4 Factors to Consider Before Picking Out Your Rigid Plastic Packaging
We’re all familiar with the timeless adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and yet, there are times we end up doing just that! At least with rigid plastic packaging. The trickiest part is, on looks alone, a lot of plastic packaging looks much the same. It’s part of why the conundrum of choosing the right plastic packaging for your product is a little more challenging than picking out a book based on its cover. Looks aside, the packaging material you choose can greatly impact the durability and aesthetics of your packaging, as well as the safety of your product.
Designers and manufacturers frequently choose clear rigid plastic boxes as an alternative when traditional glass is too heavy or will break too easily. It is important to note, however, that there are different kinds of clear plastics, such as injection molded plastic (polystyrene), polycarbonate, polypropylene, injection molded acrylic, and handcrafted acrylic. And each type has its advantages.
Consider these 4 Factors Before Picking a Material
- Packaging for Your Process and End Product
Your production process and end product can affect what types of packaging you may use with your product. Your first responsibility is to know if your process, product, or packaging must meet any regulatory requirements. If you are looking to store medical/chemical samples or hot food, chemicals, oils, and other ingredients, your product may react with the plastic. It is imperative to know how your product reacts with your packaging before you start marketing it.
- Marketing and Branding
Manufacturing has to work alongside marketing in order for your product to be a success. Packaging can make or break the success of your product because the plastic box is what your customer is going to touch, feel, and judge, before purchasing your product. (Here, it seems, people will be judging the proverbial book by its cover!) Packaging is a reflection of the product’s quality and uniqueness, and is a key factor in distinguishing it from your competitor’s product. For instance, chocolates packaged in a heart-shaped container look more appealing to a gift-shopper over chocolates packaged in a regular rectangular box.
- Colors
Certain plastics look better with colors compared to others based on their natural level of clarity. Storage, placement, and general customer usage are considerations when choosing the type of plastic for your packaging, as circumstances such as prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause varying degrees of yellowness. At Alpha Rho, our products are normally stocked in clear polystyrene, but custom colors or tints can be produced and supplied.
- Plastic Properties and Benefits
There are several different plastics used in food-grade plastic packaging. Polystyrene is one of the most commonly used plastics in our everyday life. It is a form of plastic that is strong, lightweight, insulates better, keeps food fresh longer, and is inexpensive. Furthermore, polystyrene plastic meets stringent FDA standards for use in packaging used to store and serve food.
Alpha Rho manufactures a wide assortment of stock and custom clear polystyrene lid and hinged plastic boxes for food handling, packaging, and storage applications.
If you have a product, we have the right box for it. Alpha Rho is the largest manufacturer of a wide assortment of stock and custom clear polystyrene lid and hinged plastic boxes for handling, packaging, and storage applications in New England.
Click here to request free samples of our clear polystyrene plastic boxes.
