At Polypouch, we are very conscious about the various effects plastic has on the environment – both in terms of production, and the waste created at the end of a product’s life. Recent research shows that when comparing pouches with glass jars, steel cans and plastic pots, pouches are proven to be more environmentally friendly, and we are hard at work making all our stand up pouches recyclable as well as promoting flexible packaging to local authorities.
When comparing the efficiency of plastic pouches with that of three alternatives during extensive testing– plastic pots, glass jars and steel cans – all of which perform the same function (i.e. long-life preservation of 400/450ml pasta sauce as the experimental control), the resource efficiency indicator takes into consideration three of the primary impacts packaging has on the environment – energy, material resources and waste. The results indicated that the plastic stand up pouch is more resource efficient than the three packaging alternatives, even in a scenario where it was assumed that the laminated pouch was not recycled at all in comparison with the current recycling rate for the other packaging options.
Spout pouches are a growing alternative to plastic bottles, and once they are as widely recycled, it is our view that they will make for a more environmentally friendly alternative.
Stand up pouch packaging is an ideal solution for various industries including food, drink and confectionery as it fulfils the multifaceted requirements of today’s packaging – in addition to simply containing the item, plastic pouches also provide superb hygiene and durability, and present great promotional opportunities for brands. Aluminium pouches, in particular, are great for protecting products from moisture and other outside factors such as oxygen and light, as they have high barrier properties.
Polypouches are also incredibly lightweight and easy to store or transport, especially in comparison with other packaging options, as they have high strength and are shatterproof. The lightweight properties of stand up pouches and other types of flexible packaging also reduce the carbon footprint during transportation when compared to other forms of packaging.
Plastic pouches are easy to access, highly economical and come in a variety of materials, allowing retailers from a variety of industries and company sizes to utilise them. You can choose clear pouches or flat pouches if you are looking to show off your attractive products, or go with an extra sturdy option and choose stand up pouches for displaying your products on retail shelving units.
If you would like to find out more about what we are doing to make our polypouches as environmentally friendly as possible, please read our Green Policy.