In various B2C sectors, ensuring consumer safety is paramount when it comes to making packaging decisions.

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Whether dealing with pharmaceuticals, cannabis, dry goods, or household cleaning products, accidental ingestion or contact with a product can lead to severe consequences, including injury, illness, or even death, especially concerning children.

Responsible brands not only implement child-resistant packaging as a standard practice but also comply with regulatory requirements aimed at child safety.

Here’s a comprehensive guide on child-resistant packaging to help market your product safely, providing peace of mind to your customers.

 

Defining Child-Resistant Packaging

For products that pose potential harm to children, child-resistant packaging is crucial. This specialized packaging minimizes the risk of accidental ingestion by children aged five and under.

Such packaging is engineered to make it significantly harder for young children, who lack the motor skills or strength of adults, to access the contents. Multiple movements or varying pressures often needed to open these packages serve as deterrents.

Examples include pull tab press-to-close zippers, thumb pocket zip-seals, and pinch-style closures. Push-and-twist safety caps are perhaps the most well-known, often used for medications.

 

The Evolution of Child-Resistant Packaging

Though we now take child-resistant packaging for granted, its mandatory use has a relatively short history.

Prompted by a wave of child poisonings, the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA) was enacted in 1970 to reduce the risks to children under five. This legislation empowered the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to regulate and set standards for this type of packaging.

While no packaging is entirely child-proof, the inception of child-resistant packaging has significantly reduced child poisoning fatalities. Estimates suggest a decrease of 1.4 deaths per million children under five since the PPPA was introduced.

 

Advantages of Using Child-Resistant Packaging

Utilizing child-resistant packaging has numerous benefits. Here are some key reasons:

 

Safety First

Children are innately curious, making safety the primary consideration for child-resistant packaging. Whether household cleaners, prescriptions, or cannabis products, history provides ample examples of avoidable tragedies prevented by effective packaging.

 

Regulatory Compliance

Following the PPPA, many products, including medications, household chemicals, and cannabis items, must utilize child-resistant packaging. Failing to comply with these requirements can result in significant fines and legal repercussions.

 

Building Consumer Trust

In a competitive market fueled by the rise of eCommerce, high-quality child-resistant packaging can help distinguish your product, build consumer trust, and drive sales.

 

Preserving Product Quality

In addition to safeguarding consumers, child-resistant packaging often includes multiple seals, protecting products from environmental factors like oxidation and moisture, ultimately maintaining product quality.

 

Enhanced Assurance

Investing in premium child-resistant packaging materials ensures your product reaches consumers in top-notch condition, underscoring the brand's commitment to safety.

 

Products Requiring Child-Resistant Packaging

Under CPSC regulations, several products are mandated to use child-resistant packaging. Here are some of the most common:

 

Medications

The major impetus for the PPPA was a series of child poisonings due to medication ingestion. Common OTC medications, such as pain relievers and allergy medicines, are required to have child-resistant packaging due to their potential danger to children.

Typical packaging includes push-and-twist bottles with additional safety seals and blister packs that require pressure to extract the pills.

 

Household Products

Household items like bleach, turpentine, and certain detergents contain hazardous chemicals. These products often feature squeeze-and-twist caps to prevent accidental consumption.

 

Dry Goods

Dry products such as dietary supplements with iron and items containing sodium or potassium hydroxide also require secure child-resistant packaging.

 

Cannabis Products

With the legalization of medical and recreational cannabis in many states, secure child-resistant packaging for products like edibles and cannabis flowers is essential to prevent accidental ingestion. Products such as Dymapak’s Secure Sack offer industry-leading safety features and align with stringent regulations.

 

Verifying Child-Resistant Packaging

Besides being a legal requirement, the most reliable way to confirm your packaging is child-resistant is through lab certification by a third-party entity that adheres to CPSC standards.

According to current protocols, packaging must pass tests involving children aged 42-51 months. If 85% of children are unable to open the packaging in five minutes and 80% after a demonstration, it is deemed child-resistant. Tech-forward solutions like Dymapak’s Secure Sack significantly exceed these benchmarks with a 98% resistance rate.

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Customization Options for Child-Resistant Packaging

Think child-resistant packaging limits your branding options? Think again. Custom solutions are available to accommodate unique designs without compromising safety.

For instance, the Dymapak Secure Sack offers versatile sizes and competitive pricing, without the need for expensive molds. Additionally, it allows for extensive branding options, including multiple colors and finishes.

 

The Bottom Line

The introduction of the PPPA and its child-resistant packaging regulations has been overwhelmingly positive, enhancing safety for both consumers and producers.

Entrust Dymapak to deliver compliant, branded, and secure packaging solutions that meet all safety standards and market demands.

 

Sources:

Child-Resistant Packaging | CHPA

Poison Prevention Packaging Act | NIH

CPSC Labeling Requirements Overview | CPSC

Keeping children safe from accidental poisonings is a shared responsibility for parents, brands, and packaging engineers.

Packaging serves as the last line of defense against children accessing potentially harmful products. The World Health Organization (WHO) hails child-resistant (CR) packaging as one of the greatest success stories in preventing accidental pediatric poisonings.

But do you understand what makes packaging child-resistant?

Understanding Key Terms

There are several terms commonly used when discussing packaging designed to keep children safe. Here’s what you need to know:

Child-proof packaging: While this term is used informally, it shouldn't appear in official marketing or labeling, as no packaging is 100% child-proof. "Child-resistant" is the accurate term.

Child-deterrent packaging: This broader term refers to packaging that discourages children from opening it, without necessarily meeting formal child-resistance testing standards.

Child-resistant packaging: Specifically designed to reduce the risk of children ingesting unsafe items by adding a protective layer, this type of packaging complies with the U.S. Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 (PPPA) and international standards like ISO8317: 2003.

Learn more about child-resistant packaging qualifications.

Diverse Types of Child-Resistant Packaging

Since the 1970s, child-resistant packaging has significantly reduced fatal child poisonings. However, new products with new risks continue to enter the market. Here are some established forms of child-resistant packaging and innovative solutions that align with modern packaging trends:

Child-resistant safety caps: Pioneered in the 1970s, these push-and-turn caps are standard for medications but less suited for other types of packaging.

Blister packs: Offering both child resistance and single-dose convenience, these packs can deter young children and protect products from environmental factors.

Child-resistant aerosol cans: Featuring twist-and-lock tops, these cans often contain dangerous chemicals and are designed to prevent accidental spraying, offering an added layer of safety for aerosol products.

Child-resistant zipper closures: Developed by Presto® Products, the Child-Guard® zipper is a cutting-edge option for flexible packaging, making it a safer choice for products like laundry packs, pesticides, and medications.

Opening Child-Resistant Packaging

Using the Child-Guard® closure involves a tab that requires pushing down to unzip the package. To reclose, you simply slide it back to the notch, where it locks into place.

This innovative closure, initially developed to secure laundry packs, has proven highly effective, with 90% of children under five unable to open it, even after being shown how.

The Child-Guard® closure is compatible with various products in flexible pouches, offering a versatile, child-resistant packaging solution for different industries.

Learn why resealable packaging boosts consumer loyalty.

Ensuring Child Resistance in Flexible Packaging

While Child-Guard® closures can make your product packaging meet child-resistance standards, the overall packaging design must also comply and undergo rigorous testing. Fresh-Lock is here to assist with any questions regarding child-resistant closure options for flexible packaging. Contact us today!

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