Packaging

Plastics Packaging

UK Plastics Packaging Industry - Profile

• Number of Converter Companies - 1,500
• Number of Employees - 74,000
• Tonnage - 1,600 kts
• Consumption per Capita - 27.2 Kg
• Sales Value - £2.75 billion
• 50% of Europe's food is packaged in Plastics

There are many different types of plastic packaging

Bottles | Crates & Pallets | Closures | Disposables | Drums | Food Containers & Trays | Film | EPS Protective Packaging | Intermediate Bulk Containers

Why are plastics used for packaging?

Several simple properties have made plastics packaging an invaluable material for processing, storing, transporting, protecting and preserving products:

	Flexible... Reducing material used - plastics' flexibility allows for an almost infinite variety of packaging - think or thin, rigid or flexible - ensuring maximum protection with minimum material.
	Lightweight.. Saving energy - plastics packaging requires less fuel to manufacture and to transport than other packaging materials.
	Cost-effective... Cutting costs - plastics packaging is often more economic to produce in custom-made forms and, because it offers longer life protection for perishable products, it also reduces waste and dependency on preservatives.
	Environmentally sound... Saving resources - plastics are prevention champions minimising total packaging required.
	Hygienic and safe... Protecting sensitive products such as food and medicines - plastics packaging protects against contamination and helps prevent the spread the harmful germs during manufacture, distribution and display. Tamper-proof closures give added security.
	Transparent... Plastics packaging allows consumers to see products without handling, thereby cutting down on bruising and other damage.
	Durable and practically unbreakable... Reducing accidents - plastics packaging is shatter-proof. As well as being safer, it also saves wastage from damage.

 

Focus on Resource Optimisation

Contrary to some perceptions, plastics packaging actually makes a valuable contribution to resource efficiency and waste prevention. A recent German study concluded that without plastics packaging there would be some dramatic increase in weight, energy consumption and volume of waste.


Today's plastics packaging is up to 80% lighter than it was 20 years ago. Advances in materials and processing technology has seen the weight of items decrease substantially over the years. Minimisation brings added advantages such as reduced fuel consumption and associated airborne emissions during distribution of packed products. Plastics allow packaging producers, packaging specifiers and packaging users to optimise their resources by cost-efficiently delivering products to consumers with minimal wastage.

The Role of the British Plastics Federation's Packaging Group  CLICK HERE