-
Product presentation: Bag In Box
In packaging, a Bag-in-Box or BiB is a type of container for the storage and transportation of liquids. It consists of a strong bladder (or plastic bag), usually made of several layers of metallised film or other plastics, seated inside a corrugated fiberboard box. The bag is supplied to the 'filler' as an empty pre made bag. The 'filler' then generally removes the tap, fills the bag and then replaces the tap.
The bags are available as singles for semi-automatic machines or as web bags, where the bags have perforations between each one. These are used on automated filling systems where the bag is separated on line either before the bag is automatically filled or after. There is now a technology available called FSF (Form Seal Fill) and pioneered by Scholle where equipment is supplied to the filler who manufactures the bags on-line from reels of film, then the FlexiTap is inserted then filled on the Scholle line.
The first commercial Bag-in-Box was invented by William R. Scholle in 1955 for the safe transportation and dispensing of battery acid. Scholle Packaging is still the worldwide leading Bag-In-Box manufacturer to this day with manufacturing facilities spread around the world.
The BiB has many common commercial applications. The most ubiquitous uses of BiBs by commercial users are to supply syrup to soft drink fountains and to dispense bulk supplied condiments such as ketchup or mustard in the foodservice context. And BiB technology is still used for its original application of dispensing sulfuric acid for filling lead-acid batteries in garages and dealerships. BiBs have also been implemented for consumer applications like box wine.
For consumer applications like box wine, there is a tap already present on the bag, so all the consumer has to do is locate the tap on the outside of the box.
After the contents are exhausted, the box and bag within are typically discarded rather than refilled, although both bag and box are fully recyclable.
Advantages
Bag in a box packaging is liked by producers because it is inexpensive. Seen from the environmental perspective, a bag also has benefits. The bag allows a contents of 3-1000l, so that less packaging or labelling is required. The material it is made from is lighter than the alternatives, which reduces pollution caused by transport.