Packaging is an aspect of everyday life that we may not pay attention to but we appreciate its use. Bags, boxes, tins, bottles, wrapping and pots are just some of those aforementioned aspects that packaging provides. Without them, goods and items would become damaged, spoiled and even cross-contaminated. But what else does packaging do? Get the packaging 411!
Tag: packaging birmingham
Fretfoil are Birmingham’s Packaging specialists, providing a wide range of quality packaging products in Birmingham and across Midlands.
All shops set to charge for plastic bags
In order to tackle what is being nicknamed as “throwaway culture” nearly all retailers, small or large could be made to charge 5p for plastic bags under proposed government plans.
All retailers in Wales and Scotland were already made to charge 5p for plastic bags when the rule first came into formation in 2015, however, in England, it was only retailers that employed more than 250 workers. Continue reading “All shops set to charge for plastic bags”
Polybags: All you need to know
Polybags are the name given to bags that are made from polyethylene – the most common form of plastic.
Polybags are used for the transportation of a variety of sealed goods. The bags are notable for their sleek design making them suitable for the items that are stored and shipped in them, including chemicals, comic books, and food.
Similar to most plastic bag, polybags will be thin, flexible and transparent, however, some can fall away from this pattern and some can be exceptionally light or incredibly dense.
Regarding environmental issues, polybags are sufficient for use are they are fairly simple to recycle compared with other packaging materials. While many shipping methods can appear to be wasteful or unnecessary to those concerned with the environment, polybags are a great alternate option, not only are they an efficient use of material and space but they can hold more while using less.
Please visit our website to view other packaging materials we stock.
Things to know about packaging tape
Packaging tape is an essential for warehouses, and being one of the products Fretfoil supply, we compiled a ‘how to’ guide.
Unbeknownst to many, when using packaging tape, you will need to consider the right sort to use for the job. The colour variation of between clear or brown backing has no affect on anything other than the presentation of your goods – it’s mainly the quality of the backing and adhesive type that counts.
New cardboard boxes and general purpose applications: The most suitable packaging tape for this job would be one that has a synthetic rubber adhesive. For general purpose applications, use a natural rubber adhesive.
Cool conditions, plastics and recycled board: Requiring packaging tape for cooler conditions, or for plastic materials such as bubble wrap and for recycled cartons, the best packaging tape would have an acrylic adhesive for these sorts of conditions.
Export or heavy duty requirements: Any critical applications will need a premium tape as the thickness provides that reassurance of a strong, resilient adhesive.
Making it stick
Did you know that all packaging tapes need to be activated by pressure?
To activate the adhesive, wet it out so it sticks, run your hand firmly over the tape after is has been applied to the surface, enabling the best chance of gripping to the surface.
Dispensing
To get the best use of your packaging tape, and to save time, obtain a dispenser.
There are a variety of styles available depending on what job is being executed and where.
For general work, pistol grips are more suitable, where as tear-drop dispensers fair well when working in tight places.
Know the weather
Weather conditions can actually play a part in affecting the packaging tape that should be used on your products.
Summer: Naturally, many tapes will struggle in humid weather conditions as the moisture content in cardboard will affect the stickiness of the tape. Opting for a tape with a natural rubber adhesive should be something that won’t be an issue in humid weather.
Refrigerators: When working through a freezer, keep in mind to tape products outside the freezer/refrigerator before proceeding to place it inside the cooler conditions.
There are specific cold temperature taps that can be used, also those with acrylic adhesives will provide the best results.
Using the correct supplies for packaging tape can make the execution easier as well as saving time and money.
Please visit our website for further information about packaging tape and our other products.
Shrink wrap and stretch wrap
Both of these packaging materials hold items together in a compact air space in packaging applications.
These materials are both lightweight and puncture and tear resistant, thus making them the perfect cost alternative to container packages or boxes.
Shrink wrap
This material is typically a clear plastic or polymer-based film that ultimately shrinks when heated and will conform to the shape of the object it is encasing.
The benefit of shrink wrap is that it forms a very tight, tamper evident seal that protects the products inside the package from dirt, moisture, dust or any insects. It’s commonly used as a food bag and in other perishable applications and is available for utilisation in a selection of widths, designs and film gauge, all dependant on the application.
Stretch wrap
Stretch wrap is composed of polyethylene plastic, this responds to heat differently than shrink wrap, that when heated shrinks and secures the load, stretch wrap has an elastic memory that functions similarly to a rubber band.
Shrink wrap and stretch films should stick to certain standards so to ensure a proper design and functionality.
Standards such as ASTM D4649 are used during the selection and use of stretch wrap films.
ASTM D5416 and BS 2782-6 discuss the methods of testing abrasion resistance along with the shrinkage on heating, respectively.
Please visit our website to view all of our packaging services.
Facts about packaging
Packaging is an important aspect of everyday life – bags, boxes, tins, bottles, wrapping and pots are just some of the uses packaging provides.
Without it, items and goods would be damaged or spoiled, raw meat would likely be cross-contaminated prior to reaching supermarkets.
Fruits and vegetables are among a few of the goods that do not need any outer protection for shoppers to take them back to their homes.
Packaging revolves around a multi-stage process for getting goods from production to consumption which can include primary or sales packaging (what the consumer takes home), secondary packaging (boxes, trays and film wrap that group the items together) and transport packaging (ranging from small to large containers and pallets).
Each stage of packaging is selectively chosen in a specific combination to provide the right level of protection, thus slimming the chance of damage and waste.
There isn’t a specified ‘best’ packaging material out there, only the appropriate material set for a particular product. As an example, toothpaste won’t be able to be packaged in a paper bag, however, paper bags are the perfect packaging for flour.
Over packaging
There are many products that are over-packed in recent times because of the cost producers will sacrifice.
Saying this, some items that ar found will appear to have unnecessary packaging, although this could be a result of not being aware of the journey that particular item may have had to endure to get to where it is.
Difficulty opening
In our everyday lives, on average we handle fifty different items of packaging a day.
Well packaged products won’t be appreciated and will likely be taken for granted, but the packaging has done its job in being easily accessible and protective of the item; on the other hand, poor packaging will make access to the product difficult.
This packaging is in need of re-design, but there are products out there that have specific packaging to limit its use to certain people e.g. bleach has a specific design that makes it almost impossible for children to open.
Buying loose or pre-wrapped
Depending on an individuals’ choice, some may want to pick and choose the loose consumable items, whereas others will want to grab an already packaged item and go.
All fruit and vegetables will be packaged for transportation – no matter the distance.
In some cases, those that are sold loose in supermarkets will have had more packaging during the transportation than those pre-wrapped.
Labels
Many packs will carry information as to whether it can be recycled or not.
It isn’t possible to label packs will information appropriate for each area or town (as recyclable materials may vary depending on the area you live in) thus labels will be missing from packs on most occasions.
Recycling
Recycling packages won’t make an impact on the reduction of climate change, simply because the carbon embedded in packaging is equal to roughly 2% of the EU’s total annual emissions.
In most food and drink supply chains, the packaging would consume less that 10% of that energy consumed in the chain.
For further information about packaging Birmingham and our services, please visit our website!