Materials

Material Experts

The experts at Fabri-Kal will put the depth and breadth of their knowledge into your best packaging answer - beginning with the right material.

The Right Material Choice

Packaging is all about function. And functionality depends upon the right material choice. Our industry-leading materials experts are ready to work with you to find the best material for your application. They evaluate new materials as they come on the market and can demonstrate the merits of every material used in packaging today. We’ll show you traditional plastics as well as next-generation alternatives, including post-consumer recycled materials and resins derived entirely from plants, like our Greenware products.

Whether you’re selecting a stock product or collaborating with us on a custom packaging solution, the experts at Fabri-Kal will put the depth and breadth of their knowledge into your best packaging answer — beginning with the right material.

Learn more about materials below.

(PET, PCR PET)

Polyethylene Terephthalate


PET is clear, tough, and has good gas and moisture barrier properties. This resin is commonly used in beverage bottles and consumer product containers. Cleaned, recycled PET flakes and pellets are used for spinning fiber for carpet yarns, producing fiberfill and geo-textiles.


Resin Code



Properties

  • Clear and optically smooth surfaces
  • Excellent barrier to oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide
  • High impact capability and shatter resistance
  • Excellent resistance to most solvents
  • Capability for hot-filling
(PP)

Polypropylene

 

Polypropylene has good chemical resistance, is strong, and has a high melting point making it good for hot-fill liquids. This resin is found in flexible and rigid packing, fibers and large molded parts for automotive and consumer products.


Resin Code



Properties

  • Easy to color or modify
  • High heat resistance
  • Steam barrier properties
  • Good impact and rigidity balance
(PS)

Polystyrene


Polystyrene is a versatile plastic that can be either rigid or foamed. General-purpose PS is clear, hard and brittle. It has a relatively low melting point. Typical applications include protective packaging, foodservice packaging, bottles and food containers. PS is often combined with rubber to make high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) which is used for packaging and durable applications requiring toughness, but not clarity.


Resin Code

Properties

  • Excellent moisture barrier for short shelf-life products
  • Low melting point
  • Significantly stiff in rigid forms
  • Low cost and easy to process


Fabri-Kal PS Products
(Other, PLA)

Polylactic Acid


Use of this code indicates that a package is made with a resin other than the six listed by the American Chemistry Council, or is made of more than one resin and used in a multi-layer combination.


PLA is made from lactic acid. Lactic acid is made from dextrose by fermentation. Dextrose is made from starch, and starch is produced from annually-renewable plant sources. PLA is clear and strong like petroleum-based plastic.


Resin Code

Properties

  • Strong and durable
  • Bioplastic that is made from lactic acid
  • Provides excellent product clarity
  • Potential to break down into nutrient rich soil


(Plant Fiber Blend)

Wheat Straw


Greenware Plant Fiber Blend Containers are made with wheat straw. Wheat straw is an annually-renewable resource that is leftover after the grain is harvested each year. There is no disruption to the food chain and no deforestation with products made from wheat straw. All wheat straw resources are farmed close to our manufacturing facility, reducing transportation and emissions and environmental impact.


Material

Properties

  • Annually renewable natural resource
  • Naturally holds up to wet, heavy foods
  • Wide temperature range provides versatility 


Fabri-Kal Wheat Straw Products

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