We all get excited at some time or the other when we receive packages from the mail or post office and open it up quickly to grab the item inside. More so now than ever before due to the advent of online shopping increasing tenfold, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and most retails stores being shut during the lockdown periods.
Everyone is darting for the online stores and buying their items there, only for them to come through the door and us taking off the plastic seals and opening up a sleek white or brown cardboard box.
It is almost a cathartic feeling and some even get addicted to it. Some companies purposefully use strategic packaging to help enhance the experience of receiving a gift or a product, just to make us believe in them more than the next guy, and rightly so.
After all, it’s all about the customer experience, otherwise, there is no point and you won’t be doing any selling anytime soon. Providing top services is one thing, but also putting good packaged and branded products into the hands of consumers is the most fundamental reason behind most businesses.
The role it plays in the perceived value of the product is next to nothing and a priceless opportunity that when missed can cost thousands and millions of dollars due to unforeseen circumstances such as product recalls.
In the USA alone, it is estimated that consumer goods being recalled between the years 2014 and 2019 went up every quarter. Their website can detail that for you further. Whether it is because of bad packaging that breaks easily or bad goods inside them, is not the point. If a product is bad in any way, interior or exterior, it can cost you your existing and any potential customer.
So how do we make sure we get the best materials for our goods? Below we have a few of the recommended ones from experts in the business.
Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Materials of Choice from The Experts
There are many product packaging experts on the market nowadays but very few of them will tell you like it is. The truth of the matter is that one material may be better than the other and they should be the ones telling you so. However, if you are confused about what’s out there and how to choose the right one based on its qualities, the information below will set you off on the right track.
Paperboard Materials
This paper-based material is lightweight but also a very sturdy opponent. Products made out of it can be easily malleable, i.e. cut and shaped according to specifications, it is the ideal solution for personalized products and packaging. How its created is through recycling other fiber materials such as wood chips and paper, and ground into a pulp, and then bleached a certain color.
It also comes in multiple grades from thickness and sturdiness to fit any type of packaging requirements and specifications. This is a popular choice if you have a cosmetic, pharmaceutical, or beauty company where items for personal and medicinal use are needed. The packets of pills that you get are usually enclosed in a paperboard. The bleach used for these is referred to as SBS or solid bleached sulfate.
Even household items like milk cartons are made of it. If you prefer this and want to read more about it, you can check out this website here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_bleached_board. There is also an environmentally friendly option known as CUK or coated unbleached kraft which is paperboard packaging for environmentally-friendly companies, which most industries are leaning towards in recent times.
This is a better option if you own a food company and need to package food items for delivery and store shelves, it keeps the food safe from chemical adulteration and is better for health too.
Corrugated Boxes
What people refer to commonly as cardboard, is also called corrugated board sometimes. We see it everyone and it is used by almost every industry to package their goods. It has been around for decades and for good reason, it is strong and useful and can be created to fit any space and shape. It has always been a favorite of people who want to store items or ship them elsewhere.
These also come in different grades such as flexibility, strength, and size. The medium types are known as ‘flutes. They typically consist of three layers, i.e. the outside layer, middle, and inside lining, the process is known as ‘fluting’ and it gives it its strength and rigidity. These two are commonly made out of recycled materials, which means they can compost easily too and can be recycled into something else as well.
When ground to a pulp, it can be recreated for other uses such as furniture, roofing materials, flooring materials, other packaging, etc. you can get a variety of them from twin-walled, single-walled, single-faced, double-faced, and more depending on your needs. The corrugated packaging is utilized by being cut into shape and molded accordingly.
Famous industries that use it are food and beverage. When you order pizza, the package it comes in is corrugated, when you buy champagne from a store, the box it comes in the same, and so forth.
Chipboard Packaging
This is used in industries like medical, cosmetic, food, electronic, and beverage. Made out of recycled paper, these can be easily manipulated into any shape. This option is not pricey either so can be a good solution for those on a tight budget.
Just like its predecessors, this too comes in various strengths and uses and can be printed on, for instance, if you need a box for a particular company and brand and designed in a specific way, then it can print on easily and in different colors.
These can also be treated with bleach, mainly the CCNB or Clay Coated News Back type of bleach this adds some further durability to it. Most packaging manufacturers prefer using cardboard and recycled materials for consumer products due to ease of use, however, chipboard is becoming the trend nowadays too.
We hope this concise information above gives you a better idea of the materials that are best suited for your business.
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