Articles by John Kalkowski

Packaging is ever-changing, with new forms, materials and machinery becoming available each year. That is why PACK EXPO is a must-see event for many in the industry. With this year’s show just around the corner, here is a sampling of just a few of the thousands of products that will be on display.

In today’s marketplace, it seems bioplastics would be the perfect answer. Nowhere would this be more important than in the flexible packaging segment, which faces growing concerns about the use of plastics — its primary material.

Frito-Lay is all smiles about its newest packaging promotion. The Lay’s chip brand is unveiling packaging with 31 inspiring stories across a variety of flavors and bag sizes, featuring the faces of “Everyday Smilers” who are making an impact in their local communities and beyond.

Mark Cook crossed the Atlantic with one objective in mind: to disrupt the U.S. label printing market. His intent was to introduce an original, under-one-roof label printing solution which would streamline the design and printing process to achieve speedier results of enhanced quality at lower costs.

Improving the sustainability of flexible packaging was a recurring theme at this year’s Global Pouch Forum. While pouches are one of the most sustainable forms of packaging, flexible packaging may still face unfavorable public perceptions.

In the last year, as many as 350 brand owners and retailers globally have announced plans to make all of their packaging recyclable, compostable or reusable by the year 2025. At the same time, some of these companies are going a step further by saying they plan to reduce the use of virgin plastics in their packaging — often by as much as 50 percent. 

Across many areas, suppliers are making innovative advances that continue to propel pouches as the fastest-growing packaging segment. Many of these developments are in response to consumers’ demands for more convenience in packaging, at the same time balancing their concerns for protecting the environment.