Six Pitfalls to Avoid When Choosing Stand-up Pouches for Liquids

Stand-up pouches are one of the fastest growing packaging formats, with stand-up pouch usage projected to grow by 7% each year through . Thanks to advances in flexible packaging materials, fitments, and filling equipment, many products once limited to rigid packaging are now excellent candidates for pouches.

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When thinking about packaging for liquid products, pouches may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But an increasing number of brands are switching from rigid packaging to stand-up pouches for liquid products such as beverages, syrups, cleaning solutions, and even oils and lubricants.

Why Convert from Rigid Packaging to Pouches?

The benefits of choosing stand-up pouches over rigid packaging are many.  Flexible pouches:

• Are conveniently lighter and more portable for today’s on-the-go consumers.
• Result in a higher product-to-package ratio.
• Use approximately 60 percent less plastic than rigid plastic bottles.
• Allow for more efficient warehousing since unfilled pouches take up significantly less space than rigid packaging.
• Allow for near total evacuation of the product. (Rigid containers can leave 6 – 14% of product in packaging, while pouches can evacuate up to 99.5% of the product.)
• Require approximately 50 percent less energy to produce.
• Generate less CO2 emissions during production.
• Produce less landfill waste.
• Require fewer trucks for transportation—reducing fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
• Provide shelf impact, differentiation, visibility, and a wide range of convenient features that all translate to a competitive advantage for your brand.

For example, in , we produced a durable spouted stand-up pouch for Arctic Cat’s innovative C-TEC2 Synthetic engine oil. It was the first oil pouch in the U.S. power sports industry. Not only did the new pouch provide the benefits listed above, but converting from the industry standard 32 oz. F-style quart bottle to a pouch also:

• provided a sizeable increase (over 500%) in printable surface area to present attention-grabbing graphics and key information.
• facilitated easier dispensing of oil into compact oil reservoirs.
• reinforced the high-performance, environmentally-conscious characteristics of the brand.

While many companies can supply pouches, when seeking stand-up pouches for liquid products, it can be beneficial to seek out a pouch supplier with additional specialized expertise in the area of designing packaging for liquids. There are several potential pitfalls that can be encountered when producing pouches for liquids, and a supplier with experience in working with liquids will know how to navigate around these obstacles.

1.  Pouch Converting

Some suppliers with experience in engineering and manufacturing stand-up pouches for liquids have developed techniques for pouch converting that provide safeguards against potential leaks. According to Kevin Riggs, pouching operations manager here at Glenroy Inc., “We use methods of pouch sealing that create stronger seals and help to prevent leaks in the most vulnerable areas of a pouch. These methods aren’t used across the board by all pouch converters. We’ve developed these methods through experience and by working closely with pouch machinery manufacturers.”

2. Pouch Prototyping

Certain pouch shapes encourage buckling or folding of the flexible packaging film, which can lead to stress fractures—and ultimately leaks. And liquid pouches that are too large for one-handed dispensing usually require a die-cut handle to provide two points of contact for the consumer to use when pouring.

A pouch supplier with experience in liquid pouches can collaborate with you to create innovative pouch prototypes that prevent stress fractures and provide structural stability, shelf impact, convenience, and ease-of-use. (Advanced pouch suppliers can even supply pouch prototypes printed with your products’ graphics.)

3. Filling Equipment

When designing prototypes, your pouch supplier should also know and take into account the filling process that is going to be used for your pouches. For example, certain pouch filling equipment may require extra area on pouches to account for the sealing bar. The filling process is a critical aspect in the supply chain and often impacts pouch design. Producing a pouch without taking into consideration the filling equipment is a recipe for disaster.

4. Flexible Packaging Materials

The flexible packaging structure chosen for your pouches plays an essential role in preventing pouch failures. As background information, a flexible packaging structure typically consists of multiple layers of materials laminated together, with each layer performing a crucial role in the performance of the package.

Puncture resistance and durability are extremely important when designing pouches for liquids, and certain flexible packaging materials are ideal for puncture resistance and durability. An experienced pouch supplier will incorporate these materials into the flexible packaging structure engineered for your pouches.

Be wary of any pouch supplier that offers a standard “menu” of flexible packaging materials. Choosing a pouch supplier who can engineer customized flexible packaging laminations based on your products’ unique formulations can aid in preventing product/package compatibility issues once your products are in the hands of your consumers.

5. Pouch Testing

When designing and manufacturing pouches for liquids, testing is yet another key to preventing pouch failures and ensuring that your pouches will perform throughout the life cycle of your products.

Throughout the stages of package engineering, packaging film manufacturing, and pouch converting, your pouch supplier should subject your pouches to various types of testing, which may include:

• product/package compatibility testing
• compression testing
• seal testing
• puncture resistance testing
• water bath testing
• tensile testing
• burst testing
• drop testing

Each type of testing plays a critical role in ensuring that the final package will function optimally. For example, when forming pouches, frequently performing water bath testing (a test using external pressure) and internal pressure testing throughout each pouch converting run can immediately detect any leaks or weak seals.

6. Spouts and Fitments

Spouts and fitments play an essential role in the functionality of pouches for liquids. According to Dave Johnson, food market strategic business development manager at AptarGroup, “A key component to the popularity of stand-up pouches is the continued evolution of spouts and fitments.”

A wide variety of innovative spouts & fitments are available to add convenient features to pouches, such as easy opening and reclosing, audible feedback, tamper evidence, child safety, one-handed dispensing, clean product cut off, and controlled pouring. Some spouts & fitments are designed for solids & particulates, while others are ideal for liquids.

A pouch supplier with experience designing spouted pouches for liquids can guide you towards spout & fitment options that are optimal for your products’ viscosity and improve the consumer experience. For example, AptarGroup’s SimpliSqueeze® valve technology is available within several of AptarGroup’s fitments designed for liquids. The SimpliSqueeze® valve prevents leaks, controls the volume and stream of a liquid as it is dispensed from a pouch, and provides superior product cut off—providing mess-free dispensing. SimpliSqueeze® valve technology has been used in rigid packaging closures for over fifteen years, and is now available within several of AptarGroup’s spouts for flexible packaging.

SimpliSqueeze® valves are available in various slit configurations, diameters, and shapes. Smaller valves are especially suited for dispensing products with thinner viscosity, while larger valves are best for dispensing thicker-viscosity products like spreads—such as jellies, sour cream, etc. The size of the valve slit should be chosen based on the volume of product dispensed with each use, how much force the consumer applies to the pouch when dispensing the product (ease of squeeze), and the characteristics of the desired product stream.

Thinking Outside the Bottle

There is a misconception about flexible packaging that is becoming less prevalent, but still exists for some. That misconception is the belief that pouches aren’t as durable or functional as rigid packaging. According to Evan Arnold, product development manager here at Glenroy Inc., “I think the biggest struggle for liquid pouches is overcoming the misconception that they can’t perform the same functions as a bottle. When designing pouches for liquids, we as packaging engineers need to understand the various ways that choosing flexible packaging can improve a package’s functionality or solve a problem, and add value for the consumer. There are many ways pouches can add convenience and improve the consumer experience.”

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When addressing the perceived durability of pouches, Riggs points out, “We’ve developed spouted pouches that hold 32 oz. of liquid and pass 12 ft. drop testing. In my opinion, pouches can perform as good, and in some cases better, than bottles.” Any remaining misconceptions about the durability of pouches will likely subside as numerous liquid products migrate from rigid packaging to pouches, and the “flexible packaging natives”—a generation of consumers that grew up drinking juice from flexible pouches—take center stage.

Biodegradable packaging is a term most consumers have heard, but do they really know what it means? What is a biodegradable stand-up pouch, what is it made of, and what is the difference between biodegradable stand-up pouches vs. traditional stand-up pouches? And why do people select biodegradable stand-up pouches? Furthermore, did you know that stand-up pouches wholesale is also making its way in the markets? In this article, we will answer some of these questions:

There is a new kind of packaging taking over the world. Corporations such as Nestle and Kraft are using biodegradable packaging to make biodegradable stand-up pouches. However, one thing is clear; stand up pouches are not a form of biodegradable packaging. Biodegradable packaging materials such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are biodegradable, but they require immense time and certain conditions to biodegrade. Biodegradable packaging such as paper, starch, wood pulp, and corn biodegrade easily, but the biodegradable stand-up pouches are not made of these.

The bio-degradable stand-up pouches are made from an energy-efficient process. Different layers of special film are put together to form a barrier bag that protects the contents inside these bio-degradable stand-up pouches from vapor, odor, or light, depending on the product’s needs. The biodegradable stand-up pouches, though made from multiple film layers, take 12 percent less film to make than other stand-up pouches. The less material results in less waste, and the lesser weight also means that less fuel per unit is consumed to transport stand up pouches.

With biodegradable stand-up pouches, the environmental impact is decreased because of the design. It is flexible enough to store. Each pouch is durable and puncture-resistant, which means it can work as protective packaging without the need for supplement material such as an inner liner or outer box. Consequently, it eliminates the cost and consumption of the energy that is associated with regular stand-up pouches.  Bio-degradable stand-up pouches is proof that biodegradable packaging is not the only form of packing that is environmentally friendly. Biodegradable stand-up pouches wholesale is also widely available now.

Biodegradable stand-up pouches are made from a biodegradable material, which can be described as a material that can be decomposed by bacteria or other natural organisms. In the process of decomposition, they are not adding to the pollution. There are several stand-up pouches that one can make using biodegradable packaging. These include compostable stand-up pouches, kraft paper pouch, and recyclable stand-up pouches:

Biodegradable stand-up pouches have biodegradable packaging, and they are preferred more than traditional stand-up pouches. Here are some reasons why:

Environment friendliness

Biodegradable stand-up pouches are manufactured with less energy and fewer resources. In this way, less harmful gases are emitted during production.

Customization

The bio-degradable stand-up pouches are made in a variety of designs. On the other hand, the traditional stand-up pouches have a regular designing which makes them less appealing.

Cost-effectiveness

Fewer resources are required for biodegradable packaging. Consequently, it costs less as compared to traditional stand-up pouches. And as a result, stand-up pouches wholesale can easily be bought.

Custom printing

Biodegradable stand-up pouches have a wide front and back. Companies can custom print them, and it becomes less labor-intensive in addition to becoming cheaper.

In recent years, with growing awareness of global warming and the need to control climate change, people turn to biodegradable packaging products such as bio-degradable stand-up pouches. They are functional and flexible, which is why several people prefer using them.

They are also growing in popularity as more and more products are being offered in these packages—these range from potato chips to coffee beans and soap refills. Freedonia Group conducted a study in which they revealed that the demand for biodegradable stand-up pouches would grow to $2.9 billion by . The popularity keeps going everywhere as they are light, take up less self-space, and make product handling storage a lot easier than other stand-up pouches.

These products are so highly-demanded because they have the resealability factor, a major plus for most people. They are also easily recyclable, which enforces the idea of sustainable living. They are made from fewer materials and are durable for longer periods, and cost less, which is why you can find stand-up pouches wholesale for lower prices.

Biodegradable stand-up pouches are definitely the future. The fact that they have biodegradable packaging is what makes them more appealing. More than ever, more and more customers and manufacturers are investing in it, and you can find the stand-up pouches wholesale at reasonable prices. Cleaning up the earth and enforcing sustainable living just got a whole lot easier.

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