Current State and Unmet Performance Needs of the Flexible Packaging Market

Kelly Williams, Futamura

Abstract: The future of flexible packaging will be very different than it is today. The way flexible packaging is produced today cannot meet the growing short-run and SKU proliferation needs of brand owners, retailers and, ultimately, the end consumers. New and emerging brands are forcing the creation of alternative packaging and converting channels within an industry that is become involuntarily ‘deregulated’. The result is even more demand for shorter runs which increases market pull for digital as well as new ways of producing packaging. This is happening at the same time that single-use plastic packaging is being scrutinized and creating a large market pull for sustainable packaging. All of these roads lead to the critical importance of EB as a finishing solution.

This presentation will propose how low energy ebeam could be used as an enabler for the short-run flexible packaged consumer products industry. The nexus between digital printing, surface finishing and the large market pull for new ways of producing sustainable packaging will be reviewed.