Empowering eco-friendly packaging at Pack Expo!

After a lengthy period of virtual meetups, digital networking, and connections crashing halfway through a presentation, 2022 was the year we finally got back to business in person. And we’ve been lucky enough to attend numerous conferences this year!

In October, we travelled to Chicago to speak at the prestigious packaging event, Pack Expo. This conference brings together some of the world’s brightest minds within packaging manufacturing – allowing us to connect with packaging pros across a multitude of markets and locations.

Greg Wright, our Vice President of Sales and Marketing, took to the stage at this year’s comeback conference to share insights into the ways that innovation surrounding sustainable packaging is impacting quality control. Within his presentation, Greg shared exclusive data from our sustainability report – a research project that gathered thoughts from packaging professionals across a multitude of industries!

Access ‘2022 Global Outlook of Sustainable Packaging’ here!

Packaging promises for the future…

Did you know that 71% of packaging decision makers say that quality control is made more difficult when dealing with sustainable packaging? Greg shared findings like this with a packed room full of industry experts eager to hear about our findings into the future of eco-friendly packaging testing. So much so, many of them were on their feet as only standing room was available once he started sharing these nuggets of inspiration!

Our report surveyed 255 packaging decision makers across a wealth of industries, including flexible packaging, food, medical, pharmaceutical, inks and coatings, and beverage. And we uncovered challenges, concerns, and opportunities within many areas of the testing process.

Sourcing constraints was a big topic that Greg discussed during the event – that’s because 59% of respondents told us that they expect sourcing to be an issue for the next five years. He also shared data around testing standards – an area that raised many questions within the research. Almost half (49%) of those surveyed selected testing standards as one of the top challenges associated with green packaging.

Our report also explored the materials most affected – flexible paper and fiberboard were found to be the most widely used sustainable packaging materials, replacing plastics (65%), paper (39%), and foils (38%). We also shared details into the testing applications proving the most difficult – you can find all of this information and much more in our exclusive report!

Delivering the ultimate package

Attendees at Pack Expo spanned multiple end markets, and one topic that generated a great amount of conversation was the nuances within flexible packaging. Sustainability is clearly a hot topic when it comes to packaging, as evidenced by the research Greg presented on the day. But there are other factors that are generating a shift in attitudes when it comes to delivering the perfect package.

Food safety is a critical concern for many manufacturers. It’s possibly the biggest reason that test and inspection solutions within flexible packaging are so important. According to our previously mentioned report, the top challenge associated with sustainable packaging was optimizing material performance to protect goods (53%).

And across the board, raw materials are creating a barrier. From cost, to performance, to sourcing issues, right now this area of the flexible packaging supply chain is being met with numerous obstacles.

In particular, the increasing cost of raw materials can be problematic towards ensuring quality. That’s because within many quality control environments, as the cost of raw materials rises, the funds to afford these essential components need to be found elsewhere. And often this budget is re-allocated from the quality control area.

But in order to protect food safety and create the ultimate package for your consumers, testing is critical.

From leak detection, to seal integrity, to density testing, to inks and coatings testing, and to permeation testing, we’ve got you covered.

Our guidebook, ‘The journey to the ultimate package’ offers all the steps you need to take to ensure packaging integrity. You can view this here and access exclusive expert insights today!

Your test and inspection partner

As your packaging, product, and material test and inspection partner, we’re here to ensure the integrity of your finished package. Allowing you to confidently create a product that your consumers can enjoy in a way that’s safe and secure.

To find out more about the array of solutions available at Industrial Physics, just get in touch! A member of our team will happily speak to you about the best available instrument for you.