Landpak BBM IBB YouFam
The International
Group of Companies
A Market Leader in Plastic Textiles

Packaging Companies in Gauteng

Packaging Companies in Gauteng

There are a lot of packaging companies in Gauteng and once you’ve had a look on the internet you’ll soon understand how tough competition in this field can be.  The thing that sets one packaging company apart from another is usually the types of packaging they offer, the quantities, and the price.  Service delivery and convenience are also considerations.

Packaging come in all shapes and sizes and is designed for almost any product imaginable.  It ranges from boxes used by product manufacturers to transport their products, to pallets used for industrial purposes, to boxes used domestically for moving home. 

Sometimes a general design can fulfil a lot of functions – such as a plastic container with a sealed lid, which can be used for multiple things, and in other cases, and especially with new products, or products which are being re-launched, custom designed packing is required. 

While there are a variety of packaging companies in Gauteng who each offer their own range of packaging, these are usually standardised, and these packaging manufacturers will be limited to the production of their in-house catalogue only.  Packaging materials vary greatly, and the machinery and expertise used by packaging companies is influenced by the packing produced.  Very few packaging companies in Gauteng have the capacity and machinery available to make packaging from a large variety of materials, for instance, polystyrene and plastic packaging, as well as cardboard or aluminium.  Machinery is usually limited to some types of materials only, which in turn limits the production of packaging to certain materials only.

Even if machinery is able to product a wide variety of packaging materials, the type and design of packaging can be fairly restrictive.  Certain products are notoriously difficult to make, and other, scarcer materials are not easily available.  Re-usability and recycling is also a consideration for packaging companies.

One of the more versatile packaging companies in Gauteng, the International Group, is a market leader in plastic textiles, and consists of four specialist packaging companies, each of which bring their own expertise and resources to the process of producing just about the widest range of packaging to be found in the Gauteng area.  Their products are largely specialist agricultural packaging, such as vegetable bags, plastic plant bags and cardboard boxes for fruit and vegetables, but their range also includes many other types of non-agricultural packaging such as moulded plastic packaging and polythene piping.  In addition to their already comprehensive list of packaging types, they also provide packaging complement products such as tape, staplers, stickers and other packaging fastening equipment.  Products such as net twine and even washing lines are also produced and packaged.

As food plays such a great role in the world, huge emphasis is place on the safe delivery, freshness and convenience, not to mention sustainability.  Transport of food is imperative and suitable packaging is imperative to prevent damage.  Ultimately, the role of packaging is to keep food fresh, grouped together, free of damage.  Space can also be an issue, so the safe stacking of breakable products, e.g. eggs, is important.

Local food producers turn to the International Group for innovation, good quality products and also a professional service which will help them get their goods to market within prohibitive deadlines and prevent damage as far as possible – in short, packaging must fall in line to fit products. 

Packaging innovation is not just delivered by International Group, but companies all over the world actively participate in developing new product packaging as demands change.  For instance, there is now a demand for packaging in smaller grouping – e.g. two avocados, or four kiwi fruit.  This is better than selling individual fruit from large boxes as (1) the fruit does not bruise, (2) the packaging can be shaped to enable packing without damage, and (3) individual wrapping prevents the spread of bruising or mould.  As a result, there are some fascinating packaging product designs around these days!

New developments include active packaging – which is where the ingredients in the packaging actively affects the shelf life of the food, and intelligent packaging, which will allow packaging to carry out functions which could be considered as “intelligent”.  This would include scanning, tracing, reporting, as well as warning against possible problems, such as too high temperatures.

All of these new innovations may lead to much less waste and hopefully a saving at the consumer end.


Styrofoam Packaging | How Green is Your Packaging? | Packaging
Landpak BBM IBB YouFam
The International
Group of Companies
A Market Leader in Plastic Textiles

Styrofoam Packaging

How Green is Your Packaging?

Styrofoam is a derivative of polystyrene, which is a resilient kind of plastic.  It is made by combining benzene and erethylene, and it is extremely pliable and lightweight.  It is usually injected or blown into moulds or extruded into the desired shapes.  It is probably the most practical, lightweight and multi-purpose packaging material in use today.  It can also be used for insulation, and is increasingly being used as a construction material in modern buildings.  It is even pumped into wall spaces for soundproofing and insulation or waterproofing. 

Polystyrene products have been around for a long time – think for example of disposable cups or the packaging materials of white goods, but the discovery of this valuable chemical combination was made quite accidentally.  In the mid 1800’s, a chemist was trying to make plastic, and made the first version of this material with resin.  He considered it a mistake and abandoned further research.  It was only much later that an organic chemist, H Staudinger, realised the value of this product and continued to develop it into a plastic polymer.  Staudinger won the Nobel Chemistry Prize for this research.  Polystyrene was only manufactured commercially around 1930, and only then the material became available on the market.

Strangely enough, Styrofoam, the most common polystyrene derivative, was also discovered accidentally.  Scientists were actually intending to develop electrical insulation, as polystyrene served as a good insulator, but was too fragile and broke easily. In order to make the material more flexible and strong, another chemical, isobutylene, was pressured into polystyrene, resulting in Styrofoam, which is a lot lighter, durable and flexible than normal polystyrene.  Styrofoam was officially launched on the market in 1954, and it has been used in all kinds of formats and functionalities ever since.

The problem with polystyrene products is that it is not biodegradable, as it contains petroleum by-products, known as EPS.  In a world where environmental consciousness is very prominent, this quite often becomes an issue.  It is estimated that around a quarter of our landfills are filled up by EPS based products.  The answer is to re-use or recycle these products.  Re-using polystyrene products can be relatively easy, but recycling is another matter, as breaking down EPS it can be costly and time intensive.  It is therefore advised that consumers try to re-use these products as far as possible.  Currently scientists are working hard on finding organic and biodegradable replacements for EPS, and these are slowly finding their way into the market.  A good example of this is a type of packaging made from cornstarch, which is non-toxic and can be biodegraded if discarded on landfills.

Large companies are also becoming more environmentally conscious and are under pressure to use less EPS based products, or to provide means to re-use them.  Some courier companies have receptacles where receivers of mail items can drop off their packaging peanuts.  These are then re-used in other couriered items.  Other companies are using materials containing less EPS or alternative packaging to EPS based products.  Some companies even pay for their EPS based products to be recycled.

On an individual basis, avoid throwing EPS based products away into landfill, and try to re-use instead.  Good ideas are to donate it to a local school or craft centre for art projects, or even making DYI home decorations and other projects at home.  There is now a multitude of decoration ideas available on the internet.  Polystyrene pellets can even be used to supplement potting soil for plants.

When acquiring packaging materials, it is wise to discuss specific requirements with your supplier.  The International Group of Companies have a wide range of packaging materials available which included cardboard, plastics, fomo and various others.  In some cases, materials containing EPS may be the most obvious choice but not always the wisest choice and the International Group of Companies may have alternatives which are just as practical but better, and environmentally friendly.  Their wide range of packaging options should be able to provide a suitable solution.

In addition to their products, other products which complement their packaging can also be supplied.  This includes fastening materials such as box tape, staples and staplers, labels and plastic wrapping. 

Make your life easier – instead of spending your valuable time contacting various different companies for packaging, just contact the International Group, who can advise on any form and type of packaging and fasteners.