Flexible packaging products have become a huge part of the American economy and marketplace. Today there are even heat-sealed plastic pouches and wraps, which help keep food fresh and protects it from contamination. Packaging experts estimate that each pound of plastic packaging can reduce food waste by up to 1.7 pounds. That’s part of the reason the U.S. plastics industry is worth about $375 billion and employs approximately one million workers.

Flat bottom pouches are one specific kind of flexible pouch packaging. Just as the name suggests flat bottom pouches have a flat bottom so that the product can stand up tall despite the fact it’s in a flexible package. Here are three industries in which flat bottom pouches are used extensively.

1. Pet Food: Stand-up pouches are very commonly used in the pet food industry. The big dog food bags are perfect for this form of packaging because it allows a large amount of product, in this case dog food, to be contained in a package that’s easy to carry and store. Purina, Blue Buffalo, and Pedigree are a couple examples of the biggest brands.
2. Protein Powder: Although you might mistake it for a big bag of dog food, many companies use this exact same style of flat bottom pouches for their protein powder mixes for basically the same reasons. Hard plastic jugs are typically used for amounts less than five pounds, but if you’re buying amounts over that it will come in these. To fit 10 pounds of protein powder, which is what value sizes come in, in a plastic jug would be to big and cumbersome.
3. Gourmet Coffee: One subset of these flat bottom pouches is the gusseted flat bottom bags. Usually these are a bit smaller and skinnier than the big pouches mentioned above and are the things you generally see things like gourmet coffee stored in.

The flexible packaging market is a booming industry. It is estimated to grow from approximately $74 million in 2012 to nearly $100 million by 2018 and the industries mentioned above are a big part of the success and growth.