What is pouch packaging?

Pouch packaging is becoming an increasingly popular choice by brands due to the benefits and qualities they offer over other market alternatives. They’re a modern way to package products, and whether you’re developing a new brand or you’re looking to refresh your current packaging solution, pouch packaging may be precisely what you’re looking for.

Benefits of pouch packaging

To help you understand why pouch packaging is becoming a popular option, we’ve listed many of the features, benefits and reasons why they’re being adopted. Here’s everything you need to know:
‍

1. Storage - Pouches are usually made from several flexible materials, which makes them easy to store throughout their lifetime. From boxes in warehouses, to supermarkets and even your customer’s homes, they’ll fit in just about anywhere.
2. Lightweight - All pouches are lightweight, especially when compared to other alternatives such as glass or cardboard. This makes them cheaper to transport and less demanding on fuel while being moved around.
3. Easily customisable - All pouch types can be customised in varying sizes, finishes, shapes and more. You can add features such as windows, spouts, euro punched handles and resealable openings to suit the type of product you’re storing inside.
4. Pouch printing - You can print directly onto the surface of a pouch, removing the need for additional packaging inserts to get all of your important information across. Pouch prints are high-quality and won’t fade during their usage.
5. Shapes & sizes - It doesn’t matter if you’re filling a product that’s 35ml or 2litres, 50g or 2kilograms, every pouch type is available in differing sizes to suit different product types, volumes and weights.
   
6. Sustainable - Compared to many other packaging options, pouch packaging is a much more sustainable choice. They can be produced to be widely recyclable and easy for your customers to sort after consuming your product. They’re less resource intensive to produce, cheaper on fuel to transport, and they feed into the circular economy. You can learn more about this by visiting our sustainability page.
7. Protective - Pouch packaging uses high-quality materials that will protect your product from contamination. They’re simple to seal either with grip seal or by heat sealing them, and will help to keep your goods fresh from the moment you fill them, up until their consumption.
8. Easy to fill - Due to the shape and flexibility of pouch packaging, they’re easy to fill with product without wasting any space. Having a high product to packaging ratio reduces wasted packaging, helps to keep the total weight of your goods down, and it can be less frustrating for your customers!
9. Durable -  Pouch packaging is usually made from several protective layers which provide physical durability throughout their lifecycle. Whether this is in a factory, stored in supermarkets, or while in your customer’s hands, the pouch will retain its shape, print and surface finish.
10. Suitable for retail - Pouches are an ideal solution for retail products that stand on shelves or hang on railings. You can customise your pouch to stand on its own, lie flat, and add features such as euro punched handles with ease. Pouches also stand out from the crowd, and will help catch your customer’s attention as they browse.
11. Material & finish choices - As pouches are made from several layers, you have choice over what materials and finishes are used. Whether that’s aluminium, kraft, clear, matt or glossy finishes, you can customise your pouch to match your brand or product being stored inside.
    ‍

What are the different types of pouch packaging?

Pouch packaging comes in varying shapes, with different features and multiple finishes. There is no one pouch that can be customised for everything, so instead, we structure our pouches around some key features and materials:
‍

• Stand up pouch - A more generic version, these pouches stand up on their own and have many customisation options available to them.
  
  
• Spout pouch - These pouches feature a spout, and may come upright or laying flat on their side, making them ideal for liquid or gel products.
   
• Flat pouch - Designed specifically to lie down, such as for sauce sachets, sample products and more.
  
  
• Square bottom pouch - A variant of a stand up pouch. Square bottom pouches have a wider bottom that are often utilised for heavier or bulkier goods.
  
  
• Aluminium pouch - This material provides the look and feel you would expect from aluminium, and is often used for food or luxury products.
  
  
• Kraft pouch - For a more natural feel, kraft pouches look and have a kraft paper feel, and have many customisation options available to them.
  
  
• Clear pouch - These pouches are made entirely from clear materials, meaning customers can see the product on the inside.
  
  
• Windowed pouch - For when you want customers to see your product, without opting for an entirely clear material.
  
  
• Valve pouch - Mostly used for coffee products, valve provide a clever system for expelling gasses and keeping the goods inside safe and fresh.
  
  
• Resealable pouch - If your product needs resealing between uses, such as nuts that aren’t consumed in one session, these pouches offer a way to keep your product fresh while in your customer’s home.

Choosing the right pouch for your product

The right pouch depends on factors unique to your product, brand and the packaging requirements of your goods. There are certain features that are suited to specific products, such as spouts being included for liquids and tear notches for sachets, but most customisation options are a personal choice. If you’d like help choosing the right options based on your wants and needs, we’re on hand to help.

Pouch packaging and sustainability

The sustainability of your packaging is just as important a factor as customisation and usability. Now more than ever, consumers are seeking sustainable alternatives to their favourite products to reduce their impact on the environment. Sustainable packaging is the core of our business, and it’s one of the key reasons we focus on pouches for packaging our clients goods. To learn more, please visit our sustainability page.

Speak to a sustainable pouch specialist

We provide a bespoke service to any business looking to package their products in pouches. We can consult, advise and help you choose the best possible option for your product and customers, taking into account your goals and the options available in the industry. We’re always open to discussing packaging ideas, so please complete the form below to get in touch.