Hermetically Sealable Containers — Light, Strong, And Sustainable

By Alec Italiano, contributing writer

The Evertain packaging line from MeadWestvaco Corporation offers a special inner seam, allowing for a much tighter seal than conventional packaging

The shelf life of most foods is prolonged when oxygen and moisture are not permitted to interact with it. MeadWestvaco Corporation (MWV) has achieved limiting this interaction with its airtight paperboard Evertain container. A barrier coating that compliments the special seam is also used to preserve the freshness of the product.

MWV’s new container is attempting to find the perfect mix between keeping the food inside as fresh as possible while keeping it re-sealable and easy-to-carry.  The company believes they have achieved all three of those attributes with the Evertain container. The package comes in a variety of shapes and sizes; the company’s on-the-go version is designed to fit in a car’s cup holder and is easily re-sealable — designed for those Americans on the go who are snacking in their cars as a result.

Another interesting feature of this container that is beneficial to manufacturers is that graphics can be printed directly on to the package, eliminating the need for a label to be added. This is one part of the unique efficiency the package offers. A metal can is about 60 percent heavier then Evertain containers and Evertain stacks better too. This makes warehousing and transportation logistics a little more sustainable as it is easier to store and ship more product at once.

Hermetically sealable packages obviously have advantages. MWV has come out with a product that rivals conventional cans in terms of shelf life, but Evertain containers are made of paperboard, giving the overall package less durability and is more susceptible to transportation accidents. In the long run, MWV has designed packaging that keeps fresh all the way from factory to the consumer’s kitchen table, or in today’s hectic world, more likely in their car’s cup holder.