Dairies and cheesemakers often choose rigid containers to set products apart from the competition and meet sustainability targets. And new rigid container offerings can help dairy processors enhance shelf impact, sustainability and convenience.
Numerous processors of drinkable yogurts, other ready-to-drink (RTD) dairy beverages and RTD nondairy beverages rely on blow-molded bottles for their products. In many cases, these bottles are produced elsewhere and delivered to the processing facilities.
Distinctively shaped rigid packaging commands attention at retail. But distinctive shapes also can add functionality or project a certain desired image.
Sustainable dairy packaging is nothing new. Lightweighting, or source reduction, remains an ongoing process. Container wall thickness is reduced and flexible structures are down-gauged. Source reduction not only conserves resources, but also cuts costs and carbon footprint.
The 2017 Pack Expo gives dairy processors information on the latest packaging and processing trends and innovations.
September 11, 2017
Pack Expo International, hosted by PMMI, Reston, Va., is headed to the Las Vegas Convention Center Sept. 25 through 27. The event is expecting 30,000 attendees, including 5,000 international visitors from more than 125 countries, combined with 2,000-plus exhibiting companies. It will span over 800,000 net square feet of exhibit floor. In addition, this year the inaugural Healthcare Packaging Expo will be co-located with Pack Expo.
Although bottles, cartons and tubs are widely used, flexible plastic packaging dominates in the global dairy industry. With a market share of more than 27%, it owns a larger share than rigid plastic, paper/paperboard, glass or metal packaging, according to Global Dairy Packaging Market 2016-2020, a report from London-based Technavio.