What locations does Emmerson Packaging service?
We service all of Canada and the United States. We have warehouses strategically located throughout to ensure that from coast to coast, your product is always close.
What is the minimum order quantity?
Our minimum order quantities per product type are typically (but may vary depending on the specifications of your item):
- Rollstock and Pouches – 25,000 PC per SKU
- Box Pouches – 30,000 pc per family, 10,000 PC per SKU
- Quad bags – 10,000 per SKU per order.
As we are strategically set up to manufacture large scale orders, most quotes start with the following annual impressions, but our experts can discuss this more with you:
- Pet food – 1 million
- Frozen food rollstock – 10 million
- Frozen food pouches – 5 million
- Towel and tissue – 10 million
What is PFAS?
PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have long been valued for their ability to enhance packaging with water and oil-repellency, stain resistance, and durability. However, the persistence of these “forever” chemicals in both the environment and our bodies has raised concerns.
Why is the intentional use of PFAS in Food Packaging being banned?
PFAS persists in the environment and within the human body, which is why state governments are taking legislative and regulatory action to phase out the intentional use of PFAS in food packaging.
What changes has Emmerson Packaging made to ensure its products comply with PFAS regulations?
We are confident that our packaging meets PFAS legislative standards. The flexible packaging industry previously relied on PFAS chemicals when manufacturing flexible packaging (like our frozen food, and towel and tissue overwrap films) to give them a smooth finish during production, so removing PFAS from our packaging wasn’t a small matter. One of the initial hurdles was finding PFAS-free supplies, as the industry wasn’t fully prepared for the ban. Since January 2024 Emmerson Packaging has been offering our customer PFAS free products. While we faced some setbacks with products that showed increased haze and reduced gloss during these trials, we have identified PFAS-free alternatives for all our resins and processing aids to ensure we are PFAS legislation compliant. We continue to trial PFAS free resins as new products become available in the market.
Important note: Emmerson Packaging does not test for the presence of PFAS in products. We ensure that we do not intentionally add this chemical when manufacturing our products.
How can I learn more about the PFAS regulations?
If you are interested in learning more about the PFAS regulations, the Flexible Packaging Association has provided a summary of the PFAS regulations today: Fact Sheet: PFAS Regulation for Flexible Food Packaging (flexpack.org)
Does Emmerson Packaging offer sustainable packaging options?
Yes, we have been working with sustainable packaging since 2009 as we are deeply committed to minimizing our environmental footprint. In partnership with our clients, our R&D continuously works to develop innovative and sustainable packaging options that are recyclable, compostable, and/or biodegradable, while remaining dedicated to our own internal sustainability initiatives.
I want to find out more about the benefits of sustainable packaging. Is there any information you can provide me?
We have a Business Development Manager on hand to give you all the valuable information you need. Contact us today.
What can I do to make my packaging more sustainable?
The next step in the sustainability journey depends on where you are. We offer a range of sustainable packaging options. From down-gauging, recyclable, biodegradable, PCR to sugarcane, we have you covered. What makes sense for one customer and package may not be the right fit for the next customer. You can find our product offerings here and get in contact with us today to learn more about the sustainable solutions we have available.
What sets Emmerson Packaging apart from other manufacturers in terms of sustainability?
- We have been producing sustainable, recycle-ready packaging solutions since 2009
- We have been producing sustainable, recycle-ready stand-up pouches since 2019
- We offer a team of dedicated sustainable packaging R&D experts to ensure that you can meet your packaging goals
- Beyond packaging innovations, our manufacturing facilities have long concentrated on sustainability initiatives, and we are SQF level 2 Certified.
- We were the first flexographic printer in North America to adopt ISO 14001 in order to guide the creation of our environmental management system.
- We were also the first Sustainable Green Printer (SGP) in Canada and the 6th in the US.
- Our products are peanut free – and we have complete product traceability!
What is your on-time delivery rate?
We boast a 98+% on-time delivery rate. We’re so confident in our ability to deliver your project on time, we offer a rock-solid New Product Launch Guarantee. If you miss a launch date and it’s our fault, we’ll pay a penalty fee! Learn more about our On-Time Guarantee today: On-Time Guarantee | Emmerson Packaging
Is Emmerson Packaging food grade?
Yes. All our packaging is FDA-approved, and our facilities are SQF Edition 8: Level 2 certified. You can access a copy of our most up to date SQF certifications here: Credentials and Memberships | Emmerson Packaging.
How many office locations do you have and what does each facility offer?
We have two office locations and multiple warehouses located strategically across North America. Our Amherst, NS location is our headquarters where all of our extrusion, printing, and lamination occurs. This is where our RD, Graphics, Project Central, and Customer Service teams are located. Our Belleville, ON location is our Converting center where all our closures are applied and pre-made pouches are produced.
What closures do you offer?
We offer a wide range of closure options for your packaging products. You can browse our current offerings on the relevant webpage: Packaging Closures | Emmerson Packaging or contact us to discuss your options with one of our experts.
What are your lead times?
Lead times are based on where the product is being shipped to, but typically on repeat orders, standard have-ready lead times are:
• Surface print rollstock – 4 weeks
• Lamination rollstock – 5 weeks
• Bottom gusset pouches – 6 weeks
• Box pouch and quad seals – 7 weeks
We will be happy to work with you to meet your lead times. At Emmerson Packaging, we understand the importance of hitting your launch dates. That’s why we offer rock-solid on-time guarantees — if you miss a launch date and it’s our fault, we’ll pay a penalty fee.
Do you make your own film?
Yes, we make our own polyethylene films. You can choose from clear, white, or add visual impact from our line of matte finish PE films. You can find more information about our film types here.
What are your in-house production capabilities?
Emmerson Packaging is a vertically-integrated manufacturing operation. We deliver consistent and high-quality services and products, with premium in-house production capabilities:
• 10 high-speed flexographic presses with state-of-the-art robotic capabilities
• Print width ranges from 12” (minimum) to 65” (maximum)
• Print repeat ranges from 12 1/4” (minimum) to 49” (maximum)
• 10-colour maximum range plus combinations
• Surface or reverse sheeting or tubing
• Computer-controlled ink blending, dispensing, and matching
Do you do HD printing?
Yes, our HD printing provides 4000 DPI resolution (in comparison to traditional 2400 DPI). Our capabilities also offer up to 175 LPI for superior ink lay down and color control, in comparison to traditional pre-press technologies.
Do you do digital printing?
Emmerson Packaging does not currently offer digital printing. As a flexible packaging manufacturer that focuses on pet food and frozen food, we feel that conventional flexographic printing is still the best solution for our customers, given their existing volumes and service requirements. We are actively exploring digital technologies and will deploy them when we feel they can meet our customers’ needs for quality and cost competitiveness.
Do you make your own plates?
Yes, we make our own plates in-house using an ESKO HD workflow
Where do recycling facilities exist?
Each Municipality and County is different, so it is worth checking this information within your community. However, we do advise looking for How2Recycle store drop off opportunities, and Terracycle boxes as well.
Can Emmerson Packaging print in soy or vegetable Inks?
No, soy and vegetable inks are not suitable for all printing processes, this includes flexography. Soy and vegetable inks dry by absorption and/or oxidation (a process by which the oil absorbs oxygen and undergoes polymerization and solidification), and others by cold setting (the ink is applied warm and dries as it cools). The main use for vegetable type inks is in newsprint and paper flyer type printing (Cold-Set/Heat-Set printing).
Are water-based inks more sustainable than solvents?
Inks are liquid with pigment dispersed throughout them. During the printing process the liquid must be removed by evaporation, leaving the dried pigment on the substrate. Solvents evaporate at a low temperature and are more energy efficient to evaporate than a water-based ink.
Why do you use solvents in your inks?
Emmerson Packaging needs to use solvents as flexography inks as they allow for the high-quality printing, at high press speeds, that our customers demand for quality and cost competitive needs. Additionally, water-based inks run and stain frozen food applications. As we serve a lot of frozen food companies, we are mindful of their needs.
What percentage of Post-Consumer Resin (PCR) content do you put in your products?
Emmerson Packaging offers 15 – 25% content. Although 100% PCR packaging is available, the resin does not melt uniformly. As a result, there can be unmelts and gels present, which are small un-melted areas in the sealant film. To minimize this impact, we advise limiting the amount of PCR in the product.
Where does the PCR material come from?
PCR comes from plastic products that have been recycled, collected, cleaned, reprocessed into PCR resin, and then made into something new. An example of products that are used to create PCR resin would be HDPE, milk jugs.
Does PCR print as well as typical polyethylene materials?
PCR provides excellent packaging sustainability benefits, but they may impact print quality and/or film consistency. If the package is a lamination of two substrates, the PCR can be added to the substrate that is not being printed and the print will not be compromised. However, if the specification is one substrate and not laminated, the PCR film may impact the graphics. One of the compromises of PCR is the presence of gels or unmelts which are areas that do not melt uniformly. They will show up as small hard spots. These gels will affect print as the ink will pool around the hard spots.
