What Is Clamshell Packaging?
Can you tell which clamshell packaging you have in your life? Clamshell Packaging looks like a shell and is made of two pieces of plastic clamshell and a transparent or translucent package connected by a hinge. It can be opened and closed like a clam shell. Some call it a clamshell box, while others call it a clamshell container. The transparent polymer material shapes itself into a three-dimensional transparent display cabinet to display the product it is packaging. The buckle on the edge is to prevent accidental disassembly. Secondly, clamshell packaging is a packaging method that protects the product by the size of the product.
What Packaging Applications Are Clamshells Used For?
In our daily lives, you may see more electronic products, toys, and some daily tools and supplies packaged in plastic clam shells. The protection, display, and versatility of retail clamshell packaging make it the most knowledgeable guardian of product protection in the retail industry.
Application of electronic products:
In our daily life, electronic products such as chips, headphones, memory cards, USB, mice, mobile phones and other accessories are a type of product that is easily affected by the outside world. The transparent plastic clamshell allows consumers to check the appearance of the product without unpacking. Secondly, the clamshell packaging has anti-seismic bumps that can protect small electronic devices from external pressure and avoid shaking and scratching during transportation.
Anti-static clamshell packaging can prevent precision electronic components from electrostatic damage, enhance product visibility, and protect against dust and moisture.
Application of food and beverages
Food clamshell packaging provides a diversified packaging method for food packaging. Pre-prepared food is a very popular fast-selling food method in today’s society. Some of them adopt clamshell design to facilitate the display of food shapes and unique packaging. Our well-known chocolate Dove and Godiva chocolate gift boxes use clamshell packaging.
In supermarkets, clamshell packaging is most widely used for packaging fresh fruits and vegetables, and fruits that are easily damaged and produced in the region are most widely used. Our common blueberry clamshell packaging also uses this packaging. Strawberries and kiwis usually use clamshell plastic containers with air holes, which can not only protect the fruits but also extend the shelf life.
Food clamshell packaging is also used in your daily takeout. Breakfast sandwiches and lunch hamburgers use leakproof clamshell boxes. They not only have good sealing properties but also are easy to stack, which is convenient for merchants and consumers. Of course, some cakes of the world-renowned chain Starbucks are also packaged in fiber clamshell cupcake containers, which are beautiful and environmentally friendly.
Application of healthcare products
With the improvement of modern society, people’s demand for healthcare products has increased. Clamshell packaging can protect single-dose tablets and capsules from moisture and pollution. Some medical equipment tools, such as surgical blades, disposable dental supplies, thermometers, etc., are sterilized by clamshell packaging to ensure sterility. Vitamin gummies or probiotic tablets in nutritional supplements are displayed through transparent clamshells to enhance consumer trust.
According to the global clamshell packaging market in 2024, the medical field accounts for more than 28%, and it is expected to reach US$4.6 billion in 2032. This is a development trend in clamshell packaging.
Cosmetics and personal care products
High-end skin care products such as serums and facial masks are commonly found in our daily lives. They are packaged in customized clamshell packaging, with a gold-stamped logo to enhance the brand image. The Estee Lauder Little Brown Bottle trial pack that you are familiar with also uses clamshell packaging.
Personal care products are packaged in clamshell packaging to prevent leakage, and they can be displayed in retail stores to attract consumers’ attention and increase their desire to buy.
Industry and consumer goods
In life, you can see that tool accessories, such as screws and nails, are packaged in clamshell boxes according to specifications for the convenience of warehousing and retail. The more famous Lego building block sets are packaged in transparent clamshell packaging, which can not only show the exquisiteness of the toy itself but also attract consumers’ attention. In the automotive industry, clamshell boxes can effectively alleviate the impact of auto parts during long-distance transportation.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Clamshells
A. The advantage of Clamshell packaging
1. Strong protection
You can see from the appearance that the full-wrapped design of clamshells can resist extrusion and collision during transportation and is widely used in fragile and high-value goods. In addition, the sealing of Clamshells can block dust and water vapor pollution and extend the shelf life of goods.
2. Good display effect
You can see that clamshell packaging is made of transparent plastic material, which allows consumers to see the shape of the goods and enhances their desire to buy. We often see Lego toys, beauty tools, and other products. There is also some hanging clamshell packaging suitable for hanging shelves in supermarkets, which saves space while increasing the chance of consumers seeing it and enhancing their desire to buy.
3. Good anti-theft performance
When you buy a headset or a smartwatch, you will see that their packaging also adopts the clamshell design. Most electronic products use this packaging to improve anti-theft because the packaging needs to be destroyed to take out the goods, reducing the risk of theft in retail.
4. Anti-tampering
If you look closely, you will see that the clamshell seal uses heat-pressed sealing, which can effectively prevent second-hand goods from being sold as new products, giving consumers a good guarantee.
5. Lightweight
Compared with the traditional paper box + foam combination, the plastic clamshell box is lighter and reduces logistics costs.
The use of clamshell packaging has its advantages and disadvantages
B. The disadvantage of Clamshells packaging
1. Not environmentally friendly
The environmental protection issue has always been a global environmental issue. Traditional PVC/PET plastics are difficult to degrade, and it is necessary to develop new environmentally friendly materials for Clamshells packaging. In recent years, the “easy-tear clamshell packaging” (Pre-cut design) has emerged, which improves the convenience of opening while maintaining protection; some companies also use rPET (recycled plastic) or PLA (biodegradable materials) to improve environmental protection.
2. Difficult to open
Due to its sealing and firmness, users need to use scissors or knives to open the package. Be careful about the sharpness of the cut to avoid injury.
3. High customization cost
If your product is of the corresponding size, you need to customize the mold to mass-produce clamshell boxes. If you are producing in small batches, the production cost will be relatively high.
4. Low space utilization
Since the internal structure of clamshells is to protect the product, a certain amount of space will be unused, which will increase the hidden cost in the transportation cost.
5. Risk of transitional packaging
There are also some groups in the world with strong environmental awareness. Some merchants ignore the value of the product itself in pursuit of beauty and space design, which often gives consumers an aversion to transitional packaging. Therefore, your product should be designed from the perspective of consumers while ensuring quality.
Are Clamshells Right For You?
As mentioned above, medical and health products, high-value electronic products, and high-end cosmetics all use clamshell packaging because their value and product characteristics are relatively high and their protection performance is better. It is also mentioned above that the cost of clamshell boxes is high, so it is generally not recommended to use clamshell packaging for low-cost fast-moving consumer goods, environmentally sensitive industries, and products that need to be opened and closed frequently for trial.
What is the difference between clamshell and blister packaging?
We will let you know the difference between clamshell packaging and blister packaging through the dimensions of structural design and closure, materials and production process, functional characteristics and applicable scenarios, market trends, and innovation directions.
From the difference in structural design and closure method,
Clamshell packaging emphasizes reusability and is suitable for products that need to be frequently taken or displayed. You often see boxes of pastry packaging.
While Blisters packaging focuses on single-dose sealing to protect the contents from environmental factors. It is generally used in packaging that requires dosage in food and medical applications. The sauce packs of KFC, a world-renowned fast food chain, use this packaging method.
Different materials and production processes:
Clamshell packaging materials are mainly composed of PP and PET and are formed by injection molding or compression molding.
In blister packaging, the main materials are PVC, PE and aluminum foil composite materials, and the products are packaged by vacuum blister or positive pressure blow molding through a special blister packaging machine. The most common tablets and sauces in your life are used. And to a certain extent, blister packaging is more widely used.
Difference in application range
We compare the common product packaging in our lives to tell you the difference. Clamshell packaging has high compressive strength and is suitable for the transportation of fragile products. The iPhone charger in our lives uses PET clamshell packaging, which is convenient for display box anti-counterfeiting, while small parts such as earphone filters use blister packaging.
In medical treatment, blister packaging ensures single-dose sterility through aluminum foil sealing, while clamshells packaging is mostly used for dust-proof storage of multi-dose medical devices such as syringes.
Summary
In summary, the two packaging forms have complementary effects for the same industry. Clamshell packaging is suitable for products with high storage value multiple times, while blister packaging is more suitable for the refined protection needs of one-time sealing. If you happen to choose between the two, you may wish to consider their comprehensive cost, sustainability, and consumer perspectives. If you find it troublesome, you can contact us, and we will provide you with a solution for reference.
