Emerging Markets and Industries for Child Safe Packaging
Innovation is something that happens every day across nearly every industry. In a highly competitive marketplace, every company wants their product to be head and shoulders above the rest. Teams are constantly thinking of how to make products better. Remember when you had to lick a stamp to affix it to an envelope? Now, they are self-adhesive, and some would say, even better, you can print them right from your computer at home or the office.
What about the evolution of the telephone? We once had to tell an operator who to dial. And who remembers stretching the phone cord as far as it would go to get to a quiet spot to talk on the phone? Even phone service has evolved drastically. There used to be a busy signal when you called someone who already was on the phone, and not every house had long distance. Now, we can call just about anyone from anywhere, do our banking, peruse social media or check email right from our smartphone.
The clothing industry has evolved not only in style but material. From wicking athletic clothing to wrinkle-free dress apparel, consumers have more improved options to meet their needs than they had a decade ago. Every industry is looking for ways to innovate and evolve their packaging. While consumers may know what’s inside the box, packaging plays an important role in consumer purchasing behavior. Just like the evolution of many products we have used for years, consumers are looking for packaging that reflects convenience, sustainability, and freshness.
Child-safe packaging is seeing great changes from the original push-and-turn lock developed by Dr. Henri Breault in 1967. Dr. Breault’s design can be found on everything from prescription drugs to household cleaners. Modifications of child-safe packaging include blister packaging for both over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs.
Newer designs like Dymapak’s Child Resistant Pouches are changing the future of child-safe packaging. No more are companies tied to a rigid design to keep products out of the hands of small children. Packaging industry evolution is showing more and more companies looking for sleek, easy-to-use designs that meet federal regulations – and many who do not even need to adhere to the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970.
Baby Food
Baby food manufacturers are utilizing flexible, resealable packaging to keep their products fresh and portable. Parents love the zip closures of small snack food to carry in the diaper bag for day trips. Want to make sure your baby or toddler is getting the vegetables he or she needs without the fight? Baby food manufacturers saw that need and shifted their food delivery methods to easy-to-use pouches for little ones to feed themselves. Moving away from the glass jars and stiff packaging also is helping baby food manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint.
Pet Food
Fido does not want his food stale anymore than you do. And you also do not want your toddler getting into your furry friend’s cuisine. Pet food manufacturers are finding that flexible, child-safe packaging is the way to go. It’s easy to use for adults and keeps pet food fresh for your four-legged friend.
Just like those on-the-go snacks are packaged to keep baby’s snacks fresh, pet food manufacturers have moved more toward resealable packaging to prolong pet treats’ freshness. Visit any grocery or pet supply store, and you’ll see many pet treats in flexible, resealable pouches. Add a spout to products like birdseed or small morsel dog or cat food for easy dispensing.
Grocery items
While many grocery products like mayonnaise, sour cream and purees still come in tub or jar containers, flexible, squeezable packaging can be a highly marketable option for these types of goods. Consumers benefit when the pouch packaging offers easy measuring, eliminates the need for larger storage space and reduces the opportunity for cross-contamination of ingredients. Displaying flexible, pouch packaging allows store stockers to put more on the product on shelves.
Dry Food and Meal-Replacement Products
In an age of healthy-minded consumers and convenience, meal replacement shakes, protein drinks, and weight-loss products have become popular. Child-resistant pouch packaging with a resealable zip-closure keeps these items fresh and out of the reach of children. Convenience-minded consumers want on-the-go snacks that will not spill and will stay fresh. Resealable, zip-closure packaging is a perfect option for other dry goods that you want children to say out of maybe not for safety related to accidental poisoning, but for freshness.
Wouldn’t it be great if your favorite cereal company ditched with rigid boxes with non-resealable bags inside? They could instead move to a stand-up, flexible and resealable bag that not only kept the food fresh but would allow for better storage. And consumers won’t have to worry if a couple of bowls of cereal from the unsealed inner bag are going to be stale.
The list goes on for product manufacturers that could increase the value and convenience for consumers. Flour, sugar, cornmeal, bulk dried spices, cookies, chips, pasta, coffee, and oatmeal. The possibilities are endless.
Chemicals for Home and Garden
Food manufacturers may look to zip-closure, resealable packaging to keep their products fresh, but home and garden items need to be difficult for children to access and easy for seniors to use. Liquid or granular items can easily be transitioned to containers like Dymapak’s child-resistant pouches. It is critical these items be packaged correctly, not only to keep in line with federal law but also to avoid waste.
Dymapak’s zip-closure can withstand heavier weights as you would find for products including fertilizer, lime, and soil. Packaging for liquids products such as weed killer can be fit with easy-to-use pour spouts to reduce spills.
Adult items
Cannabis and cannabis-infused products are required to have child-safe packaging, but just like other industries, Cannabusiness can benefit from choosing products like Dymapak’s Secure Pak pouches. Its patented locking press-to-close zipper, coupled with thick food-grade plastic, and extra durable, flexible construction allow for safe storing of products that should be kept out of the reach of children.
Child Safe Packaging Industry Growth
The Flexible Packaging Association estimates the flexible packaging industry to do an estimated $31 billion in sales (2017 data). According to an article in Packaging Strategies, flexible packaging continues to steadily grow and is the “fastest growing segment of packaging in the U.S., as well as globally.” It’s more than 2 percent growth rate stays on a steady climb. And flexible packaging use is expected to grow in the beauty and personal care, tissue and hygiene, dog and cat food, beverages and home care industries, according to the FPA.
More manufacturers are choosing flexible packaging for their sustainability, compact design, child-resistant capabilities, and consumer convenience benefits. In addition, flexible packaging production uses less energy and less material than its rigidly designed counterparts.
Resealable, flexible packaging promotes reuse and consumers are finding more uses and keeping them in their homes instead of tossing them into the trash. Packaging design also offers shipping benefits. Manufacturers are able to ship more at a time with less weight and therefore lower shipping costs. Flexible packaging can weigh up to 70 percent less than other product packaging. Manufacturers are able to save money on shipping costs and lessen the need for more space on freight carriers.
The Future
The original push-and-turn design of child-safe packaging is still in use today, but more manufacturers are looking to sleeker and more innovative designs. Dymapak is leading the way with child-safe packaging designs great for any product that could benefit from stand-up, resealable packaging.
The flexible package industry will continue to evolve as more and more consumer goods manufacturers realize its best uses. Just as you saw the evolution of the telephone, clothing and postage stamps, you’ll begin to see more flexible packaging on store shelves. It’s a win-win for manufacturers and consumers as everyone looks for more convenient, sustainable and cost-effective options.
If you would like to learn more about Dymapak, please feel free to contact us or visit our online store today!
