Custom food packaging is a huge industry, and thermoplastic is often the main material used to create these packages. Many of our clients love the light weight, versatility and affordability of our thermoplastic custom food packaging, but also are looking for ways to lessen their global footprint. The good news is that we offer many different eco-friendly packaging options for our clients in food-related industries.
For restaurateurs, for example, you might need custom food packaging that allows your customers to either order a carry-out meal or tote home leftovers. Grocery stores might be in need of clamshell packaging to hold bakery goods and deli items. Food companies, of course, need custom food packaging to hold thousands of commonly used foods such as microwavable dinner, salad dressing, cookies, crackers, cereals, spices and much more.
For grocery stores and restaurants, we can create custom food packaging crafted from easy-to-recycle materials with recycled content or perhaps bio-based materials. For food product companies, we can use these aforementioned types of materials and well as easy-to-recycle thermoplastics and a combination of thermoplastic with paper or pulp or foil. It all depends on your specific product, your needs and your budget.
When it comes to custom food packaging with recycled content, this means that the materials contain either pre-consumer or post-consumer material. Pre-consumer materials are those materials that are perhaps trimmed off during the manufacturing process and never come into contact with consumers. Post-consumer materials are those thermoplastic packages or products that were handled by consumers, recycled and now the materials are being re-used for a new purpose.
For custom food packaging crafted out of bio-based materials, this simply means that all or a significant portion of the packaging was created using biological products or renewable agricultural materials. This can include plant, animal, marine or forestry materials. At Indepak, our bio-based materials are starch-based bio materials, and these can be an excellent option for some types of custom food packaging.
Custom food packaging can be created entirely out of new thermoplastics, and while all types of thermoplastic usually can be recycled, some are easier to recycle than others. For instance, many pieces of custom food packaging are created using either PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or HDPE (high-density polyethylene). These are the two types of plastic that are the most widely accepted by curbside recycling programs, which makes them easy for consumers to recycle.
Every thermoplastic has been designated with a resin identification code to indicate which type of plastic was used to create a product. PET has a resin identification code of 1 and HDPE has a resin identification code of 2. This code will be placed on your custom food packaging so that consumers and recycling centers will be able to see which type of plastic they have. PET and HDPE might be excellent choices for custom food packaging if you are searching for something affordable and easily recyclable.
At Indepak, we also can design custom food packaging using more than one recyclable material. For instance, you might have us create a package that includes paper or pulp as well as thermoplastic. Consumers can then recycle both the paper and the thermoplastic portions of the package. This provides you with a way to still enjoy the affordability and durability of thermoplastic while still reducing the amount of plastic in your packaging.
Reducing is a big part of conservation and another way that we help our clients reduce is through our careful, meticulous design process. How often have you seen a custom package that really was far too large for the product that was inside? When custom food packaging is created, our design team works diligently to ensure that there is as little waste as possible and that your custom product packaging keeps your product safe and secure and fresh while using the smallest amount of thermoplastic possible. Packaging doesn’t have to be oversized in order to effectively store and protect your product.
If you are searching for affordable, high-quality and eco-friendly custom food packaging, give Indepak a call today. We are located in the Portland area, which is a hub of environmental innovation and we always do our best to come up with custom packaging solutions that are as environmentally friendly as possible.
