Your All-Important Guide to the Kinds of Packaging You can Get from a Contract Packer

Contract packing has proven to be an invaluable service for many businesses involved in production and manufacturing, and with the services of a contract packer – especially an expert one – your business can go far. Your contract packer can provide you with precisely what you need in terms of the proper packaging for your products, and they can serve as an excellent partner in helping you fulfil demand. But what exactly is contract packing, and, more importantly, what services can it give you? Here’s your all-important guide to the kinds of packaging you can get from a contract packer – and why you need one.

What it is: the basics

Contract packing is just as the term implies – you rely on an outsourced service to pack your goods for you in the most appropriate way. You sign a contract or agreement in terms of what you require, and they will then pack your products so you can redistribute them. More often than not, once they pack your goods, you can send them directly to your market. If you are a bit confused about the differences between contract packing, co-packing, and contract packaging, you don’t need to worry – they are all the same kind of service.

Packaging services

There are different kinds of packaging services you can get from a contract packer, and this includes:

• VFFS or vertical form fill sealing or vertical bagging – this is where the machine will create the actual bag for your product whilst it is in the process of packing it
• Sleeve wrapping – this process involves wrapping your product or item tightly in polythene sleeves
• Shrink wrapping – shrink wrapping is a common type of packaging where the contract packer uses heat so they can seal your products in plastic
• Flow wrapping – it seals products or items in film whilst the items are placed on a conveyor belt
• Blister packing/packaging – blister packing/packaging involves packing your products with a plastic casing that is already pre-formed, and this is then backed by cardboard or plastic
• Sachet and pouch packing – this form of packing places your products or items in sachets or pouches
• Filling – it is a form of packaging where pre-made containers or packages are filled with your product
• Bottling – same as filling but with the difference being that the packer will fill bottles with liquid and then pack these in bulk
• Hand assembly – simply put, this is where your products are assembled by hand, and it is ideal for products that have an unusual shape or are too fragile, intricate, or delicate for wrapping by machinery
• Coding/labelling – this is where the contract packing service adds labels or codes to your containers and packaging via different methods
• Reworking – reworking is where the contract packer repairs, re-labels, re-packages, or re-tags your items if you have issues with their original or current packaging

A contract packing service has proven handy for various reasons, and one prime reason for their use is if you don’t have the expertise or equipment you need to pack your goods in-house. You can also utilise them if you need additional help to fulfil demand, and they are convenient if you are planning to launch a particular product or are producing something temporarily or as a promotion.