If you have bought coffee recently, picked up some meat, or ordered CBD gummies online, we’re sure you have seen a mylar bag.
Mylar bags are the shiny pouches that we now regularly see in packing and they are taking over on the regular plastic packaging like a storm.
The name “Mylar” actually came from a DuPont trademark back in the 1950s, but now people call the shiny laminated pouches as Mylar.
The technical name is BoPET “biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate”, but nobody is familiar with the term outside of manufacturing plants.
What makes these bags different from regular plastic is the layering.
There’s usually a polyester film layer, an aluminum or metallized layer, and a polyethylene layer on the inside.
Each layer has its own ability.
The polyester makes it strong, the metal layer blocks light and oxygen, and the polyethylene lets you seal it with the heat.
Regular plastic bags are single layered and quite permeable.
Air, light and moisture gets through it easily. In comparison, Mylar’s multi-layer ability stops all of that from seeping in and this is exactly why food packaging companies swapped it for products that need longer shelf life.
From The Eyes Of The Food Industry
This flexible packaging was adapted by the coffee roasters at first because ground coffee goes stale fast when it is exposed to oxygen.
To keep it safe, mylar did its job really well.
Consequently, now mylar is used for everything from freeze-dried meals to grains that need to be stored in bulks.
Restaurants discovered these bags work well for delivery and takeaway packaging.
Hot food doesn’t make them soggy and fall apart like paper, and they don’t leak like thin plastic containers sometimes do.
Chinese restaurants, fast food chains and a lot of food businesses switched to mylar takeaway packaging gradually.
Mylar Bags, Beyond Food Usage
CBD companies use mylar bags very commonly because when the light enters, it degrades cannabinoids over time.
The opaque barrier keeps the freshness in it longer than we expect.
Most CBD packaging that you see online these days or in dispensaries uses some form of mylar pouch, often with child-resistant zip lock options.
Coming towards electronics manufacturers, they choose mylar packaging to put sensitive components in anti-static mylar bags during shipping.
Medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, and lots of industries rely on the properties mylar bags have.
What Varieties and Styles Does It Bring?
- Stand-up pouches have gusseted bases and can sit upright on shelves easily
- Flat pouches are simpler and cheaper, they are just two sheets sealed together
Moreover, there are many other varieties such as three-side seal bags, four-side seal bags, zipper bags, tear-notch bags, manufacturers make dozens of options in these bags.
Mylar bags also have various options in the thickness.
Thinner bags (3.5 mil) work for short-term use or non-food items.
Thicker bags (7 mil or more) are better for long-term food storage because they are more sturdy and harder to puncture and provide better protection.
Some have clear windows so customers can see the product.
Others are fully opaque.
Some come pre-printed with designs, others are plain silver or black for custom labeling.
Why Businesses Started Shifting To Mylar Bags?
Mylar pouches weigh almost nothing compared to the glass jars or plastic containers.
A company shipping thousands of units annually saves a lot of money on the shipping when they use mylar bags.
Moreover, the storage space is another factor.
Flat pouches stack very easily in warehouses.
They take up less space in the delivery trucks.
Retailers can fit more products on their shelves when they use mylar bags as their packaging.
The Negative Aspect
Mylar bags are not recyclable because of the mixed materials that are used to create them.
The metallized layer can not be separated from the plastic layers easily, hence, it makes it nearly impossible for them to recycle.
They are also not reusable in the same way glass jars are.
Once you have opened and used the products in it, the bag becomes useless.
Still, for the benefits they offer, keeping products fresh, protected, and looking professional.
Mylar bags became the first choice across multiple industries and there’s a slim chance they’re getting replaced any time soon.
