When most people think of shipping, they think of boxes. Cardboard containers are a go-to choice for transporting goods, and for good reason. With that said, they may not be the most appropriate choice for every shipment. Plenty of other options are available, all with their advantages.
We have expounded on many of these packaging materials in the past. We even dedicated one entire blog post to the different types of mailers . This time, we turn our focus to stand-up pouches. This form of preservation packaging is essentially a bag with a flat bottom, which allows it to stand on its own. There are many advantages to using them, and we detail some of those benefits below.
Multiple Protective Seals
The most important criteria for any type of shipping container is that it, well, contains. It must open at the beginning, when the goods are inserted, and at the end when they are removed. Between these stages, though, that opening must be sealed so that nothing comes out along the way. Stand-up pouches offer excellent reinforcement in the form of multiple seals.
For starters, the design includes a trusty zipper, an easy way for shippers and customers to access the contents and enclose them once more. The stand-out features of the stand-up pouch, though, are the walls of material over the zipper’s sides. Shippers can use heat to merge them. They can only unmerge with intent pulling and ripping. If opening the pouch is difficult for the recipients, that just means the heat seal works.
Longer-Lasting Perishables
To be clear, stand-up pouches are not inherently superior or inferior to any other kind of packaging. Which one is best truly depends on the nature of the goods being shipped. With all that said, this type is excellent when dealing with perishable goods.
This benefit matters greatly. The shipping process can take a while, depending on factors like distance, weather, method of transport, and more. It is not conducive to certain kinds of food and drink, which risk spoiling along the way. Shippers should strive to extend their shelf lives by any practical means they can conceive.
Fortunately, stand-up pouches are designed with preservation in mind. The multiple seals we mentioned earlier prevent moisture and air from entering or exiting, and the materials used to make the pouch may contribute too. They maintain a good environment for perishable goods.
Clear & Foil Options
On that note, materials matter a lot when it comes to packaging. The composition determines the kinds of goods it can hold and the kinds of threats it can protect against. There are two notable kinds of stand-up pouches that you should keep in mind.
Clear pouches may be transparent, but that does not mean they are thin or weak. They are made from a plastic polymer that requires a great deal of stretching and abuse before breaking. The second type is made with a foil laminate. The idea is that this additional ingredient keeps any moisture in the contents from seeping out.
Both have their differences, but the details may be too technical for a blog post like this. Suffice to say that both are excellent at preserving and protecting their contents.
Excellent Durability
No matter which packaging you ultimately use for shipments, it must be highly durable. The shipping process is rife with threats, from heat to shocks to bacteria. All these and more may cause damage to the goods being shipped. Their containers must be able to absorb, prevent, and ward off as needed.
Stand-up pouches — clear and foil alike — are more than up to the task. As we noted before, they are difficult to tear by accident. They may even be difficult to open on purpose, which is how you know they are truly well-constructed. No amount of jostling will cause the contents to fall out.
Their materials and design also endow them with resistance to other common threats. That includes outside moisture, bacterial contamination, and UV light, among others. Of course, all this is only true when shippers take the appropriate care in the sealing and preparation processes.
Greater Flexibility
Most forms of packaging can only maintain their integrity by maintaining a rigid structure. Boxes cannot bend without breaking. Envelope mailers cannot fold without disturbing their contents. As a result, they must be stacked or otherwise placed inside cargo holds with great care. If they cannot fit, they must wait for the next transport with available space.
Stand-up pouches are significantly more flexible. Smaller and looser objects can be spread around to make the whole pouch slimmer. If the goods are too big or thick, smart shippers can push as much air out before sealing the bag. Either way, you can shift the shape to save some space.
All that flexibility can be extremely valuable when trying to ship something quickly. We cannot stress the importance of this single benefit enough.
Eco-Friendly Design
No one can deny that the shipping process comes at a hefty cost to the environment. All the truck, plane, and vessel traffic alone consumes a great deal of fuel. Companies should do everything they can to minimize impact, especially because customers care about it as well.
Using stand-up pouches whenever possible can help with that cause. The bags themselves can be made from recyclable materials, which in turn means that customers can recycle them after opening. Even if they end up in landfills, they are smaller and take up less space than other packaging materials.
Speaking of size, stand-up pouches weigh less and require less room in cargo holds. That means you can ship more of them with fewer vehicles, and each vehicle needs less fuel to move the same weight. Every little bit counts and stand-up pouches can do a lot for your efforts at eco-friendliness.
Outstanding Stand-Up Pouches at Tigerpak
All the benefits of using stand-up pouches may not count if the pouches themselves are low-quality. If you shop at Tigerpak, though, you will only find the best examples of this type of container in stock. Shop with us today and experience those advantages for yourself.