Zipper pouches are everywhere in our everyday lives, especially in the kitchen! They are found in pantries, freezers, refrigerators, spice cabinets and bread baskets. Less recognizable, they are in our garages as packaging for lawn chemicals, garden fertilizers and pool chemicals. Some consumers get creative and use them as electronics carriers, cosmetic bags, first aid kits or as a place to organize important documents or receipts. Custom zipper pouches are extremely versatile flexible packages and their uses in the household are widely varied and continue to grow..
Zipper pouches can be customized to meet your specific needs. The customization of zipper pouches can include adding hang holes and tear notches, or using a tamper evident design, each of which yields different advantages for your packaging needs.
In the Kitchen
In any grocery aisle, zipper pouches are taking over most of the shelves. As an easy-to-use, convenient packaging option, these zipper pouches help consumers in a myriad of scenarios. Reclosable pouches are placed in our freezers, refrigerators and pantries for because they allow easy access and reclosure during multiple uses. Prolonged freshness was not a typical benefit in the past due to the lack of a zipper in basic polyethylene packaging , or even the use of a small cardboard box. Now, it is very much a reality with zipper pouches. Custom zipper pouches keep dry foods dry, moist foods moist and protect frozen foods from experiencing freezer burn. The materials used to make the pouches are also required to meet stringent FDA standards.
The following applications are examples of popular uses of custom zipper pouches:
Frozen food
Frozen vegetables
Frozen meats
Frozen seafood
Frozen breakfast items
Refrigerated food
Deli meats and cheeses
Tortillas, naan and wraps
Prepared meals
Pantries
Dehydrated fruits and vegetables
Snacks such as popcorn and pretzels
Grains and granola
Nuts
Coffee and tea
Cereals
Drink mixes
Trail mixes
Candy
Dry pet food (dogs, cats and birds)
A big problem in the past was keeping the product fresh and protected as long as possible after the first opening of the package. Moisture is not a friend of crispy, crunchy snack foods and without a truly great seal, such as a zipper, it was a losing battle. Previously, there was a relatively short lifespan for pretzels or popcorn after initially being opened and then, the food would be thrown away because it was stale. The same can be said for breakfast cereal. The bags of frozen vegetables in the freezer were frequently discarded with freezer burn and ice crystals. These situations were common until the invention of the zipper pouch.
The lack of a reliable and convenient closure engineered into the packaging was forcing consumers to either use all the contents at once or come to terms with discarding unused-but-stale products. Zipper pouches are designed to be resealed time after time while maintaining the freshness. As a result, reclosable zipper pouches that allow portion control have been cited as part of the larger, more complex solution to combat food waste. Studies have shown that forty percent of the food in the US today is not consumed that translates to wasting $165 billion annually, 20% of our land and 30% of our fresh water.. We send almost 35 million tons of food to landfills which decays into methane and represents 25% of all the methane emissions from US landfills.
In the Garage
Uses for custom zipper pouches to contain and protect products found in our garages, tool sheds and basements have multiplied in a big way over the past few years. High value items, such as lawn and garden seeds, fertilizers and chemicals that may not be used all in one application are ideal candidates. Pool chemicals are good eample. Other growing applications are large of rock salt and driveway patching material. Residing in a garage, the ambient environment is less controllable and can cause chemicals in powder or granule form that is meant to be dry to pick up moisture. Once the chemicals absorb moisture, they may be less effective in various ways. Granules meant to be spread may clump and won’t be distributed evenly, if at all, using a mechanical spreader. The molecular composition of other types of chemicals may be changed and negatively the expected effect when using that chemical. Consumers that experience these results can easily be persuaded by a little marketing “nudge” to buy and try a different brand that comes in a reclosable zipper pouch.
All Around the House
Zippered pouches can be found in many interesting and creative applications around the house such as:
Computer software holders
Sewing kits
Storing pre-measured dry baking ingredients
Money pouches
Art supplies
Storage of small parts, nuts and bolts
Storing grooming or beauty supplies
The uses vary and can help to keep our lives more organized.
Custom zipper pouches have allowed for smarter more convenient access to fresher foods, convenient protection of chemicals used throughout the home and a convenient solution to storing and organizing small items of various types and purposes. The uses are endless and only limited by our imagination.
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