Unconventional Packaging Techniques

Discovering a workaround to common problems is always gratifying. Over the years there have been various names for those who find a way to make life a bit easier. Problem-solvers, cheaters, testers, inventors, and hackers to name a few (hey, I didn't say the names would all sound pretty). Whatever name you call them by, they're everywhere. And the world of packaging is no exception. In this article we'd like to address some of the most common packaging hacks and see if they really work, and if they do, how well. And just for fun we'll throw in more analogies than a storm cloud has raindrops. So let’s get started and talk about some unusual packaging techniques.

Boiling shrink bands

Unless you have a professional grade heat tunnel, chances are applying a shrink band to a package can initially be an exercise in frustration. While blow dryers or heat guns are the most common home remedy, they do require a bit of skill. To reduce the learning curve, some people have used boiling water.

Now the boiling water technique does have its strong points. For example shrink bands work best when even heat is applied to the band all at once. Submerging the shrink band while affixed to the package does, indeed, apply evenly-distributed heat. The downside: It's a boiling pot of water, and if you're sealing up a small batch of 100 or so it becomes a bit cumbersome. And if you're doing it late at night after a long day it becomes dangerous. Additionally, if you leave it in too long or your container has a low melting point, like PET, your bottle could end up like a Popsicle on a summer day in Arizona. Does it work? Yes. Do we recommend it? Uh ¦ just be very careful.

Vacuum sealing plastisol lids

Most plastisol lids have to be heated, either by a hot fill, water bath, or pressure canning method. However there is a workaround out there that has suggested simply placing your jar and lid in a vacuum container system and it will seal up your jar just as well.

While creating a vacuum within a vacuum is pretty awesome you might just miss out on a hermetic seal. Over the short term you will have a sealed jar. Over the long term, air may leak into the jar and breach the seal. This is because the plastisol coating has to become pliable in order to create a good seal. The vacuum seal simply removes the air so that outside pressure keeps the lid on. Yes, duct tape will keep your car's bumper on ¦ but you're better off bolting it back on like it should be. Does vacuum sealing plastisol lids work? Kinda, over the short term yeah. Do we recommend it? Depends on how soon you'll get back to it.

Super easy label removal

Sometimes you just need to remove that label. Have you ever spent hours picking at a label? A bit tears off but then there is that thin sticky residue left and now the bottle looks terrible. Hackers have a simple solution to this mess; a water displacer. Everyone should have a can of WD-40 or a similar lubricant available to them. Amazingly these take off labels faster than a dog that breaks household rules as soon as you close the door. Just be prepared to rinse and clean the container afterword. Does it work? Yes, very well. Do we recommend it? If you need to remove a label, then yes!

Do you know of a packaging technique we haven’t covered yet? if so let us know in the comments and we’ll get around to testing it and getting you the results.