While metals and wood were once the desired materials for shipping and packaging due to their sturdiness, modern technologies have created plastics that are just as strong, if not more in some cases, as other materials while also being cheaper to produce and more versatile to accommodate more uses.
It did not take long for the business world to take notice of the benefits plastics can offer. Currently the market for flexible packaging is forecast to grow from around $74 million from where it was in 2012, up to an estimated $100 million by 2018. The global market is forecast to even reach up to $248 billion at an annual rate of 3.4% by 2020.
One specific product that has become commonplace in a multitude of industries is packaging sleeves for boxes. Here's a few reasons why:
- Safe Shipping: These sleeves are commonly thin strips of plastic that hold the two pieces of a box in place. They're easy to put on and can be created in a number of shapes and styles, while reliably holding its form, leading us to the next benefit.
- Branding: Packaging sleeves for boxes can come in an endless variety of sizes, all customized to the specific product or business. The company can print their logo on the plastic band -- maybe even the company motto -- or any other packaging design they require. Their products can double as advertising.
- Cheap production: Any sort of plastic stretch sleeves are extremely cost-effective to produce, especially relative to metal or wood packaging. The materials used to make plastic are affordable and easy to work with.
With how affordable the process of producing packaging sleeves for boxes may be, the industry is seeing so much success that the plastics market currently employs approximately one million workers as well as contributes around $375 billion to the economy.
Think about it, how many times throughout the day do you use a product made from plastic?