How to Find Child Resistant Packaging

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Many items we use daily around our home require child resistant packaging. It’s so common we barely even notice it: pill bottles, house cleaners, and nail polish remover all require child resistant packaging. If you are currently developing a new product, finding the right child resistant packaging for your product’s launch is critical to its success. Recent developments in child resistant packaging allow for more cost effective packing with a zipper closure that could save you a lot on production and shipping costs, while also providing essential branding to help your product pop on the shelf.

How To Know If Your Product Requires Child Resistant Packaging

According to the PPA (Poison Prevention Packaging Act) any products that may present a serious risk of injury or illness if opened by children under 5 must be packaged in child resistant packaging.

Here are some common examples:

Pharmaceuticals – think aspirin, ibuprofen, allergy medication etc
Dietary supplements – especially those containing a high concentration of iron, think protein concentrates and vitamins
Ethanol products – think mouthwash or oral rinse
Chemical and cosmetic products – lamp fluid, paint solvents, detergents and cleaning agents, makeup/nail polish removers, baby oil, sunscreen, etc.
Liquid Nicotine– vape pens and refills
Cannabis Products – including thc or cbd vapes, flower, edibles, tinctures, and topicals.

Who Determines What is Child Resistant Packaging

No packaging will be completely child proof, but there are ways of determining if a package is child resistant. These packaging options are determined and tested by the CSPC (The United States Consumer Safety Commission). They will test toddlers, who are about 3-5 years old, by breaking them into small groups and seeing what percentage can open the package within a 10 minute time frame. If less than 80% are able to get it open the package is considered child resistant.

They will then test these same options on groups of adults and the packaging must also be easy enough for 90% of adults to open the package within 5 minutes.

Common Types of Child Resistant Packaging

There are many options in terms of types of child resistant packaging. The most common are:

Child Resistant Plastic Caps:

These are the push and twist or squeeze and turn tops commonly found on prescription pill bottles. Either of these require two steps performed in synchronicity in order to open the package, making it child resistant. The main benefit of this type of child resistant packaging is that it is economical to produce and made for several types of containers. These work best for pill bottles and larger chemical/cleaning agent containers.

Child Resistant Capable Dropper:

Similar to the push and twist tops these require the user to push down and turn to get the dropper out of the vial. The two step method, again, ensures the package is child resistant. This is best for tincture products and could apply to vitamins or cannabis and cbd products.

Safe Snap:

These open and close with a snap closure and do not require the squeeze or push and twist the other child resistant packaging requires. The user lines up the tab with an arrow on the container with the tab on the lid to pop the product open. They then are reclosable by snapping down and turning the tab on the lid away from the arrow.These are less common and again usually used for pills, vitamins, or other pharmaceutical products.

Child Resistant Pouches:

This is a newer form of child resistant packaging that has become popular in the last few years. These pouches have a zip closer which requires the user to tear the top and pull the zipper open. Again, we see the pattern of a slightly complicated two step system. This option is best for products that may expire as the zipper closure and opaque baggie is a food grade storage option. The opaque bag also provides the benefit of the child not being able to see what is in the package and therefore less likely to try and open it.

This final option has become popular within the booming cannabis community as it provides a way to keep flower or edible items fresh and retain child proof packaging standards. These are also more economical to manufacture since they require less materials than plastic counterparts and are cheaper to ship. This child resistant zipper closure can be added to both flat-laying and stand up pouch options.

As an added bonus many manufacturers who produce child resistant pouches, like Dymapk, have the ability to work with your company to provide bolder branding on the package. When your logo stands out your product is more likely to get noticed by the consumer and fly off the shelves.

By providing freshness, greater brand awareness, and being more cost-effective these child resistant pouches are quickly becoming the child resistant packaging of the future.

Sources:

https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2003/CPSC-Requires-Child-Resistant-Packaging-for-Common-Household-Products-Containing-Hydrocarbons-Including-Some-Baby-Oils

https://news.sundanceusa.com/news/child-resistant-packaging-a-perfect-marriage-of-product-marketing-and-child-safety

https://www.fhpkg.com/your-complete-guide-to-child-resistant-closures/

https://www.berlinpackaging.com/types_of_child-resistant_caps/

https://epacflexibles.com/child-resistant-packaging-what-you-need-to-know/

https://www.cpsc.gov/Business–Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/PPPA#:~:text=Where%20can%20I%20find%20the,in%20Title%2016%2C%20Part%201700.