Functional Film

Functional films are thin, flexible materials that can have a variety of features, such as conductivity properties, antibacterial qualities, and barrier capabilities. It is designed to perform specific functions, such as providing protection, enhancing conductivity, or facilitating chemical reactions. These films are often used in various industries, including electronics, packaging, healthcare, and energy. Examples of functional films include anti-glare coatings on screens, solar panels, drug delivery patches, and barrier films for food packaging. They can be used to Improve product functionality, Modify the release of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), Protect against environmental influences, Masking odor or taste...

Food and Beverage
Food and beverage flexible packaging, both retail and institutional, is said to account for a near 60 percent of all flexible packaging applications, with some market studies claiming a market share as high as 80 percent. It largely depends on exactly what a specific study includes. Does it include shrink sleeves or not? Does it include industrial applications?
In particular, the rising demand for snack and convenience foods in small or single size portions, increased spending on bakery and cereal bars, short-run ready meals and coffee or hot chocolate sticks and pouches, dehydrated and dry foods.
Stand-up gusseted pouches and pillow pouches are widely used as flexible packaging products in the food sector. Pillow pouches have also witnessed high gains due to their increasing usage in the food, beverages and dairy industries.

Health, Beauty and Personal Care
The healthcare, cosmetics, toiletries and personal care markets have long provided a wealth of opportunities for the label converter. Now, they also offer the opportunity to diversify into the production of high quality sachets, pouches and packs for many different ‒ often shorter run lengths of multiple versions and variations ‒ types of flexible packaging for the whole health and personal care market that includes toiletries, hygiene, shampoo, liquid soaps, creams, lotions, gels, cosmetics products, beauty products, wipes and packs.

Pharmaceutical, Nutritional, Nutraceutical, Veterinary and Medical
A study of flexible packaging in Europe identified pet food as being the best performing flexible packaging category. Pouches for pet foods and pet products are identified as the fastest-growing segment of the animal care market, due to them being easy to carry, store and re-seal to ensure freshness.

Retail Non-food, Home and Garden
Depending on the particular market study viewed, the whole non-food, home, DIY and garden sector accounts for up to 10 percent of the flexible packaging market, with products that include household items, laundry detergents, soaps, bath salts, under-the-sink packs, paints, pastes and plaster, lawn care, fertilizer, pesticides, grass seed, compost and bark.

Packaging material is an essential part of building a successful product and there are many important factors to consider when choosing the material that works best for your product’s needs.

Product Compatibility
Does the packaging material keep your product protected during transport, storage, and on store shelves? Are specific barrier properties needed to prevent moisture or oxygen from affecting the product? Does your product need to be in dark-colored material to protect it from sun and light exposure? Understanding your product’s unique requirements to maximize its shelf life is key to identifying the right packaging material to pair with your product. What packaging size are you looking for? Choosing the right size packaging can also affect your material options. More packaging material options are available for smaller consumer products, but for larger sized containers for bulk products, some materials are not as commonly available due to factors such as fragility or manufacturing capability.

Marketing
Once your material options have been identified, you can take your marketing goals into consideration to further narrow down your packaging material choices. A common marketing goal for the container is how you want your customer to view your products. Do you want clear packaging for the product to be clearly visible through the packaging material? Do you have sustainability goals that would lead you to choose a sustainable material?

Cost

Shipping is one area that can drive your cost up. For example, if your product is packaged in glass - a heavy and breakable material - then you’ll need to factor in the additional cost of weight for shipping as well as taking into consideration items that may be damaged due to breakage. You can limit breakage by providing extra protective wrap to keep the product safe during transport, but this too is an additional cost to consider. Aluminum is another material that can be easily damaged and dented during transport if not well-protected. All materials have advantages and disadvantages. It’s vital to make sure you thoroughly test your product with the container made from your packaging material choice to calculate base packaging costs, but also be aware of external costs such as shipping.

Convenience & Availability
Having a trusted packaging supplier to help you navigate the vast world of packaging can help minimize costs by identifying the best material to fit your product’s needs. Since suppliers work with companies from a spectrum of industries, they can save you hours of research by identifying the material that will best suit your product with their experience serving previous customers in your industry. In addition to a packaging supplier’s knowledge, specifically with packaging distributors, distributors may already stock container styles immediately available for purchase in the material you’re interested in.