Why We Ditched Glass Jars for Flex Packaging

Posted on July 29, 2025

(And How It Almost Broke Me… Then Made Us)

Hey friends — it’s Kyla here, founder of Rad Jamz, chef, mama, and full-time jam hustler.

Let’s take a trip back to 2020, shall we? The world shut down, chaos reigned, and suddenly I couldn’t get glass jars to save my life. Big companies were hoarding everything, and if you were a small-batch maker like me? You were just outta luck.

So I did what any desperate, scrappy business owner would do — I bought direct from a manufacturer in China.

Big mistake.

They sent me a sea can full of garbage. The glass was paper-thin and shattered if you looked at it wrong. The sizes were all off, so I had to redo every label. The lids rusted. And worst of all? My house became a freakin’ glass graveyard. Jars in the spare rooms. Jars under the bed. Jars in the shed. Jars under tarps in the backyard. I was living in a glass jar nightmare.

That’s when I said, “There’s gotta be a better way.”

Why Flex Packaging?

I was tired of glass breaking. Tired of paying a fortune to ship it. Tired of stuffing jars into every nook and cranny of my house. So I started researching alternatives.

My husband’s Italian, and every time we’d travel there, I’d notice more and more flexible packaging being used — even for food. Baby food, sauces, soups… all in pouches with spouts. Super smart.

Now listen — sustainability has always been a core value for me. I work with local farms to fight food waste, so switching to plastic had to actually make sense. And it does. Here’s why:

Why It’s Greener Than Glass (Yes, Really)

Lower carbon footprint — Flexible pouches require up to 75% less energy to produce and ship than glass. That’s a big deal.
Way lighter — You can ship WAY more product with WAY less fuel. Less trucks on the road = happier planet.
Less breakage — Fewer losses mean less waste overall.
Less material used — A glass jar weighs ~200g. My pouches? Under 20g. That’s a huge savings in raw material.

So yeah — not only is it functional and cool-looking, it’s a real sustainability win.

The How

But man, making this happen? It wasn’t easy.

We were already busting at the seams in our little home kitchen. Sales were growing like crazy, and our 5-year plan turned into a 2-year sprint. In 2022, we put all our resources into building our new production facility in West Kelowna.

Oh yeah — I also got married, got pregnant, and moved our production all in the same year. Casual.

After baby Eddy was born in March, I heard about the Buy BC grant — they’d cover 50% of our packaging costs if we went local. So I jumped. Because I’m not just trying to make jam. I’m trying to change the game.

But launching new packaging isn’t just ordering some bags and calling it a day. We needed a full marketing blitz — demos, social, ads, billboards, video, the works. It was go big or go home.

The Look

The design had to SLAP.

The jam aisle is saturated with cute mason jars and farmhouse labels. I needed something bold, bright, nostalgic, and fun. I grew up in the ’90s. I wanted confetti. Comic book vibes. Neon radness. And I needed a little window so you could see the real fruit — just like in a jar.

After 9 months working with a graphic designer, we finally nailed it.

I worked with a local 3rd-party company to produce the bags (because yeah, I still have PTSD from that China glass disaster). The day those first boxes arrived? Honestly felt like Christmas morning as a kid. Pure magic.

We even created display-ready cases — boxes that double as shelf displays with our logos, certifications, and the Buy BC stamp of approval. Retailers just rip the top off and boom — done. Easy, smart, rad.

The Launch

We launched at CHFA Vancouver in April 2024 and let me tell you — people. Were. Shook.

Our booth was buzzing. Everyone stopped to see what the heck this funky jam pouch was. I felt like a rockstar.

…But not everyone loved it.

Some of our long-time retailers flat out told us it “wasn’t boutique enough” for their gift shop, deli, or winery. Apparently “bougie” = glass, and “fun and functional” = no thanks.

But the big win was Amazon.ca. Before the pouch, glass made it impossible — too heavy, too risky. Now we’re on Amazon at $8.49, sometimes even $6 on sale. A total game-changer.

How It’s Going (Spoiler: It Was Rough for a Bit)

We expected a big jump in sales — but instead, we plateaued.

I started calling buyers and asking, “What’s going on?”

Turns out, we were offering huge discounts to retailers… but many of them weren’t passing the savings on. They just pocketed the extra margin, while our products sat on shelves at $10+ and got discontinued. Ouch.

So we said screw it — we’re switching to EDLP (Every Day Low Price). No more excessive discounting. No more price games. Just the best possible price, every day, for you.

We cut our wholesale pricing, scaled our production, and focused on being an everyday product — not a special occasion jam.

We’re gourmet in quality, yes. But we’re not trying to be a $15 jar of bougie nonsense. We’re rad, nostalgic, approachable, and chef-made.

The Aftermath

Turns out — we were right.

Sales are turning. Amazon is booming. Retailers are coming back. New ones ( Walmart ) are sniffing around. We’ve picked up a national distributor to take Rad Jamz coast to coast. We’re actually turning a profit while turning heads.

That little pouch with the spout? She’s a star.

This journey has been wild. From glass disasters to spouty triumphs, I’ve learned who we really are.

We’re Rad Jamz. Not fancy. Not fussy. Just real food, made by real chefs, for real people.

I hope we’re already in your fridge. And if we’re not — let’s fix that.

Much love,
– Kyla xo