Rather than eliminating plastic, the current industry trend is to optimize its use, reduce thickness, incorporate recycled material, and improve its recyclability, achieving packaging with lower resource consumption and greater durability.

Why Plastic Remains Key in Technical Packaging

Impermeability and Moisture Barrier

Unlike paper or cardboard, plastic offers total protection against water, humidity, and condensation, preventing deterioration, deformation, or loss of properties in the packaged product.
This is especially important in logistics, export, outdoor storage, or sensitive sectors such as food, industry, and pharma.

Lightness and Lower Material Consumption

Plastics enable the manufacture of very lightweight and resistant packaging, reducing the total shipping weight.
Less weight means:

• Lower fuel consumption in transport
• Lower CO₂ emissions
• Lower logistics costs

In many cases, replacing heavier materials with plastic reduces the overall impact of packaging.

Recyclability and Multiple Use Cycles

Polyethylene and polypropylene—two of the most widely used plastics in packaging—are 100% recyclable and can be reintegrated into new production processes.

Today it is common to find:

• Bags manufactured from recovered plastic
• Reusable or long-life solutions

This promotes a true circular economy, where material does not become waste, but a resource.

Low Manufacturing Impact

The manufacture of plastic packaging requires less water and less energy than alternative materials in certain applications. Additionally, its durability reduces the need for frequent replacements, optimizing total resource consumption.

Intelligent Use of Plastic: The Key Lies in Design

The real challenge is not “plastic yes or no,” but designing the right packaging for each product. Combining plastic with cardboard, foam, or other materials enables more efficient hybrid solutions, with the right protection and the minimum necessary material.

At COEMMO we are at your disposal to develop the most suitable packaging for your product, selecting and combining technical materials—plastics, cardboard, and foams—to achieve the best protection with the lowest environmental impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is plastic always less sustainable than paper or cardboard?
Not necessarily. In many applications, its lightness, durability, and recyclability can reduce overall impact.

Can recycled plastics be used in industrial packaging?
Yes. Increasingly more solutions incorporate recovered material while maintaining their technical performance.

Which sectors especially need plastic packaging?
Logistics, food, export, industry, and pharma, where moisture and protection are critical.

La entrada Plastic in Packaging: Debunking Myths and Committing to Responsible Use se publicó primero en COEMMO.

One of the most common mistakes observed in the packaging industry is using bubble wrap or foam without considering how the product is immobilized inside the container. Bubble wrap can partially cushion an impact but does not immobilize the contents on its own; if there are gaps or empty spaces, the product can shift and receive repeated impacts during transport.

Likewise, when internal protection is insufficient—for example, too little foam or bubble wrap relative to the size of the product or the box—the risk increases that the packaging will not fulfill its primary function: protecting against impacts, vibrations, and movement.

These types of failures not only result in material damage, but can also lead to claims, returns, and a poor customer experience. To prevent this, it is recommended to design packaging by integrating cushioning materials such as technical foam, combined with corrugated cardboard and void-fill materials, so that the product remains immobilized and cushioned against impacts from all directions.

At COEMMO, we are at your disposal to develop packaging solutions that combine the most suitable materials—cardboard, foams, and custom cushioning—ensuring that your product arrives at the intended destination in perfect condition.

La entrada Why packaging can fail without proper cushioning protection se publicó primero en COEMMO.

Weight reduction, the use of recyclable materials, and volume optimization help reduce logistics costs and environmental impact. At the same time, packaging customization strengthens brand image.

At COEMMO, we are at your disposal to develop the most suitable packaging for your product, creating tailor-made solutions that combine protection, sustainability, and a professional presentation.

• Lightweight and recyclable materials
• Shipping space optimization
• Protection tailored to each product
• Customized packaging

La entrada E-commerce packaging trends: sustainability and customization se publicó primero en COEMMO.