Trends and challenges in the development of plastic packaging materials

With the development of industrial and agricultural production, science, and technology, plastic packaging materials have made significant progress in terms of quantity, types, and technical characteristics. The main properties and characteristics of plastics have allowed them to occupy an important place in the packaging industry. Plastic as a packaging material also has some disadvantages that require attention and improvement.
Plastics possess excellent physical properties such as strength, elasticity, stretch, compression, impact, bending, resistance to folding, friction resistance, moisture resistance, and so on. Thanks to these properties, plastic packaging materials have a great advantage in protecting goods. Plastic also has good chemical stability, resistance to acids and alkalis, chemical resistance, grease resistance, and is not subject to corrosion, which is why plastic packaging materials are widely used in the food industry, medicine, and other fields.
Plastic is a lightweight material, with a density of about 1/5 that of metal and 1/2 that of glass, which gives plastic packaging materials a greater advantage in transportation and storage, potentially reducing logistics costs. The processing and molding of plastic are simple and diverse; it can be made into film, sheets, pipes, strips, and other packaging materials of various shapes using blow molding, extrusion, injection molding, casting, vacuum forming, foaming, bubble formation, shrink wrapping, stretching, and other technologies to meet the needs of various products.
Plastic has excellent transparency and surface gloss, good printing and decorative properties, which help enhance the demonstration effect and aesthetics of the product. Plastic is considered an energy-saving material, and its price is competitive, contributing to a reduction in production costs.
Plastic as a packaging material also has some disadvantages. Its strength is not as good as that of steel, thermal resistance is not as good as that of glass, and it is prone to aging under prolonged exposure to external factors. The application of plastic packaging materials is limited in some areas. Some plastics are not completely impermeable to air, light, and moisture, which can affect the quality and shelf life of packaged goods. Some plastics also have an unpleasant odor, and their internal low-molecular substances can penetrate the contents, affecting food safety. Plastics are also susceptible to static electricity and can easily get dirty, causing inconvenience to consumers. The disposal and incineration of plastic waste pose a public hazard, polluting the environment.
Plastic packaging materials in the packaging industry have great potential for development, but at the same time, they face many challenges. To fully utilize the advantages of plastic packaging materials, it is necessary to continue improving the characteristics of plastic materials and enhancing their environmental performance to achieve sustainable development.