Shrink packaging for hygiene and extending produce shelf-life

With the Covid-19 pandemic still raging across the globe, companies seek ways to improve product safety, increase protection, and adapt to wholesale changes in the way products are bought and sold. According to Clysar, a US-based packaging supplier, functional and protective shrink packaging is ideally positioned to meet these challenges.

Clysar believes shrink packaging minimizes shopping trips as products can be bundled for bulk buying. “Multi-packs offer an excellent way to manage volume and add value for stock-up essentials — those everyday cleaning and personal products that consumers like to keep on hand. Shrink film is ideal for bundling products for bulk buying, store pickup, and online replenishment programs,” the company says.

Shrink films are ideal for adding a sanitary layer of protection for prepared foods and fresh fruits and vegetables, guarding against cross-contamination, Clysar adds.

According to the company, shrink films extend shelf life. “With fewer trips to buy fresh foods, packaging can help keep foods fresher, longer, both in the store and in the consumer’s refrigerator. Studies prove that fresh produce wrapped in shrink film has an extended shelf life of 3-10 days, depending on the type of produce,” the company says.

Shrink films also reduce transport impact. With increased cost and demands on over-the-road transport, companies are looking for ways to minimize shipping space on trucks. Using thin shrink film to overwrap primary packages eliminates bulky outer containers, lowering dimensional weight for lower impact at less cost.

Fragile or thin products like filters for home care, vehicle care, and other products benefit from thin protective packaging that keeps contents clean and protected from handling, damage, dust and grime, the company argues.

Shrink films play a role in shielding school and home office products. Clear, attractive overwraps create a sanitary protective barrier for bundled office and school supplies, keeping books, digital and paper products safe from excess touches and damage from dust or moisture. Ideal for store pickup or online fulfillment, the company says.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, when many offline stores were shut or partially operational, eCommerce played a vital role and offered a lifeline for providing goods and services. Moreover, Clysar says that consumers are increasingly frustrated with disposing of bulky outer packaging, product protection failures, or confidentiality concerns. “Strong, thin, lightweight, opaque shrink film solves all these pain points,” it says.

Manufacturers of high-demand products such as prepared foods, pizza, cleaning supplies and paper goods are experiencing unprecedented demand. Shrink film offers numerous ways to keep output at a peak, including high-speed films that maximize packaging output to supply strategy options like double rolls and efficiency packs that deliver more packages per roll of shrink film and eliminate changeovers.

“Offering the versatility to wrap nearly any size or shape product, shrink film offers a strong, thin, protective barrier for staging, stabilizing, wrapping and fulfilling orders for online, store delivery or curbside pickup,” the company says.