FLEXIBLE PACKAGING INDUSTRY IN INDIA

NITIN KUMAR FC IV

WHAT IS FLEXIBLE PACKAGING ?

Any packaging that is not hard and bends slightly while still holding a shape. It can be a bag, envelope or pouch that when filled changes shape.

ADVANTAGES OF FLEXIBLE PACKAGING:

Flexible packaging is the most "source-reduced" form of packaging, meaning it has the least amount of material compared to other forms of packages that could be used for the product. A flexible package adds little weight to the product and leaves little to discard when it is empty.

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

Plastics, papers and metals are the key materials used in flexible packaging products, which are made from foil or paper sheet or laminated paper and plastic layers. Plastics dominate the flexible packaging market because of their properties: they can be modified by co- polymerization and the use of additives to match the exact packaging requirements of the commodity to be packed. About 40% of the total plastics produced in the country are used in the packaging industry. As a packaging medium, flexible packaging accounted for about 33 % of the total industry in 2009. Polymers have an increasing role in flexible packaging.

Why are we studying FLEXIBLE PACKAGING INDUSTRY?

Food and fast moving consumer goods industries are the largest consumers of flexible packaging products; food accounts for 38%of flexible packaging market. Food and grocery market in india is among the sixth largest in the world; food and grocery retail contributes to 70% of total retail sales. Departmental retail is a key driver of flexible packaging in the urban food markets, rural demand is being generated because of unit packaging needs. With a population of over1.20 billion and growing at 1.7 % annum, India is a large potential market for food products.

FUTURE OF FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

Green appeal: eco-friendly flexibles: Recent products are showcasing a number of environmentally-friendly options made available by flexible packaging. National Flexibles SuperEco laminate film, for example, has been used by UK-based organic food company Infinity Foods to re-launch its brand of pre-packed health foods in a package that is oxy-degradable. Cutting waste and costs with flexible packaging: Krafts Foods packs new flexible material uses 60% less plastic packaging than its rigid predecessor as well as requiring half the energy to manufacture when compared to some other container. Adhesives for the packaging market: As laminate and film products seek to improve their environmental and safety performance, laminating adhesives have to keep up while maintaining high performance standards.

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