With beverages, packages will be required to avoid liquids from spilling or leaking as well as needing to be hygienic. Then, there will be the matter of efficient packing processes to ensure multiples of a product can be distributed.
In terms of packing the products, we could consider a multi packer to make the task of packing more beverages in less time easier and possible. It is about reducing costs when you are looking to survive as a business and labour time will cost you money. A deadline that has been missed might cost you a large repeat order in the future. Packing lines should work as efficiently as production lines.
We will consider the process of packing in bulk so the beverage industry can benefit from the different packing solutions available.
Beverage Packing Process
Packing beverages is achieved much more efficiently when there is machinery on hand to help with the process. Yes, it will be programmed or set into motion by humans, but then it will run at far greater speeds than any human hand can sustain over an entire day, and sometimes night. Many industrial processes will run 24/7 to maintain supply.
To give you an idea of how fast beverages in diverse types of packaging can be packed, there are machines capable of 1,400 bottles or 2,400 cans per minute.
Types of Beverage Packaging
The diverse types of packaging used in the beverage industry will include rigid or flexible plastic packaging, paperboard packaging, wood packaging, leather, earthenware, textile packaging, vegetable fibres, metal packaging, cans, aerosols, and glass.
The type of packaging used will mean that the beverages are not in the open air and protected from contamination as well as given the best opportunity to keep for longer. Sell-by dates are a problem for retailers and goods must arrive in a suitable time and be in containers that mean they keep well and for as long as possible.
Packages will vary depending on the beverage to be served. Alcoholic beverages will tend to be served in bottles or cans, whereas non-alcoholic drinks tend to be in just bottles. This trend for non-alcoholic drinks, which will allow someone to drive after a party, is something for the packing industry to keep an eye on so that they can always meet the demands of the beverage industry.
The beverage industry benefits from the types of packaging always being suitable for their particular beverage. This can be how the final customer will expect the drink to be presented, be about what preserves the product best, and be about the most convenient way to serve the product.
The environment will benefit from the metal cans and glass bottles that can be recycled easily, compared to their plastic equivalents that are rightly being phased out.
Protective Packaging
Glass bottles must be protected from breaks which could mean lost revenue. Inserts will be used to stop bottles from chinking together. There needs to be something to cushion the impact that may happen during the delivery of the beverage.
Where bubble wrap is used to protect glass bottles, it is recommended that three to four layers be used, and the glass be completely covered by it.
Packaging used for beverages will avoid contamination. Also, beer and red wine are stored in dark bottles, generally brown or green, to avoid spoilage. Glass is ideal in the first instance because it is almost inert and impermeable. There is then no risk of harmful chemicals entering the drink when it is packed in glass. From this point of view, no extra barriers or additives are needed, the dark glass is used to avoid light entering. Bad beer can result from sunlight encountering it. This is because UV light will interact with the essential oils of the hops.
Thinking about the beverage industry and how they protect their product will lead us to efficient packing processes, the packaging suiting the product, and the protection existing that means the beverage will not be spoiled.