SPE WORKSHOP: Plastic Packaging: The Right Level of Barrier Protection

Workshop

Plastic Packaging: The Right Level of Barrier Protection

November 10 , 12 & 13, 2026
All workshop days are from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET.
Online

Summary

Selecting the appropriate barrier performance for a package is essential to balancing product protection, cost, sustainability, and regulatory requirements. Yet packaging specifications are often based on assumptions, oversimplified rules of thumb, or barrier levels that exceed what the product actually requires. This workshop provides a practical framework for determining the barrier protection that is truly needed.

Participants will learn how to translate product characteristics, deterioration mechanisms, shelf-life objectives, storage conditions, and distribution requirements into a structured packaging requirements profile. The workshop explains the fundamentals of permeation and the practical interpretation of oxygen and water vapor transmission data, highlighting how factors such as package geometry, layer thickness, temperature, humidity, and light influence real-world package performance.

Through worked examples and guided exercises, attendees will evaluate barrier requirements using package dimensions, permeability data, target shelf life, and appropriate safety margins. They will learn how to identify potential overengineering, determine critical assumptions requiring validation, and compare packaging alternatives using a practical decision-making framework.

Agenda

(Click each session to expand)

October 27, 2026

Duration: 2 Hours

Summary

Participants identify meaningful packaging metrics and reference quantities and translate product characteristics, deterioration mechanisms, shelf-life targets, storage conditions and distribution requirements into a structured packaging requirements profile. The session establishes which protection functions the packaging must provide and which data are still needed.

October 28, 2026

Duration: 2 Hours

Summary

This session explains permeation and the practical interpretation of oxygen and water-vapour transmission data. Participants examine how test conditions, package geometry, layer thickness, temperature, humidity and light influence material performance and product stability. The focus is on translating laboratory values into realistic packaging decisions.

October 30, 2026

Duration: 2 Hours

Summary

Participants work through calculation and assessment examples involving package surface area, permeability, target shelf life and safety margins. They develop a justified barrier specification, identify possible overengineering and determine which assumptions require validation. The session concludes with a practical decision framework for comparing packaging options and defining the next verification steps.

If you can't attend one or several sessions live, or if you want to review some concepts, the recordings will be available after each session.

Registration Information

SPE Premium Member	$540
SPE Members	$600
Nonmembers	$800

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Workshop Packs

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3 Sessions

Level: Intermediate

Total Hours: 6 Hours

Streaming access on desktop and mobile browsers

Instructor

Prof. Markus Schmid, Ph.D.
Director
Sustainable Packaging Institute (SPI) / Albstadt-Sigmaringen University
LinkedIn

(Click for more information)

Markus Schmid is a packaging expert whose career combines hands-on industry experience, business management, engineering, and applied research. He is currently a Professor of Process Engineering and Process Design and Director of the Sustainable Packaging Institute (SPI) at Albstadt-Sigmaringen University in Germany. His background includes qualifications in food technology, a master's degree in food processing, and a doctorate in food packaging technology from the Technical University of Munich. He also worked at Fraunhofer IVV on material development and biopolymers. In addition, he holds credentials in skilled-trades business management and vocational training, giving him a practical perspective on the technical, commercial, and operational aspects of packaging. His expertise spans sustainable packaging, barrier technologies, bio-based materials, packaging material selection, and packaging change management, with a strong focus on translating scientific knowledge into practical business decisions.

Questions? Contact:

For questions, contact Iván D. López.

Who Should Attend?

Packaging engineers and developers, R&D and product development professionals, film and packaging manufacturers, quality and testing specialists, and technical purchasing or sales professionals involved in barrier packaging decisions. Examples focus on food packaging, with principles also relevant to other oxygen- or moisture-sensitive products. Basic packaging knowledge is helpful; specialist expertise in permeation is not required.

Why Should You Attend?

Learn how to translate product protection needs into practical packaging requirements and select an appropriate level of barrier performance. This interactive workshop helps you interpret supplier data, compare alternatives and identify where unnecessary material or barrier performance can be reduced while maintaining the required product protection.

Everyday Problems You’ll Address

How do I turn shelf-life targets and product sensitivities into a packaging requirement profile?
Can I meaningfully compare oxygen and water vapor transmission values measured under different conditions?
How do package size, material thickness, temperature and humidity affect barrier requirements?
How can I identify both insufficient protection and overengineered packaging?
What evidence and testing are needed before changing a packaging material or structure?

What You’ll Learn

Define product protection requirements using shelf-life targets, deterioration mechanisms and storage and distribution conditions.
Select useful metrics, units and reference conditions for comparing barrier performance.
Understand permeation and interpret oxygen transmission rate (OTR) and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) data.
Assess the effects of temperature and humidity on barrier performance, and recognize when light protection is also needed.
Use practical estimates involving package surface area, transmission rates, target shelf life and appropriate safety margins.
Compare packaging options, identify the limits of available data and define the next validation steps.

Why This Course Matters

Effective packaging provides the protection a product needs throughout its intended shelf life. Too little protection can cause quality loss and product waste; unnecessary barrier performance can add material, complexity and cost. The workshop provides a practical, science-based framework for balancing these factors and preparing packaging changes. Material data are considered alongside whole-package performance, including seals and closures, and the need for application-specific validation.