If you‘re on a first date, you may not discuss how plastic food containers are manufactured. But if you’re a business owner in the food and beverage industry, your mind could be in that headspace. You already have endless decisions to make. One you don’t want to ignore is, “What kind of packaging is right for my product?” After all, it’s not just about what you make – it’s also about how what you make gets into your customer’s hands. The most common food and beverage packaging materials are plastic, paper, metal, and glass. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.   

In this article, we will focus on plastic food packaging. At Inline Plastics, we’ve had our hands in this industry for over five decades and will share what we’ve learned.  

We will walk you through how plastic food containers are manufactured, the pros and cons, and what you should consider for your business. By the end, your perceptions about these products should be as clear as the packages themselves. (See what we did there?)

How Plastic Gets Fantastic: Behind the Scenes of Plastic Manufacturing  

One of the most common processes for manufacturing plastic food packaging is known as “thermoforming” or forming through heat. Thermoformed plastic products are popular because they’re durable, affordable, light, and can be clear.  

Manufacturing starts with raw materials, which are ultimately processed into plastic sheet. Now, imagine heating that plastic sheet until it gets soft. The plastic becomes flexible but not completely melted. It’s then pushed or pulled into a specific shape using special molds, plugs, and presses. Materials conform to a mold shape, like melted chocolate poured on top of strawberries, taking on their form. See it in action! 

From food containers to cosmetics cases and sporting gear, thermoformed plastic packaging can be found everywhere in our daily lives.    

Other Types of Plastic Manufacturing  

Injection Molding 

If you’re looking outside the world of thermoformed plastics, injection molding is one possible alternative. Some examples of these kinds of products include children’s toys and certain automotive components. This technology ‘injects’ plastic into a defined mold. Injection molding often requires more plastic and is not ideal for thinner products.  

Blow Molding         

This process involves heating plastic and blowing air into it, creating a bubble. You can find this type of molding in the creation of items like plastic bottles or buoys. Tooling costs are higher with this process. 

Getting Into Shape: The Thermoforming Process  

There are two primary ways to thermoform plastic: Plastic can be laid on a hot surface to create the shape (contact heat), or it can be warmed up first, then pushed into the mold (preheat). You might be wondering: Why is this important? The answer to that is simple: Products made with contact heat are less expensive than those made with preheat. To see why, let’s take a deeper look at what goes into each process.  We’ll try and keep it fun. 

Contact Heat Thermoforming 

Contact heat works best with simple, less complex designs and tools. The plastic sheet is “unrolled,” heated, and then led to the “forming area” of the machine. The hot plastic is blown against a mold using air pressure and then cooled to keep its shape.  The product is then punched out, fold lines are scored, and the finished pieces are stacked. Voila!  

Preheat Thermoforming 

Think of preheat like baking in your kitchen, but on a much bigger scale. Here’s how it works:  

First, the plastic travels through what’s basically a giant toaster oven, getting heat from top and bottom until it’s soft enough to form. Picture how cheese gets soft and stretchy when it’s heated. Once it’s warm and bendy, the plastic moves to the next station. Here’s where the magic happens. Using air pressure and special tools (called plugs), the plastic is gently pushed into the shape. It’s sort of like pushing dough into the shape of a pie crust. This type of thermoforming gives greater flexibility to add special features. Next, any extra plastic is trimmed off around the edges (the ‘web’) to get the final shape. 

What Happens After The Packages Are Produced? 

With both contact and preheat thermoforming processes, excess plastic is left over once the products have been punched out. This is known as the “web.” This web is ground down into flake, melted, and made into an array of other plastic products.  

The packages are then checked for quality and packed into boxes for shipment.  Bon voyage! 

Thermoformed Plastics Pros and Cons 

Are you at a crossroads? Are you still wondering if thermoformed plastic is right for your business when you’re considering other materials such as metal, glass, or paper products? When considering thermoformed plastic packaging, here are some things to think about: 

The Not-So-Good 

While many areas offer a recycling pick-up or drop-off program, there are still end-users who choose not to recycle these products. There are also areas where no recycling program is offered locally, and there are no federally regulated recycling programs. Due to these circumstances, plastics can end up in the environment causing issues for wildlife, people, and the planet.    

The Good 

• Of the plastic options, thermoformed products use less material. This means that they are lighter and, therefore, cost less to ship, which helps reduce environmental impact.  

• The production of plastic products in general emits fewer greenhouse gases than that of metal, paper, and glass.   

• The production process is highly efficient and capable of producing 400 (that’s right…400) products per minute. 

• Thermoforming allows for the creation of complex shapes and sizes that might be difficult or costly to achieve with glass or metal. This flexibility is particularly useful for custom packaging. 

• Thermoformed plastics, such as PET, can be made highly transparent, providing excellent product visibility such as colorful pre-cut produce.  

Are Thermoformed Plastics Right for Your Business? 

So now you have some insight into how plastic food containers are manufactured. Are you ready to decide if thermoformed plastic suits your packaging needs? If you’re looking for a strong and durable product that can be made at a lower cost and uses fewer materials, then thermoformed plastics could just be the product for you!

We believe in finding the right fit, not just any fit. Reach out for honest guidance without pressure. Inline Plastics is here to answer your questions.