What this covers
Flexible packaging is a barrier problem before it is a printing problem. Pick the laminate for shelf life first, then make it look good.
Matching barrier to shelf life
| Structure | Barrier | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| PET / PE | Low | Short shelf life, dry goods |
| PET / VMPET / PE | Medium | Snacks, tea, most dry food |
| PET / AL / PE | High | Coffee, powders, anything oxygen- or light-sensitive |
| Mono-PE / Mono-PP | Medium | Recyclable formats where the market demands it |
Ask your co-packer or distributor what shelf life they need before choosing a structure. Getting this wrong is expensive — you find out months later, after the product has already failed on a shelf.
The EU recyclability trade-off
Foil laminates barrier well but are difficult to recycle, and several EU markets now penalise them through EPR fees. Mono-material structures have improved a great deal and are worth quoting side by side with a foil laminate so you can compare barrier against cost against EPR exposure rather than assuming one is simply better.
Printing and finishing
Flexible film is printed by rotogravure or digital. Rotogravure has cylinder costs that only make sense at volume; digital suits short runs and multiple SKUs. If you are launching several flavours at low volume each, digital is often the cheaper way in.