This is the classic battle. Both contenders have die-hard supporters who would go to any length to prove their packaging method is superior. Supporters of plastic containers will argue their packaging method is more robust because of its thickness. Pouch lovers and supporters will retort by saying their stand up pouches are more elastic and still sufficiently strong to protect the packaged material. They will argue about a thousand more things – never agreeing to a single point. It is to put out this fight over which packaging method is better, that we are holding stand up pouches against plastic containers on three criteria. We hope that after going through these you will be in a better position to decide which packaging method suits your needs more:

(1) Cost of manufacturing

It costs between 15 and 20 cents to make a custom printed plastic pouch. These pouches have the lowest run as compared to other packaging methods. Small businesses that do not need to ship many products can easily afford them. A plastic container costs between 35 and 50 cents apiece. Their minimum run is more than stand up bags, therefore they cost more to the buyer. Small businesses may struggle to invest in them.

(2) Protection

Jars, bottles, and other plastic containers are usually thicker, so they provide better protection against unexpected blows and physical wear and tear. They are also a strong barrier against environmental factors. Stand up pouches are thinner and less robust. They are made up by gluing together several layers of plastic. These layers provide ample protection during transport and handling. They also protect the pouches against humidity, dust, and a range of other environmental factors.

(3) Attractive

Attractiveness depends from person to person, but there are some features that apply to all packaging media. Plastic containers can be made to look like dinosaurs or any other thing that happens to strike the fantasy of the designer. We will not comment on how usable these designs are going to be. But they are bound to get the attention to a customer walking in a supermarket. Stand up pouches have only a few shape options, but they offer a rich collection of surface designs – where plastic jars stand no chance. Stand up pouches offer several areas to place ads and product information. Their printing real estate is large enough to allow an artist to let his imagination run wild, and make the pouches more attractive.

Due to their low cost and ease of use, it can be safely said that standup pouches are better than other packaging methods.