2023 Digital Buyers' Guide - 14

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Evolving Consumer and Retailer Packaging Preferences
Consumers have traditionally based
their purchasing decisions primarily on
brand preference, quality, and cost.
More recently, they have added a new
factor into the equation: the level of
sustainability of the product's packaging.
According to a January 2023 report
by Ipsos, a global market research firm,
72% of shoppers are influenced by the
packaging of a product; two-thirds
indicated the materials used to package
a product had impacted their decision.
Most food manufacturers have seen this
trend evolving through the years as these
figures provide further validation of the
ongoing shift in buying habits.
In response, larger retailers are pushing
brands, as well as their processing and
packaging suppliers, to offer more
sustainable packaging options to sell in
their stores. According to the National
Retail Federation, the world's largest
retail trade association, retailers are
encouraging their suppliers to increase
the use of more environmentally
preferable packaging made from recycled
or plant-based materials and to design
packaging that is easier to reuse, recycle,
or compost. Additionally, it advocates for
shrinking the size of packaging to reduce
the amount of needed material.
Ossid (www.ossid.com), a North
Carolina-based food packaging OEM,
is answering the call by developing
machinery that runs a variety of
sustainable packaging styles to meet
these ever-changing industry trends.
One such style that continues to grow
in popularity is tray-less packaging.
This option has steadily become a go-to
option for produce. This is an important
shift as produce manufacturers have
generally embraced the tray overwrap
style. Tray overwrap is a cost-effective
tuck-and-fold application type that
produces tightly wrapped case-ready
packages that are easy for consumers to
handle and keep produce fresh.
Ossid's tray packaging portfolio includes
a wide range of machinery including
tuck-and-fold style tray overwrapping.
Tuck and Fold is ideal for packaging fresh
produce such as peppers, cucumbers,
corn, tomatoes, and many other fruits
and vegetables. Ossid's 500Si, for
example, produces up to 120 retailready
packages a minute and can run a
multitude of different film materials, tray
sizes, as well as sustainable films and trays
including fully recyclable, mono-material,
compostable, and biodegradable. With
years of proven performance, there is no
doubt that tray overwrap is here to stay.
An alternative option for retailers
that are looking to reduce material
use is tray-less packaging using a flow
wrapping machine. Flow wrappers are
simple in design and produce a strong
package and seal to preserve freshness.
They work by collating products into a
single lane for entry into the machine.
Film encapsulates the product, folding
around it to seal both sides. Flow
wrappers are ideal for individual or multipack
quantities of fruit and vegetables.
The Reepack ReeFlow 50 flow wrapper
is a perfect solution to run trayless
produce packaging as it can handle a
wide variety of products with different
films. The ReeFlow 50 is available in
standard or wide widths and top or
bottom sealing configurations. It can
produce up to 250 packages per minute,
has a compact footprint to fit into tight
spaces, and its stainless steel design is
perfect for washdown environments.
For those small-to-medium sized food
manufacturers looking to introduce
automation into their end-of-line
packaging operations, Ossid's 500Li tray
overwrapper is an option to evaluate.
The 500Li is aimed at those who are
looking to upgrade their manually reliant
operations with a level of automation that
produces up to 60 packages per minute.
An attractive feature of the 500Li is its
cost-competitive price point. It is designed
for the customer looking to embark on their
first foray into automating their packaging
operations. But do not let the price point
deceive you. The 500Li still comes with
the engineering quality of Ossid's higher
capacity tray overwrapping machines but
offered in a more streamlined option. The
machine's small footprint makes it ideal
for space-constrained environments,
and users can achieve additional line
efficiencies when pairing, for example,
with an Ossid Weigh Price Labeler.
Ossid's versatile lineup of flow and
tray overwrapping equipment gives you
options to select the right solution to
grow with your needs. Whether you are
looking to expand your offerings with
more sustainable packaging, achieve
greater speeds and higher efficiencies,
take an initial step into automation, or
a combination of all three, Ossid is well
positioned to partner with you as your
needs evolve!
https://www.ossid.com/
2023 Digital Buyers' Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2023 Digital Buyers' Guide
