Keeping today's hot-button “sustainability” trend alive, flexible, standup pouches offer an environmentally-friendly alternative for many packaging end-use markets. Furthermore, the current state of the economy can be reflected by the production and consumption of the standup pouch. Having lower production and shipping costs, not to mention its convenience traits and distinctive appearance, partly explains why standup-pouch use is on the rise among many packagers.

The latest US-demand forecasts from Cleveland-based market researcher The Freedonia Group, Inc. (www.freedoniagroup.com) show that pouches, especially standup types, will extend over numerous packaging markets for a several reasons, including, their aesthetic appeal, reclosable components, portability, light weight and materials source reducation.

Overall, sales of all pouch types are expected to rise 6.1 percent annually through 2012 to $7.9 billion. That rate is 60 percent below the annual growth rate of standup pouches, which is expected to increase almost 10 percent a year (see chart at right). Standup-pouch sales will reach $1.86 billion in 2012, up from $1.17 billion last year, Freedonia reports. Demand for standup types will benefit from the presence of convenience features and the emergence of new applications and product types, such as flat-bottomed, side-gusseted pouches. Though standup pouches are now fairly common, they remain distinctive in appearance.

Sales of flat pouches, which are predicted to account for 85 percent of the overall US market, will reach $6.04 billion in 2012, Freedonia says. Growth will be led by above-average gains for four-side-seal pouches in medical and pharmaceutical markets and food applications. Demand will also be supported by a rapidly expanding market for stick pouches (small tubed-shaped pouches) for single-servings of products such as drink mixes, candy and sweeteners. Stick pouches offer product differentiation and are increasingly used to refresh mature product lines. Improvements in pouch-manufacturing technology—such as higher-speed machinery—will continue to lower production costs, thereby making pouches more competitive with other forms of packaging like cartons and cans.

Food and beverage markets, which accounted for 78 percent of US pouch demand last year, will post healthy growth through 2012. Increases will be based on their solid gains for standup pouches in nearly all markets as consumers continue to be drawn to products that offer the advantages of reclosability, better portability, microwaveability, longer shelf life and minimal food-preparation time.

Iams's reclosable bag for its Chunk Dog Food is a recent example (at left). The 2008 FPA Achievement Award-winning standup is all about consumer appeal with its reclosable feature and eye-catching graphics.

Fast growth for pouches in nonfood markets will be the result of opportunities in medical and pharmaceutical applications fueled by the increased prevalence of unit-dose pharmaceuticals and unit-of-use packaging of small- to medium-sized medical supplies and devices.