When most business owners consider packaging, they do so within the scope of their own packaging needs. On a broader scale, individuals can consider packaging trends that occur within the purview of their niches, and for a good reason—food and beverage packaging trends can differ from those experienced by the pharmaceutical industry, as a start. However, packaging authorities are aware that the packaging industry experiences the overarching shifts and trends you’d expect from a global economic generator. Read More

If you’re a part of the burgeoning craft beer industry in the United States, you’re likely at least aware of just how much this once niche market has grown over the last several decades. However, a look at the numbers shows remarkable growth that surpassed even expert expectations. Read More

PLASTIC IS A PROBLEM. It's something we've known for some time now. Despite its status as multipurpose material that is useful for many applications, plastic doesn't biodegrade and has a tendency to wind up in forests, rivers, and oceans. In fact, in the 1990s, researchers first made the world aware of the plastic congesting the world's ocean — non-biodegradable, single-use plastic more than tripled during that decade, composing 60 to 80% of the world's ocean waste. Images of sea life tangled in plastic netting, plastic can rings, and disposable grocery bags began to infiltrate news segments, leading environmental groups to rally against the use of plastic packaging. Read More

Decades ago, primary packaging was the main concern of manufacturers, store owners, and consumers alike. For the most part, relatively few people handled items before they made their way into the hands of store owners and consumers. However, once the big box store came into play, bumping up the need for distribution centers around the country and warehousing of high-demand products, packaging concerns changed. Read More

Depending on which historian you talk to, distillery is either an ancient process or a very old and revered one. Some suggest the origins of the modern distillery can be traced back to the 9th century, when Muhammed ibn Zakaryia Razi began his work perfecting the art of distilling alcohol. Others place the process closer to the early 17th century, when the first mention of alcohol as a recreational “aqua vitae” appeared in print. Read More

Perhaps more than anyone, craft distillers understand the meteoric rise of the craft distillery industry in the US; the most recent data shows operating craft distilleries in the country at numbers quickly approaching 2,000, a staggering figure when you consider that there were just 57 in 2005. Read More

The beer-making trend since the dawn of the new millennia has been the shift from larger, corporate-owned beer distributors in favor of smaller microbrands. As we move into the third decade of the 21st century, it's clearer than ever that this trend is no longer a trend. It's a significant, grass-roots movement toward more diverse, high-quality beer. Most recently, this movement has embraced the contributions of local and regional breweries as a counterpoint to the distributor-owned national and import craft brands. Read More

Hot-melt is one of the leading forms of industrial glue for manufacturers. The global hot-melt market is worth 7.5 million and is estimated to reach 11.7 million by 2025. Hot-melt adhesive, which may be colloquially called hot glue, is a thermoplastic adhesive. It is available in different forms. Hot-melt is sometimes applied with a hot glue gun, but usually it requires a melt tank and hoses, depending on the packaging and the industry. Read More

Just imagine if you could find a cleaner that had it all– a great degreaser, a wonderful cleaner on a variety of substrates, a non-solvent, a nice aroma, and a rating that makes it safe for use with food products. That is exactly what you get with the Melt-O-Clean. It is a citrus-based organic cleaner that replaces solvents. Read More