Plastic has become an integral part of life for most Americans. In fact, it is nearly unavoidable, lest you want to spend a lot of money unnecessarily. There are many reasons why plastic is so favored in the manufacturing industry. For one thing, plastic is cheap and doesn’t require a lot of effort to manipulate and mold. It can be poured into molds in the case of some products, thus making mass production of identical items fairly simple. Another advantage of plastic is that it’s rather inexpensive in comparison to, say, metal. Although it’s not quite as durable as metal, it’s durable enough to be used for most products, and flexible enough to be perfect for packaging. HDPE plastic — standing for high-density polyethylene plastic — is highly favored among manufacturers. Not only is it readily accessible and easily shaped, but it’s often recycled as well. This is another advantage of plastic; it can be recycled, and indeed should be. Below, we’ll look into some of the different possible uses of HDPE plastic, as well as how the products they create are formed. The different uses of HDPE plastic are, after all, remarkably varied.
The Plastic Packaging Market Today
In truth, the plastic packaging market has always been fairly strong. There are many different benefits to using plastic packaging as opposed to more old-fashioned types of packaging. For one thing, this type of packaging can be easier to manipulate, as we mentioned above, during the manufacturing process. For another, flexible packaging encompasses a wider span of products than that covered by rigid packaging. The success of this approach is undeniable. From 2015 to 2020, it’s projected that the flexible packaging market will have grown by an annual rate of 3.4%. By 2020, it will reach $248 billion. There are many different subcategories that fall into the flexible packaging market. For one thing, there is the cosmetic industry, with a packaging industry that has a $13.3 billion market value in the U.S. The pharmaceutical industry also takes advantage of flexible packaging in a big way. However, one industry in particular covers over 70% of the global consumer flexible packaging market. This is the food packaging industry. It makes perfect sense that the food packaging industry, perhaps more than any other industry, would have a need for flexible wholesale packaging. There are many reasons why flexible HDPE plastic containers benefit everyone in the industry — and indeed, everyone who takes advantage of it.
The Benefits Of Plastic Packaging
So, what are these benefits? They’re actually manifold. In the food industry, they may be more obvious. Flexible packaging is needed to package many different types of food, which of course come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. This type of packaging can prevent everything from rot to contamination, thanks in part to the fact that it can be vacuum-sealed. It’s now wonder that, according to packaging experts, this packaging can reduce food waste by up to 1.7 pounds for every pound of packaging. Their ability to hold large capacities of food and liquids also make them ideal for transportation. A mere two pounds of plastic can transport 1,300 ounces — or 10 gallons — of beverage including juice, soda, or water. If you used aluminum, you’d need three pounds of aluminum to transport the same amount of product, as well as eight pounds of steel and 40 pounds of glass.
Flexible Packaging And Recycling
Another benefit of HDPE plastic, as mentioned before, is its recyclability. This is important for companies to consider — after all, 52% of people make purchasing decisions based in part due to packaging that shows that the brand is making a positive social and environmental impact. Luckily, access to recycling of many different types of plastic, including HDPE plastic, now exceeds 60% of the population. This is particularly impressive once you realize that 60% is the level which the Federal Trade Commission has set.