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Fun Facts About Holiday Packages
‘Tis the season to wrap, box, and mail. Ready for a break? Consider these thought-provoking facts about holiday packaging: Christmas gifts haven’t always been wrapped. Prior to the early 1900s, toys and candies were hung on the Christmas tree. 70% of people actually enjoy gift wrapping. 71% of adults believe women are better gift wrappers […]
Does Your Packaging Vendor Live Up to Its Sustainability Claims?
Sustainability is the latest feel-good marketing claim used to reassure consumers about the environmental soundness of their purchase decisions. But what does sustainability really mean for a packaging vendor, in particular? And how do you know whether your contract packaging vendor is actually following sustainable practices? Sustainability checklist Ensuring that your contract packaging vendor is […]
Secure, Visible, and Sustainable: Thermoform Offers It All
Thermoformed plastic has a long and valued history as a packaging material. Despite its widespread use, thermoformed plastic packaging has acquired a reputation for being less environmentally and consumer friendly than other materials. This reputation has been worsened by “wrap rage” — frustration caused by hard-to-open packaging. When done sensibly, thermoformed plastic can still be […]
Does Your Product Need Tamper-Evident Packaging?
Not all products are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use tamper-evident packaging. But recently, consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies — even those whose products don’t require tamper-evident packaging — have discovered that such packaging could preventing product theft or counterfeiting. Could your product similarly benefit from tamper-evident packaging features? Why […]
5 Labeling Trends to Watch in 2015
December is upon us — traditionally a time when we indulge in a bit of soothsaying about the coming year. Throughout 2014, CTI’s Smart Packaging has featured articles on a number of packaging industry trends, such as green marketing, packaging for millennials, robotics, and sustainable packaging. In this final issue of 2014, we turn our […]
Is the Gerber Baby a Real Person?
The Gerber baby — a face seen on Gerber baby food jars and boxes in 63 countries — is indeed an actual person: Ann Turner Cook, who’s now 87. In 1928 a neighbor sketched baby Ann from a photo and entered it in a canning company’s contest. The sketch won the contest — and the […]
Make Way for Flexible Packaging
The days of supermarket shelves packed with boxes and bottles are beginning to fade. Replacing this traditional packaging are all shapes and types of packets and pouches —flexible packaging that takes up less space —both on the shelf and in the landfill. The demand for flexible packaging is growing rapidly because of its sustainability and […]
Is Your Packaging Vendor Food-Safe and Quality Certified?
Packaging is a critical element in food safety, making selection of a packaging vendor one of the most important decisions your company can make. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires certification of third-party ingredient suppliers (e.g., for dietary supplements). When you choose a packaging vendor, you need a reliable way to verify that the […]
What Are the Most Important Packaging Design Elements?
A package’s design is the main element that distinguishes your product from others on the physical or virtual store shelf. Whether your packaging project is for a new product or a packaging redesign for an existing product, these basic design guidelines will maximize the impact of your packaging design: Be consistent — Keep design elements […]
Package Your Product to Appeal to Millennials
There are more than 80 million Millennials — adults between the ages of 18 and 35, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y— in the United States today. According to a recent article on BusinessInsider.com, 30% of all retail sales will be to Millennials by the year 2020. Given the accelerated growth of this […]