BlisterGuard® Is Here!

Why BlisterGuard® Makes Sense for Packagers and Retailers

Retailers and packagers have a primary common goal: They want their inventory to sell. To earn those sales and keep them coming, both need the products they market to negotiate a number of potential packaging pitfalls.

 It's no secret that packages that maximize appearance, deter theft, minimize costs and, especially these days,  conform to increasingly louder calls for "sustainability packaging" go a long way toward meeting that common goal.

A package for the times

The BlisterGuard® package uses Everest® Safe-Pak bleached board from International Paper in a fold-over or two piece design that traps a plastic blister inside. The heat-sealable paperboard is laminated with a cross-laminated high density polyethylene film from Valeron Strength Films, an ITW company. The design provides up to five times the tear resistance of most fold-over boards.

Pilfer resistance

Many small products can be taken from their standard blister and easily slipped into a pocket in the store.  A number of large retailers are specifically requesting more pilfer-resistant packaging to prevent such losses.  BlisterGuard's design makes it virtually tear-proof - as tough as PVC or PET clamshells - and far more theft-resistant than packages with surface mounted blisters.

In addition, Sensormatic® or Checkpoint® security tags can be inserted during converting, ensuring that any intact package that a shopper attempts to sneak out will set off a store's theft detectors.

Sustainable packaging

Wal-Mart's announcement last year that it will pressure its suppliers into reducing the overall use of packaging materials in an effort to promote environmental friendliness is a harbinger that environmental responsibility will loom larger for all retailers and packagers in the future. There has even been talk of legislation designed to forcibly move packaging materials toward renewable resources and recycled content.

Wal-Mart has developed a sustainable packaging scorecard by which it rates a package's alignment with its environmental goals. That scorecard takes a number of factors into consideration before issuing a grade. The BlisterGuard® package scores high in multiple categories. It can be made of recycled materials, uses far less plastic than traditional PVC and PET clamshells, and can be easily recycled.

To learn more about how the Everest® Safe-Pak board performed in recycling tests, click here.

Graphics

BlisterGuard® can handle virtually any type of printing, including metallic, holographic, embossed, hot foil stamped, offset, ultraviolet and others. Packages can be provided in virtually any size or shape for nearly any type of product. A tear-resistant hanger hole provides peg-mounting capabilities that, when coupled with improved graphics, expand merchandising options. BlisterGuard®, for example, is ideal for heavy products that hang at the point-of-purchase counter.

Costs

BlisterGuard® offers cost savings on two levels. First, it is simply less expensive than plastic clamshells - as much as 35 percent depending on package size. The bigger the package, the bigger the savings because of the greater reduction in plastic used. Second, BlisterGuard® runs faster on sealing equipment than clamshells, so users pick up line speeds and improve efficiency.

Conclusion

Retailers and vendors are looking for more environmentally friendly packaging to meet social goals. At the same time, they want to reduce theft and keep sales rolling with packages that grab the shopper's attention. Packagers have similar goals, with the added incentive to reduce costs and raise margins.

Those goals meet in the BlisterGuard® package. This alternative to plastic clamshells can reduce costs, maintain pilfer resistance, and is flexible enough to be used for a variety of product shapes and sizes. It is also in line with environmental trends taking place in the industry today. It is a format that is gaining momentum as retailers and packagers alike place heavier emphasis on sustainability packaging.

Each individual benefit on its own may not seem revolutionary, but taken together, the overall cumulative benefits makes it a package right for the times. And perhaps the perfect package for you.

For more information on how BlisterGuard® can meet your packaging needs, contact Rohrer Corporation at 1-800-243-6640 x44.

Rohrer Corporation is a licensed producer of BlisterGuard® packages. Valeron is a registered trademark of Valeron Strength Films. Safe-Pak is a registered trademark of International Paper.