Six-pack rings for beverage cans
Paperboard basket
Plastic six-pack carrier

A multi-pack also known as multipack is packaging that combines or holds multiple items or smaller packages.

Functions

Multi-packs can be used to:

  • Combine several items for a larger unit of sale, often with a reduced individual cost
  • Provide a package handle to conveniently carry several items
  • Help prevent package pilferage
  • Provide a tamper indicating seal
  • Reduce environmental impact of secondary packaging
  • Keep items clean
  • Obscure the bar codes on the individual combined items and provide a new one for the multi-pack

Methods

A wide variety of materials and procedures are available to combine items or packages into a multi-pack. This can include shrink film, pressure sensitive tape, paper overwrap, adhesives, paperboard carriers, plastic clips, etc.

Beverages

Beverage cans and bottles are sold in multi-packs such as six-packs, twelve-packs, and cases of 24. These can be paperboard baskets, paperboard overwraps and cartons, corrugated fiberboard boxes, HDPE plastic handles, six-pack rings, and shrink packs.

Other uses

A wide variety of items and packages are combined into multi-packs for sale.

Gallery

  • Shrink wrap used to form a 12-pack of cartons of tissue
  • Clip used to join two spray bottles and provide a handle
  • Shrink film wrap being applied to beverage bottles
  • Six water bottles in shrink wrap with tape handle.

See also

  • Soroka, W, "Fundamentals of Packaging Technology", IoPP, 2002, ISBN 1-930268-25-4
  • Yam, K. L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 2009, ISBN 978-0-470-08704-6