Advantages of Flexible Packaging for E-Commerce Shipping

The trend of online shopping never seems to stop. As a matter of fact, most of the offline shipping stores are now shifting their focus on selling online. In this scenario, the customers are more concerned about the arrival of packages in good condition. Therefore, it remains highly important for brands to make sure that they use high quality packaging materials to ensure packages’ safety during the supply chain.

When you have to deal with the ecommerce shipping and you need to make sure that the packaging process is up to the mark, you can consider going for the flexible packaging. The flexible packaging is lightweight and it helps in reducing the transportation costs. This is due to the fact that more product packages can be stacked or placed in an area.

According to the survey, manufacturers are focusing more on flexible packaging. A few things related to flexible packaging for e-commerce shipping are worth mentioning in this regard.

Shipping durability and branding

The branding requirements for e-commerce stores and brick-and-mortar stores are different. E-commerce customers cannot see the actual product when it arrives at their doorstep. So design and colors don’t really matter in this regard. All they care about is the product safety.

Manufacturers who ship their products to e-commerce customers mainly look at the trends in the use of flexible packaging. Their main focus is to make sure that the product remains fresh and safe while being shipped.

E-commerce packaging requirements

Amazon and other online retailers require manufacturers to meet specific flexible packaging standards. The flexible packaging needs to be capable of meeting parcel shipping process which is very harsh for the product packages. It doesn’t mean that they subject their packages to such harsh treatments. They just want to make sure that the package remains safe during the transit.

New channel for flexible packaging

Although 42% of the companies do not have specific flexible packaging systems in place, they agree on the fact that there must be a dedicated channel to help manufacturers in adopting flexible packaging as a default procedure for ecommerce shipping.

Since many of the manufacturers are in early stages of implementing flexible packaging for e-commerce, they usually wonder which products should be packaged using flexible packaging and which products need to be packed in rigid and hard containers. The new channels can help those manufacturers make those decisions without any hiccup.

About Packaging Trends In 2019

Packaging has turned into a complete industry as the game is not just about the product safety now. There are several other factors which need to be considered when it comes to packaging of products.

In this scenario, it would be worth mentioning a few packaging trends.

Connected packaging

You may wonder about the term connected packaging. The world is moving towards connectivity in every aspect of life; and this trend of connectivity is also influencing the packaging industry. You may have heard about the concept ‘Internet of Things’. This concept is fully utilized in the packaging industry. Moreover, the packaging operations are now being managed online. The technologies being used in connected packaging mainly include QR codes, Near Field Communication (NFC), radio frequency identification tags (RFID), Bluetooth, and augmented reality (AR). Connected packaging doesn’t only make packaging operations faster but it also makes it very easy to take care of product safety and branding factor while packaging of the products.

Recyclable packaging materials

With customers getting more conscious about the climate and environment, and demand for the use of recyclable materials in packaging process has increased quite drastically. Although the quicker employment of recyclable materials for certain industries, e.g. foods, doesn’t seem a reality, things are certainly heading towards the scenario when it will become a vital requirement for the food packaging industries to use recyclable and sustainable packaging materials.

Reinvention of the boxes

In this era, one of the major developments seems to be the boom in e-commerce industry. More people now seem to log in online and order products and services. It means that manufacturing units have to dispatch more shipments to meet the consumer demands. In which scenario, it has become very important for the packaging and shipments to represent brands. Moreover, this increase in demand seems to have greater impact on technologies, business, supply chain, and packaging design.

Plastic free packaging

Use of plastic in packaging has led to the generation of huge amount of plastic waste. This is the reason that strategies are being made to reduce the use of plastic in the product packaging process. The best solution for this issue is the use of sustainable packaging options which may or may not use plastic but it is the fact that this packaging method can reduce packaging waste quite drastically.

One thing worth mentioning here is that plastic free doesn’t mean complete elimination of plastic from the packaging process. It is rather concerned with the addition of other materials to make the packaging more sustainable and recyclable.

Packaging Failures in Harsh Weather Conditions—and How to Prevent them

Packaging is tough, but if you’re not careful, extreme weather can do your packaging in.   extreme conditions can wreck shipments if you’re not careful. Humidity that leaves everything wet and sticky, including the boxes that cause them to break down and exposing the packaging is one example.

Freezing temps, though it might not seem like a bi deal, can be. it can sue the item to freeze over, the possibility of it breaking growing, and might compromise the integrity of the boxes.

Desert heat is another, not just because of the heat melting the insides, the hot rays of the sun can cause UV damage to some products.

Then of course, there's monsoons. Similar to humidity, it can douse the package in water, and cause it to break down.

Again, extreme weather wrecks things, and if you’re not careful, it can wreck you. but, that’s where this post comes in, where we will go over ways to adapt your packaging, and how to prevent the weather from destroying your hard work.

Materials for Resilience 

There are materials that prevent all of this from becoming a problem.

While lamination is frowned upon because it is not eco friendly, it is a solution. More commonly, wax coatings are becoming more popular, where there's a wax attached to them, coating the packaging so that water and humidity don’t damage the items inside.

Insulated liners are used for when it gets cold, allowing for the heat to stay in. They can also be used with packaging that needs to stay a certain temperature, as it can keep the items inside at the temperature range it needs to be.

Finally, for those really humid situations, breathable wraps are also used too, in order to fight this.

In some instances, UV coatings might also be used, to protect the interior contents, but is oftentimes used with the types of ways listed here.

Weather-Responsive Labels and Warning Seals 

Having various labels that tell you if something is intact, or might have been compromised by the weather is a good thing. Some companies are implementing smart sensors to make this work, but those are a bit expensive.

For those companies trying to adapt but don’t want to break the bank, there are color-changing labels and indicators which tell you whether or not a product is compromised or not. There are also heat-sensitive adhesives which are sensitive to the heat and changes, and with such adhesives, you’ll be able to keep the heat in, and also will make it easier to keep intact. 

Designing Region-Specific Packaging 

A lot of packaging is region-specific, meaning that it fits the region at hand. In those instances, designing the correct region specific packaging is important.

If you’re shipping to the desert for instance, you want to make sure that you have the packaging protected from the heat in an insulated box.

If you’re shipping it to a wet location or a flood-prone area, then utilize packaging with a wax coating on there to make it easier for the item to also be protected.

If it’s going to a place that needs to create a breathable feeling to let some of the humidity out and away from the item, keep the wrap breathable, to protect what’s in there.

Overall, your packaging failures are caused by the inappropriate nature of your packaging. Proper preparedness and protection will stop this in its tracks, making it easier for you to not only keep the items rightfully intact, but will also keep the weather out to further enhance its durability.