Child Resistant Packaging - The Cary Company

Child resistant packaging, or also known as “special packaging” or “CR packaging”, makes sure that adults can access the contents within the containers. Child resistant caps are an ideal closure option for containers that need extra security. Having proper packaging is very important, especially if you need it to be child resistant. Ensuring children cannot have easy access to certain products should be a top priority. Before child resistant packaging, kids were able to access harmful items that was causing serious injuries.

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The idea of child resistant packaging was first introduced in the s, when the leading cause of injuries amongst children under five was ingestion of harmful substances. In , the United States passed legislation that required harmful products and medications to increase safety measures. 

After this law was passed, President Nixon signed the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA) into law. This required packaging for medications and harmful household substances to have better safety measures. From this, child resistant packaging was invented. 

Child resistant packaging creates a great first impression for customers if your products are in these containers. Just because it meets child resistant standards, doesn't mean it's 100% childproof. It means that it’s more difficult for a child to try and open the container. When testing products to determine if they are child-resistant, a panel of children are given 10 minutes to open the package. For a package to be considered child resistant, 80% of the children should not be able to open the package after 10 minutes of trying. 

Keeping children safe is very important. Child resistant packaging can do just that as it stops them from accessing items that they shouldn't have access to. Young kids will try and eat anything they find, because they don't know the difference in the first place. This packaging and caps will keep toxic products away from them.

Keeping products away from kids they shouldn't have access to will require a child resistant cap. The best type of protective packaging ensures contents cannot be opened by young kids that can be harmful to them. These child resistant caps provide a level of security to your products.

Push down and turn caps help prevent young kids from opening dangerous products. Also called PDT caps, they are marked on top with directions for opening the caps. To open, apply downward pressure on top of the cap and turn it open. These caps are often used for medicines, solvents, cleaners, harmful substances, and more.

Similar to push down and turn caps, pictorial CR caps help reduce the risk of children accessing products they shouldn’t get to. Also known as PICT caps, they have pictorial directions on top to provide directions for how to open the cap. Pictorial caps are commonly used for household and pharmaceutical products and can feature liner options based on your sealing needs.

The EZ-Safe child resistant caps are a step above the typical child resistant cap, providing a unique look that will impress customers. These caps feature rubbed sides that make opening and closing easier. The top of the caps have recessed text and opening instructions that allow you to keep products safe. These caps are compatible with a variety of bottles and liners based on your needs.

Vented child resistant caps are a standard cap option that is commonly used for sealing pharmaceutical products, household cleaning agents , and other products that require strong security. These caps have ribbed sides that help with opening and closing. The top is embroidered with “Push Down & Turn” instructions. 

Within the pharmaceutical industry, this type of packaging is required to be used for prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and other harmful substances. Other types of products that are required to have child resistant packaging are vitamins and dietary substances.

The PPPA requires products that contain higher levels of iron to have this closure in order to protect young children from getting it. Common plastic containers used with child resistant closures include packer bottles, modern round bottles, and boston round bottles. Child resistant caps are compatible with these bottles.

Modern round bottles have sloped shoulders, a ridge at the top and bottom of the label panel, and a rounded bottom. These are commonly used within the pharmcuetical industry for solvents and acids. These bottles come in a variety of colors.

Plastic vials come in a variety of colors that can be color coded based on your needs. Made from a sturdy construction, plastic vials have good chemical resistance and are very durable. Child resistant closures help keep the contents safe for only those intended to use it.

Cannabis flower containers have a wide mouth opening, making it easy to dispense products. These containers can provide an airtight seal to mask the scent of the product when paired with the correct lid. They can be used for edibles and items with high potency concentrates. 

Plastic vials come in a variety of colors that can be color coded based on your needs. Made from a sturdy construction, plastic vials have good chemical resistance and are very durable. Child resistant closures help keep the contents safe for only those intended to use it.

Providing the same protection as containers, barrier bags are an ideal choice for storing and transporting CBD items. These bags provide an airtight seal that keeps moisture and water out while containing the smell within it. These bags are FDA complaint.

Exit packaging is child resistant and made from a food safe quad-layer plastic with a foil barrier. These protect the contents within it that helps you meet regulatory compliance. These bags can be used to store vitamins, edibles, and other pharmacuetical products.

Plastic F-Style bottles are heavy-duty containers that feature a handle, making it easy to fill and dispense products. These bottles can be used with child resistant caps to secure contents. This packaging is often used for industrial sovlents such and cleaning and garden chemicals and automotive oils. Plastic F-Style bottles are typically made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) which has good chemical resistance. 

Marijuana Packaging: Common Requirements & Good Practices for Cannabis Packaging

Standard Regulations & Good Practices

As mentioned above, regulations vary from place to place. Yet, there are many laws that are present in most legalized states. These include child-resistance, opacity, and the use of language and imagery in labeling.

The first part is self-explanatory, and means that the packaging products are tested for child safety (e.g. ASTM Certification). These standardized tests involve having kids of varying ages attempt to open the packaging. The researcher makes notes of how hard it was to open and what means they used, and the product gets a score on how well it performed. If the child smashed the product against the floor to open it, that's noted and counted towards opening it.

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What most people don’t realize is that the ASTM certification also includes the ability of elderly patients to open the products. In other words, the tests are as crucial in maintaining child-safety as they are pivotal in ensuring accessibility to seniors.

Opaque packaging means that the products inside aren’t “viewable”. This ensures that the products aren’t enticing kids to open up the packaging to access the marijuana. Together with laws requiring warning labels, the opaque packaging further ensures that children stay away from your bud. Opacity laws are one of the few requirements for marijuana packaging that is almost universal. So even if it’s not required in your state right now, it’s definitely worth preparing for that being a need.

Labeling affects how the products are seen and perceived by customers. The enticement is also what is addressed in most states when it comes to what companies are able to print on their products. Examples of this includes imagery such as toys, use of words like “candy”, and bright/colorful labels. This, of course, impacts the ability of companies to differentiate their products. But, it has also led to some very creative branding with minimalist color/imagery.

Example of ASTM Certification Label for Child-Resistant Products

So, what types of packaging options do we have?

This is where it gets interesting. Because cannabis has been legal for some years now, the packaging industry has matured a long way from white-label plastic- and glass jars. Here are the basics:

Vials and Jars

When most people think of marijuana packaging, they think of the classic Pop Top Bottles, Joint Tubes, and glass jars.

Pop Tops, named for the “popping” sound they make when opened, have been a staple in the industry for years (and will likely continue to be so). The Pop Top category also includes "Doob Tubes", which are the plastic tubes that pre-rolls and vape cartridges come in.

Push & Turn Vials were adopted from the medical community, and became popular due to their familiarity. In the beginning they came as the classic orange we all know, which was phased out in favor of a green version. When the opacity laws were put in place the bottles took on a new look, and have since grown into its own niche style for cannabis retailers. We trust these to be child-resistant after years of getting prescriptions filled in them, and they will remain a fixture in the industry as well.

Glass jars have been around forever and they use the same "press and turn" system that the plastic Push & Turn bottles do. Glass jars work for a plethora of products, so whether you sell flower, concentrates, or pain relief creams, there is a glass option out there for you. While glass jars are a more sustainable option for packaging, they are more expensive. Since they are not reusable in a retail setting (yet), they have not been adopted as a means to replace the plastic products. 

Bags

Smell-Proof Dispensary Bags are another popular option that have been in use by cannabis companies since the start of the boom. Mylar bags are most often used for flower and for edibles, sporting some of the best labeling options on the market. With the ability to customize, many companies have switched to bags since it allows them to tell the brand “story” better. The whole surface is modifiable to communicate with the customer in a way you can't with bottles. This allows companies to differentiate their products better than a 2x3 sticker on a plastic bottle.

Custom bags also allow for bigger quantities at a lower cost, reducing the plastic waste from packaging (4x 30 dram pop tops vs. 1x 1oz bag). Many companies will get Child-Resistant Exit Bags to put non-CR containers inside so they can remain compliant. Thankfully this is a receding practice as producers move towards more sustainable practices.

Dropper Bottles (Boston Rounds)

Boston Round Dropper Bottles are another option adopted from the medical industry. They are increasing in popularity, especially with the growth of CBD as a form of relief. They can be child resistant in many ways, which allows companies to stay compliant while customizing the look/feel of their product. The most popular safety option is a regular push & turn system in the cap itself, which requires a certain amount of power to open it.

Another style preferred by producers that service an older clientele is to use shrink-wrap labels over top of non-CR pipettes. This way the only difficult part to open is a piece of plastic, letting you access the product more easily afterwards.

mg Piña Colada CBD Tincture from Safer CBD in 30ml Amber Dropper Bottle with Black Child-Resistant Pipette

Sustainable Options

Last, and possibly most interesting, is the sustainable options that are popping up around the country. While not too accessible yet, there are many new forms of packaging getting released to help reduce our carbon footprint. This means that the look and feel of our marijuana-purchasing experience is about to change forever.

Cardboard tubes and boxes are one such form of packaging taking over as a replacement for plastic containers. Like their plastic counterparts there are many ways to ensure child-safety with these paper products. Most of them rely on some sort of “pop lock” system with a tab that’s pushed in to release the inside of the packaging. While most versions aren't smell proof, they do offer us a way to brand our products on a surface that is recyclable.

Besides the paper versions of packaging, we are also seeing plastics made from hemp pellets. This is a new and exciting source for the unsustainable oil products we consume. 

In the end, it’s just a plastic bottle. Right?

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