Packaging

Packaging is vital to protect and conserve the items contained within it. Packaging is vital to conserve the product.

Packaging

Packaging must be safe, it must be impregnable and have safeguards in place to show that it has not been tampered with. Packaging must meet consumer requirements that products are not just kept in top condition but that they are kept fresher for longer. Companies, consumers and society at large generally make the same demands of good packaging. The packaging has to be strong and durable so it securely protects the contents, yet small enough and light enough that it doesn’t take up extra space and cost more money to store and transport. Finding the right "visual voice" for a brand's packaging is essential in speaking to a target demographic and separating a package from the crowd on shelf. Cans are moving beyond beverages in customizable packaging for brand identity as well as for special edition promotional packages. Smartness in packaging is a broad term that covers a number of functionalities, depending on the product being packaged, including food, beverage, pharmaceutical, household products etc. Some smart packaging already exists commercially and many other active and intelligent packaging concepts are under development. Clamshell packaging annoys me especially because so many electronic products come entombed in them: radios, cameras, walkie-talkies, inkjet cartridges, videotapes, tools, phones, flashlights, accessories and so on. What I hate the most about hard to open plastic packaging is that after using a sharp object to puncture the packaging, you find it necessary to try to rip the package open with your hands because the sciccors or whatever you're using doesn't fit inside enough to cut due to the odd shape of the object. To add more value to the product, AgVANTAGE has also introduced new packaging materials in both companies. The new modern packaging enables companies to explore new markets having higher profit margins and is part of the strategy for advancing the greens industry in Georgia. Polystyrene packaging meets the demands of today's modern lifestyles by offering an economical and high quality food service product. All polystyrene packaging comprises only a tiny fraction of the material that goes into our landfills. No chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are used in the manufacture of any polystyrene foam packaging products in the United States and have not been since 1990. The manufacture of all polystyrene, to make both durable and packaging products, uses a fraction of one percent of the nation's natural gas and petroleum. The most recognizable forms of polystyrene packaging are expanded and extruded foams (sometimes incorrectly called Styrofoam, a Dow Chemical Co. Foamed polystyrene is used to make cups, bowls, plates, trays, clamshell containers, meat trays and egg cartons as well as protective packaging for shipping electronics and other fragile items. Schools, hospitals, nursing homes, supermarkets, restaurants and sports stadiums are among the many institutions and businesses that rely on polystyrene packaging. In addition, polystyrene packaging can be found in egg cartons and a variety of produce packages, such as apple trays, mushroom tills, tomato containers, and strawberry and grape crates. Polystyrene protective packaging comes in two primary forms loose fill "peanuts" and shape molded packaging. Shape molded packaging fits snugly around delicate products like computers, television sets, stereo equipment and appliances to protect them during shipping. Both shape molding and loose fill are lighter in weight than other protective packaging, saving energy and money during shipment. An added benefit, polystyrene protective packaging can be used over and over again through reuse and recycling. Nearly 30 percent of polystyrene loose fill (some times called "peanuts" because of its shape) is used again, making it one of the most commonly reused packaging materials in some retail locations. Other packaging and disposables commonly reused by the polystyrene industry include: pallets, insulated shipping boxes, test tube trays, auto part trays, ice chests and coolers. The recycling of polystyrene protective packaging and non-packaging polystyrene materials, (such as audio/visual cassettes and agricultural nursery trays/containers) has increased dramatically during the last decade and there has been a decrease in the amount of polystyrene food service packaging recycled during this period. Before 1988, there was essentially no recovery of post-consumer polystyrene for recycling, but more than 57 million pounds of post-consumer and post-industrial expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging was recycled in 2004. In order to fully understand the essential role packaging plays in every day life, it is necessary to understand the guiding principles behind it. In industrialised countries only 2% of products are spoilt when they reach the consumer compared with a staggering 30-50% in developing countries, where the packaging chain is less well developed. Consumer demands and legislative requirements mean that information contained on packaging has become far more specific, for example, detailing the origin and composition of the product. One of the most popular types of packaging is paper and cardboard. It is easy to see why when one considers that paper and cardboard packaging is cheap, lightweight, easy to use and store, and can be easily compressed. The first link in the chain is the manufacturer of the packaging material, this basic material is then bought by a specialist packaging manufacturer company (a converter). The specialist manufacturer then provides the company who will use the packaging for their product (a packer/filler) with a homogenous template onto which the company will add their own identity, through labelling, branding etc. The packaging is then delivered onto the next stage of the chain where it will pass through the hands of the wholesaler, the retailer, and the consumer. At the end of the chain, the packaging can be recycled, reused or disposed of. Primary packaging can also be described as part of the product. This involves all packaging that is in direct contact with the product. Hence primary packaging could be soft drink bottles, sweet wrappers or the inner bag of cereal boxes. If sweets come with a sweet dispenser that pops the sweets into the hand, that sweet dispenser would be known as primary packaging. Primary packaging performs the dual purpose of protecting the product and advertising the product for the manufacturer. Secondary packaging is used so that goods can be transported more easily, saving energy and costs. Hence a box, containing many soft drinks, or shrink wrap would be secondary packaging. Hence a crate or pallet containing many small shrink wraps is tertiary packaging. In fact tertiary packaging can also come in large shrink wraps with small ones inside. The truth is, most Americans don't think about packaging. Besides filling our landfills and polluting our air and water, packaging "features" influence buying choices and can confound even those with the best environmental intentions. Current packaging trends exploit this disconnect through features like perceived convenience (New. As you can imagine there are many distinctly different mindsets when it comes to packaging. So the more sustainable the packaging the less impact they will have—despite themselves. Creative, "stealth sustainable" packaging can satisfy this group. " A growing market segment intentionally buys "green" products, but for these folks packaging is just not on the radar. These people have a higher impact on the environment than they realize, because they don't consider packaging part of the "product. Luckily, research shows that people are moved by information about effectiveness, so if you prompt this group with cues that packaging is part of their environmental impact, then they are likely to jump. A rapidly growing number of consumers do pay close attention to the sustainability of packaging (some almost obsessively. Unsustainable packaging creates a dilemma for these shoppers: It's important to them to buy the locally-produced, organic yogurt, but they can't get past the packaging. To reach these packaging-mindful shoppers, consistency between values AND product AND packaging is key. Here, clearly identifying packaging benefits is critical. Their packaging is consistent and its features prominently displayed—"recycled content," "printed with soy ink," "unbleached," "compostable. Make people notice sustainable packaging, and give them the opportunity to be awed by its innovation.

Every day a new issue related to packaging is in the forefront of the news. Packaging is also the spokesperson for the manufacturer of the product.