Packing is one of the most important parts of product or product transportation. Before you can think about moving large quantities of any product, it is important to think about bulk packaging. As a consumer when you hear about packaging, it makes sense that what comes to mind are the packages on the end products. This is different than bulk packaging, in fact, that is called the primary package.
Bulk Packaging Options
Let’s delve more into bulk packaging and the options currently available on the market.
What Is Bulk Packaging?
Bulk packaging is what allows manufacturers to produce and ship all of the products consumers enjoy in their final primary packages. This type of packaging also ensures that the production of consumer goods is safe and efficient. Simply put, it is large scale packing that covers either finished goods or raw ingredients used in the process of manufacturing consumer goods. On average these packages can hold a minimum of five liquid gallons of raw material to as much as 1000 liters. Most bulk packages are also paired with intermediate bulk containers.
An intermediate bulk container is often used to transport large amounts of powders or liquids. They are reusable and can be stacked for large transport projects. Most often they are moved via forklift or a palette jack depending on the size. These containers are either rigid IBC’s or flexible IBC’s depending on what they are made of.
Who Uses Bulk Packaging
Bulk packaging is utilized mainly by companies in the manufacturing portion of the supply chain. It is used on several parts of the product production and may be used by several different vendors along the supply chain. The main four types of use are; transport, product production, storage, and end processing. At the manufacturing level, products are made in bulk and then sent to another company along the chain in bulk packaging. For example, a supplier may create a large amount of a certain dye that will be used in a cosmetic product at the next step in the chain. Bulk packaging will be used to send that chemical to the cosmetics manufacturer. This type of packaging is a safe and efficient way to transport products from one place to the next.
Bulk packaging can also be used to send the finished product to retail outlets or wholesale distributors. This allows for the safe storage of the finished product until batches are ready to be processed and shipped out to other locations. It can also be used to hold finished but unpackaged products until they are ready for primary packaging lines.
Types of Bulk Packaging Available
There are several industries that use these types of bulk packages. The type of packaging used tends to vary according to what will go inside, the challenges faced with shipping, and the various applications. It is important to choose the best packaging solutions to meet your needs. You will need to know if the product is packaged will be a dry flowable product or a liquid. It may be neither an instead be a manufactured WIP item.
Bulk packaging for certain active ingredients and consumable items must also meet FDA approval. In addition to being compliant, they will also need to work with your equipment and that of the next company in the supply chain. Some common options are:
- Bagged cargo
- Wooden cases
- Bales
- Shrinkwrapping
- Fibreboard boxes & cartons
- Barrels, casks, drums
- Wooden crates
- PPEC packaging
- And more!
There are a lot of different things that go into choosing a bulk packaging option. They vary greatly from usage to usage and even from one company to the next.
What can Fortress Nutrition LLC do for you?
Rest assured that you’re in good hands with Fortress Nutrition. To learn more about how we tailor our blending, ingredient sourcing, logistics, consumer packaging, and other services to meet customer needs, and to find out how we can partner with you to ensure compliance with new GMO laws, contact us today.