Chapter 1

Introduction to Packaging
This book will get you started on the study of packaging. Like most subjects, packaging has a
specialized language. Terms can mean something specific in packaging and something entirely
different in another context. It will be necessary for you to understand the meanings of
packaging terms when they are applied. You will be introduced to some of the basic
terminology of packaging in this chapter, along with other material. Many terms, such as
corrugated paperboard, will be used even though they will not be fully explained until later in
the book. However, within the context of the sentence, you can probably infer the likely
meaning of the term.

Packaging is very common. We all deal with packaging every day. Nearly everything that is
purchased comes in a package. It is almost impossible to handle certain products without a
package. In fact, most of the products that you get without a package were actually packaged at
an earlier stage. In other cases, portions of the product were packaged earlier. We’ll see
examples, such as the following, throughout the book.

• A new automobile is generally not packaged for delivery to a purchaser, but hundreds of
subassemblies and parts are packaged for transport from the supplier factories to the
automobile assembly plant where they are joined together to make a vehicle.
Subassemblies can be large and complicated, such as the engine transmission
combination, tires mounted on wheels, or wiring harnesses. Or they can be small, such
as a radio knob or a door handle.

• Many of the fresh food products that can be purchased in the produce department of a
grocery store are unpackaged. However, they were packaged earlier for transport to the
grocery store. Further, they will be packaged again, usually in plastic or paper bags, so
they can be transported through the checkout lane and then to the customer’s
residence.

The previous comments are true even for most farmer’s markets. The vendors are
presumed to be selling products that were grown some distance away. For example, vendors at
the City Market in Lansing, Michigan frequently offer bananas, oranges, grapefruit, and other
citrus products for sale. The trees that produce these products cannot survive the harsh
Michigan winters without special protection. Therefore, the products are grown in warmer
climates, hundreds or even thousands of miles away. They are then packaged for transport and
sale to the vendor at the farmer’s market. The vendor removes the products from the shipping
packs and stacks them on the display racks. In addition, after the customer selects and
purchases products, they are repackaged in a bag or box so that they can be conveniently
transported to the purchaser’s residence.

So if nearly everything is packaged, it is reasonable to consider why. Why are things

packaged? Pause for a minute and think about things that you recently purchased— new
clothes, fast food, books, a computer, cosmetics, soft drinks, beer, fine art, paint, tools, and so
on. How were the items packaged— paper bag, plastic bag so on. How were the items
packaged— paper bag, plastic bag, paperboard box, metal can, plastic bottle? Why were those
items packaged and why were those specific packages used? Did you gain benefits from the
packages? Did you incur costs for the packages? Did the packages cause problems? Did anyone
else benefit from the packages? Could you have handled these products without packages?
We’ll look at answers to all these questions and more. We’ll start with the basic question—
What is package?

I. What is a Package?
The following is one definition of a package.

A package is the enclosure for products, items, or other packages, such as wrap, pouch bag,
cup, tray, can, tube, bottle, or other container form, to perform one or more of the following
four basic functions:

• Containment

• Protection

• Communication

• Utility

Each of these four basic functions of packages will

be discussed in the following sections.

Any device that performs one or more of the four basic

functions of a package is considered to be a package.

Function 1: Containment
Many products must be contained in a package of some The bottle and can provide
type to be handled. Liquids are an obvious example. Consider containment for liquid products.
Packages usually provide more
how you would go about getting a gallon of milk or two liters than simple containment. For
of soft drinks or a pint of water or a quart of paint from a example, the barrier in these
store to your house if it was not packaged in a cab, jug, pail, packages of household chemicals
plastic bottle, plastic bag, or some other container. You would prevents contamination of the
have no choice but to put the liquid product into a can, jug, product and also prevents
pail, plastic bottle, plastic bag, or some other container (you accidental contact with the
contents. The spout on the bottle
would put it in a package). You can’t carry a useable quantity
and the aerosol nozzle on the can
of such liquids in your bare hands. Similarly, pouring a liquid provide convenient mechanisms for
dispensing the product.
product into a pocket in your clothing wouldn’t work. In general, liquids must
be contained to be handled.

Free-flowing solids, such as sugar, salt, and other granular materials

behave like liquids in many ways. If you tear or punch a hole in a paper bag
filled with granulated sugar, the product will no longer be contained. Like a
liquid, it will run out through the hole. Free-flowing solids are a less extreme
case than liquids. In most cases, you could put sugar, salt, or another free-
flowing solid in your pocket and take it home. You probably would not want
to eat it afterwards, though! However, once you got the product home, you
Free-flowing solids,
would still have to put it into some type of container for storage. In a
such as common
practical sense, free-flowing solids must be contained to be handled. table salt must be
contained for
A different type of containment is often used for handling large, heavy convenient handling.
motors, pumps, and similar equipment. Such items, which are too heavy A spout or salt
and clumsy to be moved by hand, are often “contained” by fastening them shaker, built into the
securely to a pallet that can be lifted and moved by a forklift or other package, adds
convenience (utility).
machinery that is powerful enough to lift and carry the machine.

In summary, containment is a basic function of packaging. Many

products are contained in packages because it is impractical to handle them
without having them contained. In addition, for most products, the package
also provides other benefits.

Function 2: Protection

Products are exposed to many hazards during packaging, storage, handling, and
transport. The specific hazard depends on the sensitivity cf the product and the
environmental conditions. This section highlights some of the common hazards
against which a package can protect a product and discusses pirticular
protective approaches used for some specific products.

Moisturize hazard

Many products must be protected against undesirable gain of moisture. Other Large, heavy
machinery, such as
products must be protected against undesirable loss of moisture, For example
this blow molder
if the wrapper on a loaf of bread allows moisture to escape, the bread will dry (motor), which
out and get hard. The slices often curl up and will be very unappetizing. manufactures plastic
bottles can be
Other products, including crispy snacks such as potato chips and pretzels, contained by
lose crispness, texture, and flavor if they gain too much moisture. Proper attaching to a pallet
and handling it with
packagingprevents the unwanted movement of moisture into or out of the
machinery.
product, thereby preserving the product’s quality.
 In both cases, the package must be constructed of a material that has a high resistanceto
the passage of moisture. We call this resistance a barrier. In a bread package, the barrier
prevents moisture from leaking out of the package. Conversely, a package for a crisp snack
keeps moisture from leaking into the package. These important packaging considerations
cannot be achieved if the package material lacks adequate barrier.
However, simply using material with a good barrier is not adequate by itself. The package
must have tight seals to prevent the passage of moisture. An effective reclosing system is also
helpful.

The preceding short discussion only looked at the need to control moisture movement in a
few examples of food products. However, moisture is also an important factor when packaging
many other products. For example, steel corrodes (rusts) in the presence of moisture, and
certain pharmaceutical products may lose efficacy (effectiveness) if the moisture level in the
package is too high. Packaging can be used to prevent these and many other problems.

Oxygen hazard

Many products can be damaged by the incorrect level of oxygen. For some products, a high
level of oxygen is a hazard. For others, a low level of oxygen is a hazard. Too much oxygen can
lead to oxidation (darkening) of various pigments in some foods. The darkening does not
necessarily make the food inedible, but consumers often think that the color change indicates
food spoilage. Rancidity of fats and oils in food is another effect of excess oxygen. This type of
oxidation produces peroxides, aldehydes, and other undesirable odors, tastes, and chemical
effects. Some pharmaceutical products and vitamins, such as beta-carotene, are oxygen
sensitive and must be protected from exposure to excess oxygen. Fine metal parts are nonfood
items that can be damaged by corrosion in the presence of too much oxygen. They can often be
Protected from corrosion by using packaging.

Aluminum can for carbonated soft drinks

A standard aluminum can of the type used for carbonated soft

drinks is very weak when it is empty. You can experiment by using
your hands to crush an empty can from top to bottom. But a filled,
pressurized can is very strong, A carbonated beverage pressurizes
the cans to a level of 4 to 6 atmospheres, around 75 pounds per
square inch (psi). By comparison, the tires on an ordinary
automobile are pressurized to around 30 psi. The pressurized can
acts like a balloon and is easily able to support the weight of the cans An aluminum can filled
with carbonated
stacked on top without breaking. Billions of cans are handled this way beverage is very strong
each year. and is easily able to
support a stack of other
Appliances cans.

A large manufacturer of washing machines, refrigerators, and other

home appliances instituted a project to reduce the cost of packaging,
which was mostly large, heavy, expensive corrugated paperboard boxes. The boxes had to be
large to fit the appliances and strong enough to support the weight of other appliances stacked
on top. As a result, the boxes were costly. They were also a disposal problem for the
homeowners who purchased the appliances. The solution was to redesign the appliances,
making them strong enough to support the weight of other units stacked on top. The packaging
then was reduced to a corrugated “cap.” corner guards, and plastic stretch wrap.

Reduced packaging of an appliance. The individual appliances were more expensive after the
redesign. but the packaging cost reduction was greater, providing a saving on the combined
cost product and package.

Breakage

Products are subjected to shocks and vibration at all stages of the manufacturing–
warehousing–distribution cycle. For example, a product in a truck vibrates as the truck travels
down a road. In addition, there are shocks when the truck crosses railroad tracks, hits potholes,
or runs over objects in the road. Unrestrained boxes in a trurk can fall and tumble around as the
truck travels normally. These shocks and vibrations can damage or even destroy products.
Common solutions involve: (l) cushioning to protect against shocks, (2) restraints to control the
movement of the packaged products in the truck, (3) unitized loads to change the response to
vibration, and (4) redesigning the product to be less sensitive. There will be more on this topic
in later chapters.

Temperature

Many products must be held in a specific temperature range to prevent

damage or spoilage. A classic example of a product that must be kept
cold is ice cream. If ice cream gets warm, it melts and is destroyed. Ice
cream is protected by cold conditions. Many other items such as
human organs, must also be kept cold. If a heart or kidney warms up
during transport to the location where it will be transplanted into a
patient, it may lose its viability. Dual ovenable paperboard
packaging introduced for
The quality of other items can also be damaged by cold. For ready meals which can be used
to cook the contents in a
example, many paints, caulks, adhesive, and similar products can be
microwave oven or a
seriously damaged if they are exposed to temperatures colder than a conventional oven
predetermined limit.

Packaging itself can be damaged by excessive heat or cold. For

example, some materials get brittle when cold. Packages made of
these materials may crack as a result. Alternatively, “dual ovemble”
packages, which are designed to be used in either conventional or
microwave ovens, can melt and ruin the product if the oven
temperature is too high.
Light

Many products, including certain foods and pharmaceuticals and even

fine art, degrade, fade, or change in the presence of sunlight (ultraviolet
light). These products must be offered for sale in packages that protect
against exposure to the harmful light. This is the predominant reason
that beer is packaged in brown glass bottles. Beer in clear bottles must be
kept out of direct sunlight during storage or the glass must have additives
to screen out the undesirable components of light.
An amber (brown) glass
Consider another example. A small mid-Michigan company operates bottle provides protection
a chain of convenience stores. One product line is a variety of against ultra-violet light
sandwiches packaged in opaque triangular plastic containers with a which would cause the
clear plastic film over the open side. The packages holding ham beverage to degrade. The
vodka is not damaged by
sandwiches must be placed on the shelf “upside down” because the
the light, so the clear
light in the refrigerated display cases causes the exposed edge of the glass can be used.
ham to bleach out. turning an unappetizing grayrgreen color.

Crushing hazard

Many products are stacked during storage or transportation. The item or the package for
the item on the bottom layer must support the weight of all the items above it in the stack.
There are various approaches that can be used. The package can be made strong enough to
support the stack. Alternatively, the product can be modified to provide all or part of the
needed strength and internal support can he used to strengthen the bottom layer.

Dirt and infestation

Consumers want products to be free from dirt and evidence of infestation at the time of
purchase. Infestation is contamination by bacteria and other microbes, insects, rodents, and
other pests. Packages must be tight and constructed of material that will keep such pests from
gaining access to the product. One form of protection is to simply keep the product clean. So
furniture is often packed in large plastic bags for dust protection, and food packages are closed
up in shipping containers or sealed in plastic to keep them clean.

Tampering

The final form of protection that will be mentioned in this section is protection against
unauthorized opening of packages to tamper with a product. There are several tamper,
resistant approaches, such as shrink neck bands, inner seals, and so on. which make tampering
difficult or provide evidence that tampering has occurred.

It can be seen that packages must protect products against many hazard. All of these topics
will he discussed further in later chapters.
Function 3: Communication
All packages convey information. A basic function of the information on the
labels of most retail packages is to motivate the consumer to purchase the
product. The package is often called the “silent salesperson." In most stores,
the consumer can make a choice among several options of a particular
product type. For example, most grocery stores carry three to six brands of
corn flakes and frequently offer a choice of several package sizes of each.
The customer often makes an initial selection based on information
presented on the package. Later, the costumer is motivated to The printed
instructions on this
continue purchasing the same brand or acts on the information provided in package of cosmetic
advertisements or on packages to select a different product. product are common
method of
communicating
To study package communication, simply visit any retail store and look information about
around. There are several types of information on most packages. Some of the product.
it, such as the weight or quantity of product, nutritional characteristics, and
ingredients in a food product, is required by law. Other information,
such as a bar code or preparation instructions, is added for the
convenience of the user, the producer, or the retailer.

The decoration on a package includes printed text and illustrations.

The text includes the company or product line logo. The logo is always
critical piece of printing.

Companies want the logo to be reproduced perfectly with the right This package
print styles, colors, line weights, and so on. Decoration may be communicates a variety
drawing or photographs. The package label must give a clear picture of of information, including
the contents. For example, the photo cannot show a picture of a preparation instruction,
cherry pie if the product is pasta sauce. phone number, and logo.

The package shape sometimes communicates information. Many

packages have a distinct shape, such as certain brands of pancake
syrup. The shape is often the only information required to identify the
product. The package material also transmits information. For example, a transparent material
allows the product to be seen while an opaque material obscures the product. This is
particularly important in some countries, In France, for example. bread often is not packaged in
a wrapper of the type used in the United States. The French culture requires that a customer be
able to inspect the entire loaf.

Other information that is typically on the label includes the manufacturer’s name and
information about the plant where the product was produced or packaged, and a toll-free (300)
telephone number or a Web address for additional information or complaints.
Function 4: Utility
Many packages add value to the product. They do this in various ways.
Basically, any package that makes a product easier to use, more
convenient, or safer has a higher utility. Examples are packages that are
easy to open and reclose. Customers have two major complaints about
packages:

• It's too difficult to open.

• It’s too difficult to re-close This bag of chips
can be opened by
peeling off the front
Adding a dispensing means is a common method of improving the utility label which makes it
of a package. That is why there are hundreds of spouts, shakers, valves, easy to open.
pumps. and other fitments added to packages.

Multipacks improve utility by making a product easier to carry around

and use. The individual packages may be sized for a single serving or use. For example, instead
of a large container of two-cycle oil that the customer must measure out and pour into another
container along with a quantity at gasoline, manufacturers offer six-packs of small premeasured
containers of the oil. Each one holds the proper amount of oil to be mixed with one gallon of
gasoline. The process of preparing two-cycle engine fuel is quicker, easier. and more accurate
as a result.

Instructions for use are a popular method of improving the utility of many products.
Consider a microwavable pizza. The preparation instructions generally tell clearly how to
prepare the product to make a satisfying snack or meal. The consequences of failing to read and
follow the instructions can include: (1) an underdone (cold) product, (2) an overdone (burned)
product, or (3) a pizza with melted plastic wrap in the sauce.

Safety considerations can also improve the utility of a package. The attention to safety can
be as simple as a warning statement on a cup of a hot beverage. It can also be more
comprehensive, such as ensuring that bags of pet food or other heavy products are made of
paper that has a high enough coefficient of friction to prevent the bag from slipping of the top
of a pallet stack and possibly injuring someone standing below.
II. What is packaging?
Four primary components of work can be considered to be packaging.
They are listed below, along with some explanations.

1. Development of packages md packaging

• Package development involves the invention of new
package forms and new materials and processes. A
development project may be large and open ended, such
as the development of a glass coating for a plastic film,
The thermochromic
or small and specific. such as the application of a ink on this label
thermochromic ink label to indicate when a makes the ice printed
microwavable product has been heated to the proper images colorful
temperature. when the beverage is
• A package development project is usually a team effort. cold.
Often involving personnel from several divisions of a
company along with representatives of suppliers,
proposed customers, lawyers. and others.

2. Production (manufacture) of packages and package components

• Production of packages and package components is mostly
carried out by converting companies. As Will be seen in
Chapters 2- 5. some companies purchase materials and
manufacture packages that are subsequently purchased and
used by other companies. There are many examples. The
• Some companies purchase rolls of paperboard and thermochromic
manufacture corrugated board. They may also manufacture ink on this label
corrugated boxes and trays. Other companies purchase makes the word
“Hot” appear
corrugated board and then manufacture boxes. trays. and so
when the syrup
on. Other companies purchase plastic resin in the form of is hot.
small pellets and manufacture packaging films, bottles, cans,
cups. lids, closures, and other components. In the metal
industry, some companies purchase rolls of aluminum
or steel and manufacture cans or can ends. In the glass
industry, companies purchase sand, soda, and other
materials and, in a combined process, make glass and
form it into glass containers,
• In some case, the converting (package manufacturing) The thermochromic
activity is done by the same company that does the filling, ink on this label
closing, and other packaging line activities. For example, a makes the blue
milk processirg company may operate equipment to mountains appear
when the temperature
manufacture plastic jugs, which will be filled with milk
is below 44
products. Fahrenheit.
 3. Filling and closing packages
• Filling and closing packages is integral to the manufacture of many products. For
example, pet food is produced in a cooking operation, which feeds the product
direct to a packaging line where it is placed into bags, cartons, carts. or pouches,
which are closed, sealed. labeled (if necessary), packed into shipping containers
and palletized for shipment. Nearly all human food, pharmaceutical, and
cosmetic products are produced and packaged in a similar fashion.
• Sometimes. a product is manufactured at one location and then transported to
another location for packaging. For example, one manufacturer loaded water
into tanker trucks at a famous spring in northern Virginia and transported it to
St. Louis where the water was bottled, labeled, and palletized by a contract
packager. The loaded pallets were transported back to northern Virginia so the
water could be sold locally.
• Another company purchases small hardware items (nails, bolts, washers, picture
hangers, S-hooks. etc.) from manufacturers in Asia and packages the items in
small plastic boxes or bags of various sizes, suitable for hanging on pegs in a
hardware or department store. The packaged products are sold by various large
retail chains under the name of the company that does the packaging.

4. Distribution and handling of packaged products

• Packaging is one step in the process of moving finished products out to the
market. Packaging in shipping containers, cushioning, distribution testing,
palletizing, transportation, and warehousing are some of the other activities
that are involved. A major goal of this part of the industry is to ensure that
products arrive at the right place, at the right time, in good condition, and at the
lowest possible cost.

It is easy to see that the packaging industry involves many different activities in various
types of companies and by people with wide diversity of education and experiential
backgrounds.

III. Who does packaging?

There are many highly trained and educated professionals working in the field of packaging.
Most of them are not packaging graduates. For example, polymer scientists, chemists, and
chemical engineers may work in plastics manufacturing companies. Mechanical and electrical
engineers may work for packaging machinery manufacturing companies. Lawyers work with
companies of all types to ensure adherence to regulations, to develop and enforce contracts,
and to defend or prosecute lawsuits. Graphic artists develop labels and package decoration.
Many other examples could be quoted. While these professionals work on packaging projects,
they may also be working on no packaging activities.
 Packaging graduates are also highly trained and educated professionals. Packaging
graduates work throughout industry, both in companies that manufacture and package
products and in the companies that convert materials into packages. The focus of their work
tends to be more specifically oriented toward packaging applications than is the case for the
other professionals discussed above. Packaging graduates often serve a coordinating function,
directing packaging projects, which also involves others in a teamwork activity.

In addition, there are many “nonprofessional” packaging workers. These are the people
who operate packaging machines, install and maintain equipment, collect quality assurance
and quality control, data, drive lift trucks and over-the-road trucks, and perform the many
other technical activities required to keep a packaging system operating smoothly.

IV. Types of Packages

The systems and people described in the preceding sections produce and use packages of
three main types: retail/consumer packages, industrial packages, and military packages. Each
is described briefly here.

Retail packages

Retail packages are the packages that sit on the shelves in grocery stores,
hardware stores, and other retail establishments. Other retail packages
are used for catalog sales, e-commerce sales, and similar functions. Retail
packages are characterized by elaborate decoration. Retail packages are
usually relatively small and are manufactured in large numbers. Retail
packages are often used in point-of-purchase marketing programs; the
special store displays that introduce new products or encourage sales in The retail book
conjunction with holidays or other events. packages are
packaged for
There are many issues connected with retail packaging, such as distribution.
targeted marketing programs, concerns about the environment,
competition, and so on.

Industrial packages

industrial packages are used transport products from one company to

another. For example, industrial packages are used to transport components
from suppliers to automotive assembly plants. Industrial packages made of
corrugated board are often characterized simply as “brown boxes."
Actually, many packages are made of other materials, such as wood, Industrial packages,
plastic, and metal. such as these
corrugated boxes,
Industrial packages usually have limited communication functions, generally have no
such as notations about the contents, handling instructions, the source, decorations.
and the destination. There may also be bar codes or radio frequency
identification (RFID) labels, which are used for remote identification of the contents, tracking
boxes through the inventory system, and preventing loss or theft. Protection is a primary
function. Industrial packages, which tend to be larger than retail packages, are often reusable.

Military packages

Military packages are used to transport military products and

supplies from a supplier company to a specific military base or depot
and then to the troops in the field. Military packages are often made
to very careful specifications to ensure that the military product will
be protected while it is being stored or transported to the place Military packages
where it will be used. Some types of military hardware are very such as these boxes,
expensive. Many places of military hardware are “mission critical"— generally have only
They must work as expected. That means that the missile, important
information
instrument, engine part, or other device must be protected from
decorations.
shocks, vibration, corrosion, dirt, or any other hazards that could
damage the item.

Military products are often manufactured and placed in storage for

later use. At the time of purchase, no one knows whether the product will be used in a jungle,
desert, or in the Artic. The packaging must protect he product against any of these
environments.

Like the nonmilitary component of the economy, the military has concerns and regulations
about protection of the environment. In fact, several US, laws and regulations are aimed
specifically at the effect of military activities on the environment.an. For example, shell
casings must be collected and taken away from the battlefield. Also, the navy cannot throw
garbage overboard. This is to prevent polluting or littering the ocean with used packaging and
other materials, particularly plastic. Each ship must store trash until it can be brought to a
depot ship or to port. This can be serious problem on a submarine.

Military packaging involves more than weapons. There are also food packages,
pharmaceutical items, and mundane supplies, such as paint, furniture cushions, and clothing.
However, all military packaging is characterized by being high quality, carefully selected for
top performance of containment. protection, communication, and utility. As a result, when
compared in equivalent civilian products, military packaging is frequently quite expensive.

V. Levels of Packaging
Earlier, packages were classified into three groups according to the type of product that is
contained in the package: retail, industrial, and military. In this section, we’ll discuss another
three group classification system for packages that are classified according to function. The
three groups are primary, secondary. and tertiary. Each is described and discussed in the
following paragraphs.
Primary packages

The primary package is the first layer of protection and containment.

Primary packages are in contact with the product. The primary package
may also play important roles in the communication and utility
functions. Examples of primary packages include plastic tubes for hand This blister pack is an
lotion, potato chip bags, metal soup cans, envelopes for mail, bread example of primary
wrappers, blister packs for pills, tablets, and other pharmaceutical package for this
products, paint cans, and boxes for software. pharmaceutical
product.
Secondary packages

Secondary packages are packages that hold other packages. In some cases,
a secondary package performs the communication function and may
influence the utility of the product package combination Examples of
secondary packages include paperboard cartons for tubes or bottles of
makeup, paperboard sleeves around plastic packages of meat,
paperboard wrapper. to hold six or more cans or bottles of beverages This paperboard
and other products, plastic rings to hold six or eight bottles of beverages, box is an example
plastic or metal crates that hold four gallon jugs of milk, six-packs of of secondary
aseptic fruit juice drink boxes, and variety packs of cereal. package for this
pharmaceutical
Tertiary packaging product.

Tertiary packaging is any layer of packaging that is outside of the secondary

pack. Examples are pallets, plastic stretch wraps, corrugated board
shipping containers, and metal or plastic banding.

Packaging may simultaneously satisfy two or even all three of these

functions. For example, a television set is packaged in a corrugated box,
which serves as the primary package and also the shipping container, a
This is corrugated
tertiary package. The definitions are not always clear in application, but it box is an example of
is beneficial to recognize that different types of packages serve different tertiary package
functions.

VI. Brief comments about the history of

packaging
People have had the same packaging needs since the beginning of human activity on earth.
Ancient nomadic peoples often carried items with them as they traveled from place to place
The necessities of life were collected along the way, and they would be earned to a campsite
or to a stopping place for a meal or snack. Carrying these materials required packages of some
sort.

Later, cave and tent dwellers lived in any location for longer periods of time. To obtain
food and the other necessities of life, the people ranged out from home base to hunt fish,
gather grains, and other materials for food, medicines, and other requirements. These
materials had to be stored until needed during the winter or other times of need until new
supplies could be located or until new “crops” of wild plants could grow to maturity.

These ancient peoples followed Similar procedures to do their packaging. They worked
with the available materials, using the available technology. The available materials were
naturally occurring materials, such as large leaves, wood, bamboo segments, animal skins,
horns. bladders, intestines, and bones. They also used grass to make baskets, some with lids.

Later, new materials and technology were developed. Pottery was developed around 6000
BC. Pottery was used to manufacture jars, amphorae, cups. Dishes, and other containers.
Glass containers were made at early as 3000 BC in Egypt. Later, paper was invented in China.

More materials and technology were discovered or invented and applied in the nineteenth
century as the pace of development accelerated. Metal cans, collapsible tubes, packaging
machines, corrugated paperboard boxes, and crown closures were all used for the first time in
the nineteenth century.

Developments came even faster in the twentieth century. Most of the machines used for
packaging were developed in the last 100 years. Automation. such as PLCs (Programmable
Logic Controllers) and computer controls was developed and applied in the last 30 years.
There have been many package developments in the same time frame.

The first package considered to be a modem (1896) retail pack was produced for Uneeda
biscuits. This package signaled the beginning of the end of the cracker barrel era in food
stores. Graphic arts came into common use, and retail packages in self-service retail stores
replaced many of the sales functions that formerly involved clerks. New materials were
developed. The best example is plastics. The advantages of plastics will be discussed later, but
plastic has been able to displace metal, paper, and glass for many products. Finally, there has
been rapid growth of flexible package forms, replacing rigid packages for many products.

Modern Packaging Materials

Today, virtually all commercial packages are made of one of the following five materials: glass,
metal, paper, plastic, and wood, or a combination of two or more materials. Combinations are
very common. For example, a glass bottle may have a metal or plastic closure and a paper or
paper/plastic lamination label. Within each of these general types of materials, there can be
several (even many) variations. A metal can, for example, maybe made of steel or aluminum.
Packaging Industry Sectors

As discussed briefly in a previous section, there are two major sectors of the packaging
industry: (1) converting and (2) filling and closing. Some examples are listed here.

Converting sector Filling and closing sector

• Bag making • Converters
• Can manufacturing • Beer plants
• Bottle manufacturing • Food plants
• Pallet manufacturing • Cosmetic plants
• Corrugated board • Frozen meat companies
manufacturing • Pet food plants
• Corrugated box manufacturing • Furniture plants
• Label printing • Automobile plants
• Glue manufacturing • Printers (books and magazines)
• Printers • Electronic commerce and mail order
• Adhesive manufacturers companies

Packaging use in the United States

The pattern of use or consumption of packaging depends on many factors, including economic
status, location, lifestyle, age, and marital status. In the United States, each person on average
consumes about 500 pounds of packaging per year. This is equivalent to about 1.5 pounds per
person per day. After being used, this material is recycled, disposed of in a landfill,
incinerated, reused, or it degrades into other more basic materials. As you will see in later
chapter. packaging creates a significant amount of waste, but other waste streams are
much larger.

Packaging industry today

Today, the packaging industry is made up of all or part of some 200 other industry groups.
There are about 300,000 companies involved in the packaging industry as suppliers, users, or
waste managers. The Industry has an economic value of $100 to $140 billion per year in the
United States and about $450 billion worldwide. More than 1,000,000 people are employed in
packaging in the United States, making packaging one of the largest employer industries.

Packaging uses about 45 percent of all glass manufactured in the United States. About 50
percent of all the paper and paperboard, and about 30 percent of all plastic. Packaging is
generally considered to be the third largest industry in the United States.

Reference: Introduction to Packaging by Harold Hughes. Chapter 1 Introduction to Packaging. Pages 1

to 16.
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