These are the packages that caught the most attention in the past year.

By Sam Paul, Managing Editor

Pandemics really shake things up, but the packaging industry is clearly here to stay, simply because packaging that protects, preserves, saves cost and embraces a circular economy is more important than ever. Seeing as it’s the last eMagazine issue of 2021, we took a look at which new packages featured via our website and eMagazines received the most attention from readers over the past year.

It’s no surprise that sterile, pharmaceutical and innovative sustainable packaging made the list, but we also see a growing interest in transparency, accountability, authenticity and packaging that aligns with real-world responsibility — hence the increase in store drop-off recycling streams.

As the adoption of flexible packaging continues on, hand in hand with ecommerce and technology, 2021 shows us that packaging design can play a larger role than ever before. With that said, here are the best flexible packaging products based on reader interest in 2021.

Valvoline Launches Bag for Oil

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Valvoline Inc., a U.S.-based supplier of lubricants and automotive services, announced the retail launch of its newest gear-oil packaging innovation — FlexFill. The patented FlexFill bag aims to make changing synthetic gear oil easier while providing a more flexible and less wasteful automotive Do-It-Yourself (DIY) experience, even in compact spaces. FlexFill packaging is available in two synthetic gear oil grades — SAE 75W-90 and SAE 75W-140 — and can be purchased at various retail outlets nationwide, including Amazon.

Photo courtesy of Valvoline

ProAmpac Launches Recyclable Film for Frozen Food Products

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ProAmpac announced the launch of ProActive Recyclable R-2000F — a patent-pending film part of the ProActive Sustainability product family that is prequalified for store drop-off recycling through polyethylene recycling streams. The film is a polyethylene-based laminated structure designed for performance in cold temperature conditions and can be supplied with a pre-applied recyclable Inno-Lok zipper. R-2000F is available in pre-made pouch format. For additional differentiation in the freezer case, gloss or Signature Surfaces Registered Matte finish options are available.

Photo courtesy of ProAmpac

Saica Flex Launches New Recycle-Ready Packaging Range

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Saica Flex developed a new range of recycle-ready, PE-based monomaterial pouch laminates that offer over 50% PCR materials in its production for non-food contact applications. This development reportedly represents the first monomaterial recycle-ready pouch where virgin resin has been replaced by recycled resin in a rate above 50% of the total weight of the pack. The new pouch is designed to be recycled according to CEFLEX and PRE (Plastics Recyclers Europe) guidelines.

Photo courtesy of Saica Flex

Easysnap Gets the Nod for Air Travel and Cannabinoids

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Easysnap Technology’s semi-rigid single-dose packages for liquid and creamy substances are designed to open by folding it in half with the use of a single hand — completely dispensing the contents in a precise, clean and waste-free way — without packaging pieces to tear, discard or unscrew. Delta Air Lines chose the Easysnap single-dose for the sanitizing gel included in its “care kit” for passengers, and Open Book Extracts (OBX), a cGMP-certified manufacturer and distributor of plant-based cannabinoid products, was selected as the preferred partner for Easysnap.

Photo courtesy of Easysnap

Domino Sugar Celebrates its 120th Anniversary with a New Look

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Domino Sugar announced a brand refresh that will feature an updated logo, streamlined brand colors, new recipes and the heritage of the brand while still maintaining the yellow associated with Domino. Changes include new seals on all products indicating Non-GMO Project verification, as well as a how-to-recycle logo, which informs consumers how to recycle. While maintaining its classic angle and D, the Domino logo now includes "Crafted by Experts Since 1901" to reinforce the brand's story.

Photo courtesy of Domino

MULTIVAC's Plastic-Free Packaging for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

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MULTIVAC introduced full wrap labelling that offers a sustainable solution for plastic-free packaging concepts. It requires one wraparound label to securely seal the packs, providing product presentation at the same time. Standard self-adhesive labels made of paper or renewable materials are used to ensure that the pack is completely plastic-free and recyclable. When compared with cardboard sleeves, full wrap labelling enables very light label material to be used, and this in turn has a positive effect on the CO₂ balance along the entire process chain.

Photo courtesy of ProAmpac

Amcor Launches Dual Chamber Pouch

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Amcor launched a specialty multi-chamber pouch for drug-device combination products. The Dual Chamber Pouch uses a high-strength foil laminate that protects from light, moisture and oxygen ingress to support shelf life and drug efficacy. One side is peelable and allows aseptic presentation and easy access to the device. The second non-peelable chamber houses the desiccant sachet or other scavenging technologies. The internal breathable vent allows gas exchange for the desiccant to maintain a controlled environment within the pouch. The separate chambers eliminate any risk of the desiccant encountering the sterile device and sterile field.  A porous header provides an easy method of ETO sterilization.

Photo courtesy of Amcor

Doritos Launches Limited-Edition SOLID BLACK Bag Designed by Artist Megan Lewism

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Doritos launched SOLID BLACK, a new multi-platform initiative designed to bolster the voices of Black innovators and creators and provide them with resources to continue driving change. The Doritos SOLID BLACK bag designed by Megan Lewis, an award-winning artist from Baltimore best known for her "Blk Women Period LLC" series. Doritos will invest more than $5 million as part of the SOLID BLACK campaign. Changemakers — members of the Black community using innovation and boldness to drive culture and give back to their communities — can receive $50,000 in monetary support to continue this work, and their stories will be spotlighted across all of Doritos' public channels, including its website, social media, packaging and TV advertising.

Photo courtesy of Frito-Lay North America

Renewable Paper-Based Packaging by Mondi

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Mondi worked with Nordic food manufacturer HKScan to provide renewable paper-based packaging for its Falukory sausage. The company aims to achieve a carbon-neutral food chain by the end of 2040. The new packaging is made of biobased plastic, responsibly sourced paper and coated and printed in Sweden to keep transportation to a minimum. Thanks to its majority paper content, the new packaging can be disposed of in Swedish paper recycling streams. Mondi’s solution ensures the Scan Falukorv sausage remains fresh and intact in transportation, and the packaging provides high print quality for an attractive presentation on the shelves.

Photo courtesy of Mondi Group

StePac Launches Fully Recyclable Top Seal Solution

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StePac Ltd. expanded its range of top seals with new solutions to boost the retail fresh produce packaging sector. Its newly upgraded portfolio includes lean and fully recyclable easy peel film structures designed to be sealed onto trays or containers housing produce items such as summer fruits, freshly cut fruits and vegetables and more for on-the-go convenience. The user-friendly films are engineered with StePac’s flagship Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) condensation control technology, rendered with capabilities to significantly extend the shelf life of fresh produce and designed to preserve their quality and nutritional value. Its built-in modified atmosphere properties slow respiration inside the packaging, effectively delaying the ageing processes and inhibiting microbial decay.

Photo courtesy of StePac Ltd.