Before items can hit the shelves, businesses have to make a choice: rigid or flexible packaging?
All packaging isn’t created equal. While both types have their strengths in certain applications, rigid packaging features several unique advantages over flexible packaging. Here’s an in-depth guide to what rigid packaging is and how to tell whether it’s the right choice for your next project.
What’s the Difference Between Rigid and Flexible Packaging?
Plastic packaging comes in all different shapes, sizes, and materials. However, almost all plastic packaging falls under either under the category of flexible or rigid.
Flexible packaging is packaging that can change its shape during filling or use. It may be made from plastic alone, or a combination of plastic and paper, aluminum, or film. This type of packaging is often chosen for applications that require extra versatility, like squeezable food pouches or roll stock with peel and reseal labeling.
Rigid packaging always maintains the same shape, even when empty. Because it’s made from sturdier plastics like PET and HDPE, rigid packaging provides extra protection for more delicate products like medical devices, over-the-counter drug delivery systems, or for higher-end consumer goods.
When security and protection are required, rigid packaging is a no-brainer, and choosing the right packaging means looking beyond barrier strength.
Packaging Does More Than Protect Your Products
Every interaction consumers have with your product starts and ends with packaging. Because there are more choices than ever, people look to your packaging and can be influenced on whether your product is the right fit for their needs.
Great packaging does more than protect what’s inside. It communicates your story, your priorities for the product, and who you’ve designed a product for. For example, rigid trays make handling sensitive tools like surgical equipment easier and safer for healthcare workers.
Advantages of Rigid Packaging
From pharmaceuticals and food to almost every category in between, rigid packaging provides multiple advantages that make it a top choice for businesses.
Better product protection: There’s nothing worse than finding a package on your porch only to realize the contents inside are broken. For fragile items or products that move through long supply chains, the extra barrier strength of rigid packaging helps provide impact resistance and crush protection, so both you and your customers can have peace of mind that their orders will come in one piece.
Shelf appeal: When people are faced with a shelf full of similar products, what stands out matters, and 54% of consumers prefer rigid packaging for shelf appeal. Unlike flexible films, rigid plastic packaging maintains its shape beautifully on shelves and keeps products and branding visible. Gloss, texture, and custom colors also make it easy to align every package with your branding.
Easy security: Items like medicine bottles and cleaning supplies need to be easy to dispense, easy to close/seal, and easy to keep away from children. Rigid plastics make it possible to add dispensing caps, child-resistant closures, and tamper-evident features that can’t be opened without showing visible damage.
Updated technology lowering cost: Thanks to advances in lightweighting, rigid packaging can be manufactured with fewer materials, reducing costs while maintaining the same level of strength and quality.
Versatility and customization: Despite being rigid, rigid plastics are extremely flexible when it comes to use cases. Countless industries use this kind of packaging to transport products safely. It’s also easy to customize rigid formats with scratch resistance, unique shapes, or extra barrier strength.
Enhanced customer experience: Design options such as ‘easy-open’ and ‘resealable’ features make rigid packaging user-friendly, and dispensing caps on food and hygiene products reduce wasted product.
When to Use Rigid Packaging
If you’re still unsure whether rigid packaging makes sense for your product, ask these questions:
- Does my product need enhanced protection during shipping and storage?
- Am I trying to create a premium brand experience?
- Does the product need to meet mono-material recyclability requirements?
- Is visibility or shelf appeal important?
- Are custom shapes or features like closures or caps needed?
- Is automatic loading involved in transportation?
This is a non-exhaustive list, but it should give you a basis for which type of packaging is right for you.
Rigid Plastic Solutions Built to Last
From custom molding to contract manufacturing, our individually tailored rigid packaging makes a material difference for industries around the world.
Learn how we can help you meet your next project’s needs here.
