Flexible Packagingtalked to a leader in the resealability market, Pactiv, about the popularity of slider closures.



Stephen Meli, sales and marketing manager, Slide-Rite, at Pactiv, spoke toFlexible Packaging.

Q: What kind of valued-added features do resealability/reclosability

The slider is one of the fastest growing segments in reclosability. Pactiv is the leader in the industry in slider technology. Pactiv introduced the first slider into the market with our retail brand Hefty One-Zip in 1995. Since then, the market has grown at a steady pace up until the last several years where the demand has increased dramatically.

Q: What kinds of trends and technologies are you seeing in the area of resealability/reclosability?

The most exciting trend that I see in the market really is just the consumer acceptance of the product. Consumers have shown a willingness to pay the extra money for the added convenience of our easy open/easy close slider feature.

With the recent popularity of the club stores, slider growth has been dramatic. As consumers look to save money and buy larger packages, they must be certain that the product is going to stay fresh. Sliders give the consumers that piece of mind. In many cases, the club stores have requested that the brand managers place sliders on their package for that very reason.

Other recent trends have been focused around technology. Slider equipment itself is getting more affordable, simpler to use and more reliable. If a company is going to pay the extra money for slider, they can’t afford to slow their equipment down or increase scrape rates. Reduced footprint has also been a recent trend in the marketplace regarding slider equipment.

SR-T100 insertion machine

Q: Do you have any new products or developments in this area?

Pactiv recently introduced our SR-T100 system (pictured above) that addresses all of the concerns above. This machine is our fastest, most reliable piece of equipment we have. It is also extremely easy to operate and has significantly reduced the required floor space. 

The SR-T100 can reach insertion speeds of up to 130 packages per minute in simplex mode, and 150 bags per minute in duplex mode depending on bag size and style. It is also extremely accurate in placing a slider on your package, therefore minimizing the effect we have on scrape rates.

Q: What innovations in this department is Pactiv particularly proud of?

Pactiv is extremely proud of all the developments I mentioned above. I think the thing that we pride ourselves the most on is continuing to improve our process. Every machine we sell is slightly better than the last one. Customer feedback on both sliders and slider equipment is extremely important to us. We develop the package and equipment to meet the customer’s needs. Pactiv is the clear leader in slider technology and we continue to improve to stay ahead of the competition. 

Pactiv Corp.
847-482-2794; www.pactiv.com