 |
| Main Menu | News By Date | News By Supplier | News By Category | About Us |
|
GORWTH AND INNOVATION IN FLEXIBLE PACKAGING
One of many highlights during the recent bi-annual Converting Machinery/Materials Conference and Exposition in Chicago was a presentation given by Rohm and Haas Company and on behalf of The Adhesive and Sealant Council. The presentation assessed emerging drivers for flexible packaging innovation and how suppliers can participate fully as this popular technology matures. "It's an ideal subject during CMM, with the rising need for flexible packaging and its abilities to radically change the way products are marketed," notes Bill Magee, Rohm and Haas marketing manager for packaging and converting in North America, who gave the presentation. Why is flexible packaging in such demand? As CMM attendees learned, it offers superb opportunities for end users to reduce their cost-in-use of packaging materials and concurrently enhance their product's overall consumer appeal – opportunities rigid packaging is not extending as readily. Statistics back the assertion. Corrugated continues to be the largest segment in the packaging market. Yet, fast-gaining flexible packaging has now surpassed rigid packaging, such as plastic bottles, cans, and glass, to be the #2 choice with a 17 percent share of the market. If flexpack continues the admirable four percent annual growth rate posted over the past five years, the days of box dominance may be numbered. Now a global market worth $70 billion, flexpack is popular the world over, though western Europe and North America lead with shares of 28 percent and 27 percent of the market respectively. New flexible packaging is easily outpacing the growth of every other type of packaging. A sharp jump in flexible packaging patents since 1997 provides more evidence that a long march has started. Much flexpack research and development focuses on specific payoffs like controlling production costs, down-gauging, light-weighting, upgrading barrier properties and strength, reducing environmental impacts, and enhancing aesthetics.
|
| ©2008 New Materials International |