Bemis Packaging: Your Top 5 Questions Answered (From Someone Who's Made the Mistakes)

If you're looking into Bemis for flexible or healthcare packaging, you probably have a few specific questions. I've been handling packaging orders for food and medical device clients for about seven years now. In that time, I've personally made (and documented) a handful of significant mistakes, totaling roughly $4,200 in wasted budget and a few awkward client conversations. Now I maintain our team's vendor checklist to prevent others from repeating my errors.

Here are the questions I get asked most often—and the answers I wish I'd had from the start.

1. Is Bemis still its own company, or is it just Amcor now?

This is probably the most common point of confusion, and honestly, I got tripped up by it myself early on. Bemis Company, the flexible packaging giant, was acquired by Amcor back in 2019. So, for all intents and purposes related to flexible films, pouches, and barrier packaging, you're dealing with Amcor. The Bemis brand name is often still used in a legacy sense, but the expertise and global network are now part of Amcor's offering.

Here's the pitfall I saw: We didn't have a formal vendor background check process. Cost us when I quoted a project timeline based on Bemis's old, pre-acquisition lead times to a client, not realizing the integration had changed some internal workflows. The delay wasn't huge, but it was embarrassing. That's when I learned to always verify current operational structures, not just brand names.

2. What about Bemis Manufacturing and their sharps containers? Same thing?

Nope, totally different company. This is a classic case of two separate entities with similar names. Bemis Manufacturing Company makes things like toilet seats and, more relevantly, medical waste containers (sharps containers). Bemis Company (now Amcor) was all about flexible packaging films and materials.

If you need a rigid plastic sharps container, you're looking for Bemis Manufacturing. If you need a flexible film to package a sterile medical device or a food product, you're in Amcor's (formerly Bemis Company's) territory. Mixing these up will waste everyone's time—I know from experience.

3. What's their real strength? Why would I choose them?

Based on my experience and what holds true in the market, their key advantage is in healthcare and specialty packaging. They're not necessarily the go-to for the absolute cheapest, most basic poly bag. Where they shine is when you need barrier properties (keeping oxygen or moisture out), sterilization compatibility (like for medical devices), or specific regulatory compliance.

Think pharmaceutical blister packs, high-barrier food packaging for shelf-stable products, or technically demanding medical device pouches. Their R&D and material science in these areas are pretty solid. For a standard retail bag, you might have more (and more cost-effective) options.

4. What's a common mistake people make when ordering?

Under-specifying the material requirements up front. This was my $890 mistake. I once ordered a run of pouches for a premium coffee brand, focusing on the graphics and size. We got the aesthetics perfect, but the material wasn't a high enough moisture barrier for the product's full shelf life. The result? Slightly stale coffee at the 8-month mark, a full recall of the batch, and a reprint on a more suitable (and more expensive) film.

The lesson? You need to be crystal clear on: product chemistry (is it oily, acidic, dry?), required shelf life, storage conditions, and sterilization needs (if any). "Make it look good" is only half the brief. Their team can guide you, but you have to give them the complete picture.

5. They talk about sustainability. What can I actually claim?

This is a major red flag area if you're not careful. You cannot just say your packaging is "100% biodegradable" or "eco-friendly" because it's from a supplier with sustainability goals. Those are specific, certified claims.

What you can do is talk about sourcing materials with recycled content (if they offer that specific film), reductions in material usage through lightweighting, or the recyclability of mono-material structures they might develop. Always ask for the certification or data sheet to back up any environmental claim. Making an unverified claim is a regulatory and brand reputation risk that's just not worth it. I learned that the hard way after a marketing team almost ran with an unsubstantiated "green" label—we caught it at the last proof stage.

Bottom line: For technically demanding flexible packaging, especially in food and healthcare, the Amcor/Bemis combination is a strong contender. Just know who you're actually dealing with, be hyper-specific with your requirements, and never assume sustainability claims. Do that, and you'll avoid the expensive lessons I had to learn.

(A lot of this info was accurate as of early 2024. The packaging world moves fast, especially with new materials and regulations, so it's always worth a fresh conversation with their sales and tech teams for your specific project.)