to acquire on a permanent basis due to supply chain issues. Some of these films may also require a minimum order quantity.

Printed shrink wrap

The two main forms ofprinted shrink wrapinclude polyolefin (or POF) shrink film and polyethylene shrink film. Polyethylene (or PE) shrink wrap is most commonly sold by shrink wrap manufacturers (aka OEMs) and is generally thicker than polyolefin wrap.

Printed films are essentially identical to traditional clear shrink films. But with one caveat. Unlike clear shrink film, printed film has the unique ability to print branding aesthetics and eye-catching graphics directly onto the film itself. Printed unlike clear shrink wrappolyolefin film does notrequire labels.

Printed shrink wrap is most commonly used by high volume CPG companies and offers a unique material for this type of company. It should be noted that all printed shrink films have a minimum order quantity.

As such, they typically do not perform well in low-volume applications. On average, the minimum order quantity for printed shrink wrap is around 50,000 copies. An impression is the length of film required to wrap a single bundle.

While printed shrink films are generally more expensive than traditional clear shrink films, some lightly printed films aremore affordablewhile being just as awesome as their thicker counterparts.

Shrink wrap tube

Shrink wrap tubing (also known as "heat seal" tubing, poly tubing, or high speed tubing) is made from several different plastic formulations. This tubing material is commonly used for packaging various types of consumer goods. This may include glass bottles, fishing rods, metal poles and other products.

Shrink wrap tubing is available in custom and standard sizes. Like printed shrink sleeves, sleeve shrink sleeves can be printed with graphics, images, typography, and other branding elements.

polybags

Primarily,Polybeutelare clear or see-through plastic bags most commonly used to package and ship certain consumer goods. Generally, poly bags are made from polyethylene, one of the most popular types of plastic packaging formulations nowadays.

Poly bags have an average thickness of 1-6 mils. However, there are unique poly bags that come in other thicknesses, both thinner and thicker. Some special plastic formulations are also available upon request. Poly bags are popular due to their slim body shape, smooth touch, reflectivity and great flexibility.

Poly bags are most commonly used in packaging applications for various consumer products including T-shirts, trade magazines, various mailers, bed sheets, pillows and many other goods.

Rolltaschen

RolltaschenArea type of transparent or printed flexible bag made from several different plastic formulations. These bags are pre-rolled onto aPlastic core and come on a roll. Each pouch has an open side for easy product insertion and an opposite perforated end that allows each pouch to be easily removed from the roll.

Roll wraps are similar to the bags you typically see hanging from a roll in the grocery store to wrap products. Although roller bags are the most popular in the e-commerce market, they are also commonly used for paper mailers and certain types of medical products.

bundle foil

Bundling film is a type of shrink film. This type of film is commonly used to form multipacks of products. Multipacks are also referred to as bundles. A multipack can contain free-standing items or sit on a platform or sheet of material.

The bundle is wrapped in shrink wrap (most commonlyLDPE) and moved through a heat tunnel. The bundle is then packed together by shrinking the film holding the bundle together. Items packaged in this way include products such as packs of water bottles or boxes of tissues.

shrink bands

Shrink Tapes (akasealing tapes) are a kindprotective packaging.These tapes are often perforated for ease of use.Shrink bands are pre-made to fit the caps of different product types. These products include bottles, jars, liquid droppers andother similar items.

So how is shrink tape applied?AA ring made of soft plastic is placed on the lid of the container to be closed. Next, heat is used to shrink the ring evenly around the lid. This heat can be applied by a heat gun, shrink tunnel, or steam tunnel.

Shrink wrap is like other tamper evident packaging materials. They will let the consumer know if their product hasbeen exposedto damage or manipulate. They help protect consumers from consuming unsafe products.

Shrink bands provide additional strength for sealing the product cap. This means the seal of the productis improvedwithadditionallyprotective qualities.

Flexible pouches

Flexible bags are generally made of foil or plastic (although they can be made of other materials). They are used in packaging for various applications. These applications include food and beverage packaging and industrial liquid packaging. They can be found on the shelves of supermarkets and other retail outlets.

Flexible bags have become extremely popularin recent years for food packaging. This is because most of these bags are resealable. You have alow environmental impactand are less expensive to manufacture than alternative packaging materials such as glass, paperboard, metal and paperboard.

Flexible bags arefrequentlyUsed for packaging products such as cereal, energy drinks, coffee, soup, snacks, nuts and many other types of food.

The industrial hemp market has recently introduced flexible bags. They are commonly used as packaging for cannabis andhemp productssuch as gummies, whole flower hemp and other edible products.

strapping

strappingMaterials are mainly used for bundling products and securing pallet loads during transportation and storage. When palletizing, it is often complemented with the added security ofStretchwickel.

There are different types of strapping formulations including polypropylene (PP), polyester (PET) and steel. Which applications are suitable for strapping depends on the formulation required. Typical applications for polypropylene include:

• newspapers
• magazines
• Direct mailer
• Afford
• stair railing
  
• parquet floor
  
• kitchen appliances
• Clothing
• Essen
• Heuballen

Cardboard packaging

Cardboard packaging is a family of packaging materials that includes three subcategories: skin, blister and clamshell packaging. These materials are used in a variety of products around the world.

From fishing lures to tools, OTC pharmaceuticals to craft supplies, the uses for these types of packaging are virtually endless. Still, each of them has their own subtle differences and uses.

Let's take a closer look at each type of cardboard packaging currently available and discover the differences and uses for each style.

skin packaging

Skin packs or "skin packs" are a form ofcarded packagingMaterials that completely envelop the product contained on a piece of skin board.A thin sheet of bothskin poly or surlyn filmcovers the product and is usually vacuum sealed to the skin panel.

Skin packaging can resemble a blister pack, but with skin packs, the film takes the shape of the product rather than being placed in a universal or standard shaped container.

Products typically sold in skin packs may include seafood, pork, poultry, bison, hand tools, hardware, and other consumer goods.

packaging films for skin packaging

For skin packaging, there are two main types of plastic films used for these applications. These films include Surlyn and Skin Poly film.

Surlyn

Dupont™ manufactures Surlyn® skin films. They are an aesthetically pleasing, lightweight alternative to clamshells or blister packs. Surlyn® is used for vacuum packaging products on coated skinboard when extremely high clarity and strength are required. Surlyn is commonly used for food packaging.

Skin-Polyfilm

Skin-Polyfilmis another skin film most commonly used in the formation of skin packaging. Skin Poly is used for the same applications as Surlyn. Skin Poly is used in place of Surlyn when the application requires a low density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic formulation.

For applications that require both high clarity and strength, Surlyn is a better choice as it offers both properties in a single film.

blister pack

Blister packaging is the term used to describe several types of pre-formed plastic containersblister carton padsCommonly used to package products such as chewing gum, fishing lures, and OTC drugs.

The main component of a blister pack is a thermoformed container made from different plastic formulations. A pad made of cardboard, foil or plastic is attached to the back of the container. The pad is used to seal the products within the container.

Blister packs are an excellent choice forto protect productsagainst damage, moisture and dirt over a longer period of time.

Products commonly found in blister packs include fishing tackle, arts and crafts supplies, toys, and other small consumer goods. If you have batteries around your house they are likely packaged in a well branded blister pack with a cardboard backing.

Shellfish

Clamshells are another type of carded packaging.Most clamshells are made of plastic. However, they are sometimes made from styrofoam, cardboard, recycled paper, or cardboard.

Clamshells are made by joining two identical "shells" together. These plastic shells are connected on one side and have locking tabs on the other side. The tabs allow for easy opening and re-closing.

Common applications for clamshell packaging include take-out items, grinders, breakfast sandwiches, salads, chicken wings and other similar items.

Are there other types of packaging materials?

While the packaging materials listed in this article only offer a selection of the most popular packaging materials, they should provide you with enough information to get an idea of ​​what type of packaging materials are best for youproduct packagingRequirements.

How to choose the right packaging materials

Now that you know the different types of packaging materials, the next step is to determine the materials that are best suited for packaging your products. Check out this companion article,Which packaging materials are the right ones for your products?It teaches you everything you need to know to select the appropriate packaging materials.

If, on the other hand, you prefer to get professional advice on choosing suitable packaging materials for your products, you should do soConsider speaking to one of our packaging experts. They will help you choose the right packaging materials and suppliers, even if that supplier is ultimately not us.