Design packaging and packaging lines to optimize operations for today and tomorrow
Photo courtesy of PMMI.
As a nascent industry, many cannabis product producers start small and scale up to higher volumes and an expanding portfolio of products. This poses challenges for designing packaging and packaging operations that serve immediate and future needs.
Well-designed packaging can provide shelf impact to attract attention and set the product apart from its competition, meet regulatory requirements, enhance usability, prevent damage, protect freshness, maximize shelf life, and offer sustainable attributes that meet today’s demands for products that generate less waste and consume fewer resources.
Shelf Impact and Functionality
Shelf impact makes the product stand out on the store shelf. This often depends on graphics, color, shape, and size. Sometimes, it involves a tactile finish. To set a product apart from its competition, some emerging brands choose a format that’s not commonly seen in the category, e.g., a pouch package, when competing products rely on rigid containers. Added functionality like easy-open/reclose features or innovative dispensing can also differentiate an emerging brand.
Product Integrity
One of the primary functions of packaging is to protect the product, prevent premature spoilage, and maximize shelf life. This is accomplished by structural design. To confirm the packaging will achieve these goals, it’s important to test it to confirm it will withstand the conditions it may experience.
Packaging providers and independent testing labs can confirm that the packaging will protect product freshness and shelf life. Parcel shippers like UPS and FedEx and independent testing labs, which are certified by the International Safe Transit Association, a formulator of test procedures and standards recognized worldwide, can verify the sturdiness of distribution packaging.
Photo courtesy of PMMI.
Testing must show that the design prevents children from quickly gaining access to a toxic amount of the product for products required to be in child-resistant packaging. A good overview of packaging regulations can be found in The Impact of Global and Local Standards on OEMs & Suppliers, published in April 2023 by PMMI Business Intelligence, a division of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Cannabis product producers also must comply with product-specific national, state, and local requirements.
Sustainable Attributes
Today’s consumers want sustainable packaging and look for designs that minimize or eliminate plastic, use recyclable materials, contain recycled content, are derived from renewable sources, can be reused or refilled, reduce carbon footprint, and/or are compostable. Whatever the choice, the packaging should provide clear instructions for disposal when the package is empty. Third-party certification of environmental claims also should be considered to reassure consumers and prevent accusations of greenwashing.
Packaging the Product
Packaging development begins with answers to basic questions: Who will buy the product? How and where will it be sold? What volume is needed now? A year from now? Five years from now? What certifications are needed? The sixth edition of Fundamentals of Packaging Technology, published in 2022 by the Institute of Packaging Professionals, offers an overview of packaging materials and the package development process. Available in print and digital editions, it also offers information about brand identity strategy and design, closures, environmental issues, packaging law, and packaging machinery.
Once the package structure and graphics have been chosen, the cannabis product developer must figure out how to produce it. This may involve the design, installation, and startup of an in-house processing and packaging line or a partnership with a co-manufacturer and/or co-packer, especially if in-house expertise and infrastructure aren’t in place. According to the CPA, The Association for Contract Packagers & Manufacturers, the contract service provider model has several advantages, including minimizing capital investment and manpower need.
Photo courtesy of PMMI.
If a production line is installed in-house, key priorities are productivity, automation, workforce optimization, and sustainability, according to Transforming Packaging and Processing Operations, another report from PMMI. Artificial intelligence (AI), predictive maintenance, and standardization can help maximize overall equipment effectiveness, or OEE, and future-proof lines.
A vertical startup will help achieve sales, distribution, and profit goals more quickly. A successful vertical startup depends on good leadership and management buy-in plus detailed planning and preparation. Transparency is essential. Cannabis product producers should be prepared to clearly define the scope of the project, desired outcomes, and roles; forge close relationships with equipment vendors, service providers, and contractors; and involve operators as early as possible during the design phase.
It’s also vital to name a project leader, vet potential suppliers for compatible expertise, allocate sufficient resources, establish realistic timelines, be prepared to overcome unexpected obstacles and delays, provide effective training, acquire spare parts, perform a factory acceptance test with the actual product at the desired rate, and regularly review progress. Finally, don’t overlook risk assessment. AI, digitalization, and tools like digital twins can help model how the proposed line works, support risk assessments, and ensure compliance with ANSI/PMMI B155.1-2023 Safety Requirements for Packaging and Processing Machinery.
Cannabis product producers will be able to find everything they need to launch their product and scale up production at PACK EXPO International (Nov. 3–6; McCormick Place, Chicago). Make sure to stop at Emerging Brands Central (W-20049), an educational stage offering 30-minute presentations on product development, packaging innovations, and scaling strategies. The most expansive and all-encompassing packaging and processing industry event in 2024, PACK EXPO International, will feature 2,500 exhibitors offering solutions to many of today’s biggest manufacturing needs from an intersection of industries to 40-plus vertical markets. More than 45,000 attendees from consumer packaged goods and life sciences companies worldwide will converge, searching for innovation, connection, and insight. For more information, visit packexpointernational.com.