Active food Packaging: What it’s All About

Food waste is a huge problem, where each person in the Eu uses about 400 pounds of food each year, and they throw that away. It’s a waste, and when you’re trying to reduce hunger in a world that’s striving for this, it’s imperative to make sure that you have ways to minimize food waste. Plastic of course, helps to minimize waste and extend the shelf life due to how easy it is to use, the versatility and lightness, and of course, the strength and handling of this. However, you need to have recycled packaging, since that’s what the EU wants to implement. Not only that, but customers also want alternatives of course to help with making sure that packaging is much more sustainable. But there is a new solution, and that is active packaging, and the solution is to help with food waste, in order to create innovative and efficient production of bioplastic, in order to create and package food that is renewable and also recyclable, in order to replace the conventional fossil fuels. This includes PHA and PGA, which were used to create bio-based types of packaging and is used to package meats, snacks, and cereals too. 

The Active Coatings 

But one of their biggest innovations was the bacteriophage-based coatings that reduce the salmonella proliferation in chicken samples that were packed in atmospheres which were modified. The project used active coatings, and this did address the problems that were faced with the barriers and their properties. In order to crate and protect food, packaging is more complex and multilayer, and the structures are oftentimes difficult or costly when it comes to recycling. The packaging systems that are converted or composted do create promising alternatives on the market and is a good one for packaging. This type of packaging does need to be recyclable, and also create barrier properties that protect food that’s packaged. Current packaging is a complex structure that’s made from sources that are not renewable, creating protective functions, but it’s too difficult or to o expensive in order to recycle, and the goal is to replace the packaging with alternatives as well. 

High-Performance Packaging 

In a few years, this project has the goal of creating coatings which are active on the packaging films, and from there, it helps to extend to use the bacteriophage organisms in order to offer more shelf life to products and also reduce the proliferation of salmonella in chicken in this modified environment. Through the use of low-quality flower, which is a byproduct otherwise wasted, it’s ten manufactured within these trays and from there, creating m more efficient production process and PGA plastic, which is biodegradable, and an excellent water barrier in terms of properties, giving it more promising applications for the packaging of the food. 

But before this point, the solution used to be too expensive, and it had to be replaced by fossil fuels. But this project has ended in October of 2020, and it does validate the new packaging structures comparing the performance to the metallized packaging for the non-biological applications that are currently used in this. For now, whether or not they will put this on the market yet is really up tot how the tests and what they plan to do with this next. But more tests are being carried out in order to test to see what the shelf life and the biodegradability of those conventional packaging has currently, so we may not only see this more in the future, but we also may start to find more sustainable packaging options too. 

Small Businesses and eCommerce

I am a young entrepreneur and looking to start a small eCommerce business. I make candles on the side of my part-time job in a taco truck, and things are really picking up business-wise. In school, I was always told to have a side hustle. For some people, this means working a job they are not passionate about by day and trying to turn their hobby into something profitable by night. Not me. I, for one, thoroughly enjoy my days working in a taco truck. I begin my days at 9:00 in the morning with a cold cup of coffee and a warm donut. Maybe that seems a little odd to you, but hey, I’m not one to care what other people think. I take my truck to the main strip of the city around 11:00 in the morning, where I begin to prepare my ingredients for the day. This isn’t your typical run-of-the-mill taco truck. My customers enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine at a fair price, with all the fixings of a high-end restaurant right outside my taco truck. 

Anyways, I’ve recently gotten into candle making. I love burning candles in my home to try and mask the potent scent of seasoned beef that clings to my pores after 10 hours in the truck. The problem I run into is that candles are so expensive, and for what? It’s literally just scented wax and a wick. I got the bright idea to start making my own candles from soy, as it is better for the environment and for your body when you breathe it in. I began experimenting with different types of candle wax, scents, wicks, and containers that will produce the most cost-effective and best smelling candles. Since then, I have become fast and efficient in making my candles and began to give them to friends and family. Then one day, it hit me; I could be charging money for my candles! So I started selling my candles online. This was no easy task, as I had to invest quite a bit of money in extra materials, advertising, shipping supplies, and other necessary elements of an eCommerce business. 

Fortunately, my candles began to sell extremely well on websites like Etsy, Facebook marketplace, and eBay. I have been really wanting to get into Amazon’s market with my candles, but I feel that this is an entirely different animal. To sell my candles on Amazon would mean a lot more sales but also require a lot more time and money invested into my candle business. I’m quickly running into the problem of dividing my precious time between my love for making candles and my love for the taco truck. My mentor and friend advised that I do what my heart desires.

Personally, I don’t mind all the extra work that comes from making and selling candles. Selling them online makes it relatively easy to find customers. My cost of production and shipping supplies is also pretty low, so I’m seeing a fairly decent profit margin only 2 months into officially taking my candle store online. One thing for sure is that COVID-19 has made my candle business blow up more than I ever thought possible. With people locked in their homes and most stores temporarily closed, buying candles online is becoming much more popular. 

Using Custom Printed Tape To Build Brand Recognition

Advertising your company and building brand recognition seems to involve some complex and expensive steps. The good news is that multiple steps involved in building brand recognition do not cost you much time and money. Yet, they are as effective as any other marketing method. One of the most considerable ways to earn brand recognition is to use custom printed packing tape.

Here are some reasons why choosing a custom printed packing tape over a plain-looking tape is more beneficial.

Why use custom printed tape?

• The most fundamental advantage of using custom printed tape is that it helps increase your brand exposure. Using this tape makes your packages noticeable from the moment they leave your warehouse until reaching the customers’ doorsteps.
• With the help of printed tape, you emphasize that you have confidence in your products, and you are ready to pay attention to their details. That can help build the first good impression.
• Using printed tapes makes your packages more tamper-evident. That means you and your customers will be able to identify any tampering attempt quickly. It can help enhance your product safety significantly.
• Using printed packing tape, you can make your product more traceable. You can attach batch information and supplier’s details to the packing tape. That will help you make sure that package handlers do not end up putting your package in the wrong shipment.
• You can benefit from custom printed tape significantly when using a printed box is out of the question due to budget constraints or any other reason. Using it on plain boxes allows you to showcase your brand.

Printed tape options

You can choose from a variety of color options in printed tapes. You can print flood color onto the background and additional colors on the top.

You can also choose from different types of tape in terms of the materials used in their making.

Vinyl

• This tape is better than polypropylene tape in terms of tack and strength.
• It releases from the roll quietly.
• While it is strong, it can be ripped easily from the roll.
• It offers a long-lasting adhesion.

Acrylic

• This tape costs lower than vinyl tape.
• While it is strong and efficient, it makes noise when releasing from the roll.
• It works better with hand-held tape dispensers.
• Hand-held tape dispensers for this tape cost lower than other tape dispensers available.

Summary

Custom packing tape works well with all packaging applications. It is as durable as standard packing tape. The additional branding advantage makes this tape more effective in e-commerce packaging, especially when you want to avoid using printed boxes due to high costs. You can print a design, brand message, production use instructions, or business logo on these tapes to help your package stand out during the supply chain. It allows you to be loud and clear with your marketing strategy.

If you want to get these tapes, your best bet is to contact a packaging supplier. You can discuss your design options and ask for recommendations. Those vendors are usually experts in their fields, so they will give you the most appropriate suggestions.

Brand Packaging Solutions To Help Create Business Identity

If you want to achieve business success, you have to pay a significant amount of attention to creating a business identity. You can connect with your audience and potential customers in a better way by establishing a tone and style to represent your business in the marketplace. As a result, you will earn benefits such as a rise in consumer interest, brand loyalty, and a higher perception of the product quality. All these benefits will help you stand out from your competition.

Creating a business identity starts with creating a logo and uniform design and focusing on social media and other marketing channels. Then you will have to make sure that your product permeates your entire business, from your clothes to product packaging.

Using brand packaging solutions to form a business identity

Although it doesn’t seem to make much difference, the boxes you use to deliver your product can contribute to developing your brand identity pretty significantly.

You may know the processes Amazon and other e-commerce giants use to deliver their products to customers. The branded packaging solutions they employ are straightforward yet uniform. That doesn’t, however, mean that using fancy designs and bold colors is not recommended. You just have to be uniform with your approach if you want to build a brand identity.

The most crucial element to get success with branded packaging is to make sure that you choose the right packaging solutions. The fundamental purpose of branded packaging is to convey who you are and what you offer without saying a word.

Tip to use brand packaging to create a brand identity

With the help of branded packaging, you can achieve several marketing objectives and goals. Here are some tips to help you create an impressive and functional branded packaging solution for your business.

Considering the brand message you want to convey

No matter how fancy your packaging is, it will have very little impact if it fails to convey the required brand message. A wrong brand message can be even more harmful. The best approach is to understand the kind of information you want your brand to share with your customers.

Figuring out the right way to use brand packaging solutions

Let’s explain it with an example. Suppose you have a product that consists of natural and non-toxic materials or ingredients. The reason you have this product is that your customer base is more attracted to natural products and sustainability. In such a scenario, you would have to use sustainable packaging materials to make your product stand out more in front of your potential and existing customers.

Working with a professional packaging supplier and designer

Using poor-quality packaging supplies would be the last thing you want. The design and quality of your packaging materials play a significant role in bringing your product to your audience’s attention. That is why you have to make sure that the source of your packaging supplies offers you the best quality packaging materials. You can discuss your requirements with your packaging vendor and designing experts to create top-quality packaging solutions for your products.

So many Shipping Materials!

With so many different kinds of shipping materials, it may be challenging to settle on the proper ones for your business. With this guide, I am hoping to help you find out what vital materials you will need for your company. A few things most companies need that are considered critical in running a shipping business. The first essential material is a packing material being bubble wrap. A few other vital materials are packing tape and labels. Most startup companies never think about the small things like the two previously mentioned materials. 

The first shipping material we are going to look at is bubble wrap. When compared to other protective items, bubble wrap provides the greatest amount of protection. Bubble wrap is essentially two plastic pieces of plastic with air pockets put in it. As simple as it is, it provides a significant amount of protection. Bubble wrap also has an anti-static effect to it. This is great for shipping electronics like a computer graphics card. Due to the fact that the GPU has exposed electrical components, it is vital that no static charge build-up is present. If there were a static charge present, there is a chance that when the consumer grabs the time, a shock happens, thus frying the card and rendering it useless. 

Another shipping item some start-up companies forget is packing tape. The need for packing tape is essential. The use of it in the business will mainly be to keep boxes together. Packing tape is also much more durable than traditional tape and maybe even ducktape. When boxes arrive at the company, they will be flat and needing to be folded to be built. This is where the packing tape comes in handy, as this will be required to keep the boxes together. The tape will also be used to seal the box for when it is time for shipping. 

There are many different kinds of labels in the shopping industry. Most of the time, the labels will be a stick-on label. This means that it is like a sticker you put on the box that contains all the vital information for the enclosed product and where it is going to be shipped. It will be very helpful for you to get a label printer as this will help expedite the shipping process. The printer will take the information from the computer that you put in, and it will then print that onto a sticker type label.

Another kind of label is tags; these kinds of labels are generally for marking products and not so much for shipping. 

In the end, the shipping supplies we talked about are nowhere near all the kinds of materials needed for shipping. These are just a few of the necessary shipping materials you will need when starting your business. Keep in mind that the kinds of materials your company will need are entirely up to your products you are providing. The only product that is vital for every single company is a label. Without the label, no one knows where that product is being shipped to; thus, the consumer would not get their purchased product. As far as the bubble wrap goes and packing tape, it is entirely dependent on what your company produces and supplies to consumers. 

Corrugated Packaging

Corrugated packaging is a form of cardboard packaging. This type of packaging are lightweight, strong, printable and easy to recycle. It consists of two main factors: the inner and outer liners, as well as a corrugated inner section also known as fluting. The liners have two peices of paper that help protect the interior and exterior, while the fluting (wave shaped structure between the liners) is used for reinforcement of the packaging's construction. This type of packaging is used with cardboard based materials but with the clever design it makes for more efficient and durable packaging. This special design creates a three-tiered protection system for food products in transit. If it wasn't for the middle layer, the products in transit are much more likely to get damaged. With corrugated packaging one can ensure excess moisture, dust and sunlight stay away from products being delivered.

There are several great benefits to corrugated packaging. Those benefits include: sanitation, eco-friendly and cost-effectiveness. During the corrugated creation it reaches high temperatures of over 100 degrees at least three times. These temperatures help to eliminate microbes and bacteria from the corrugated board, which sanitizes the packaging the moment it is created. Research from the University of Bologna has proven with this method of sanitation meat, vegetables, bread, eggs, and fruit that get delivered in this type of packaging are fresher than those delivered in reusable plastic trays. Plastic trays are typically washed and reused however, this does not guarantee that microbes and bacteria will be removed thus making it more likely for food can easily become contaminated. These plastic trays with increased usage overtime makes it more likely for food to be spoiled or nasty illnesses can be contracted. Corrugated packaging is a little different as once the packaging is used once it is then recycled. 

Corrugated packaging is made using natural materials, thus making it eco-friendly. Made from recyclable materials and being recyclable itself it also is biodegradable. If ruined it can naturally decompose into natural elements. Plastic packaging can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. During that process it leaks toxins into the environment which ends up causing further harm. This makes for corrugated packaging a more efficient choice. 

This type of packaging is not only great for the earth but it is also very cost-effective. Corrugated packaging is inexpensive for manufacturing and it doesn't cost the earth as well. Even with this manufacturing the packaging still keeps the qualities necessary to make an effective packaging solution for food deliveries. Many can save hundreds to thousands pounds making this choice of packaging. 

Corrugated packaging won't let you down. This packaging is great for the environment, manufactures and customers wallets and efficient on keeping customers healthy. Customers can ensure their food products will stay fresh, be protected and will be undamaged upon delivery. Considering this type of packaging is a fantastic choice full of many benefits. Whether it's pizza, fruit or vegetables or some delicious takeaways corrugated packaging is the way to go for complete satisfaction.

The Best Ways to Protect Items When Shipping

In our world, you can send messages and communication instantly, and with more and more people shipping packages, especially with the advent of online shopping, a big part of this is protection of the packaging. People don’t think about this, but the USPS and other delivery services are not the best with protecting packages, and sometimes, people get their items ruined. But, with the right inside options, you’ll be able to protect the items that you’re shipping to others without it breaking the bank either. 

Packaging Peanuts 

This is something that’s pretty typical to use for filler, and children love these because of the static nature of them, and how they’re able to move onto their clothes, and also tossing them around. They are light, but the one downside to this is that they don’t break down and help the environment. 

However, they’re good for protecting everything, and if you get non-Styrofoam options, they’re not going to just end up taking a bunch of space in a landfill for a millennium.  If you do get these, the best way to utilize packaging peanuts is to just put them in another package to ship these out.  You’ll want to go for cornstarch too, since these are considered biodegradable packaging peanuts and work well in protecting the package that’s being shipped out. However, they do usually take a bit more space and are a little bit heavier. 

Newspaper 

This is a great filler item because it can be broken down, and it’s versatile too, since you can crinkle, shred it, or wrap an item in it. You do want to be mindful of the ink though on this, since it can ruin a gift since it can get onto there, and then you’ve got ink all over the item. 

Bubble Wrapping 

This is basically a sheet of plastic put together with another sheet, with bubbles of air trapped between each side of this, and it’s something that can pop too. This is used to absorb the impact, or if the object hits something, the bubbles of air provide a cushion towards the object too.  Usually, it also takes a bit of energy to hit this, but the bubbles protect the item from impact instead of having the item directly touching it. This is efficient to protect, but the one downside is that it also is not environmentally friendly.  You should try to reuse or recycle this as much as you can, or also look to see if there are any ways to recycle them if you get the chance. 

Tips for Packing Items 

For a lot of packaging that is general, you want to make sure you use cardboard boxes that are corrugated to ship, and also provide enough materials to cushion this. You should also make sure that you use sealers such as adhesives or tape to help keep everything sealed. Do make sure everything labeled properly too. 

If you’re going to ship something that’s higher in costs, do consider buying insurance for this, and if it’s over $500, definitely use this.  It doesn’t cost a ton, but it’s usually up to a few dollars, but that can save you. 

You should also make sure that the shipping medium is rigid, touch, has flaps, and also make sure that the items you throw in there are wrapped separately. Consider using bubble wrap to also protect this. 

Strapping tape is also good to fully close the boxes and is better than scotch or masking tape. 

Make sure that the labels are clear and capitalized too.