Packaging is the science, art, and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. Packaging can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport, warehousing, logistics, sale, and end use. Packaging contains, protects, preserves, transports, informs, and sells.
The first packages used the natural materials available at the time: Baskets of reeds, wooden boxes, pottery vases, ceramic amphorae, wooden barrels, woven bags, etc. Processed materials were used to form packages as they were developed: for example, early glass and bronze vessels. Iron and tin plated steel were used to make cans in the early 19th century. Paperboardcartons and corrugated fibre boardboxes were first introduced in the late 19th century.
Packaging advancements in the early 20th century included Bakelite closures on bottles, transparent cellophane overwraps and panels on cartons, increased processing efficiency and improved food safety. As additional materials such as aluminium and several types of plastic were developed, they were incorporated into packages to improve performance and functionality.
The function of the packaging is not just to protect the product. It performs many other jobs as well. These include providing information about the contents as well as enabling and facilitating other logistics processes - including transport and handling as well as storage, order processing and warehousing. In addition to the logistics functions, packaging must also fulfil production functions, marketing functions and usage functions. Main objectives of Packaging & Labelling are:
Physical protection from mechanical shock, vibration, electrostatic discharge, compression, temperature
Barrier protection from oxygen, water vapour, dust, etc
Containment– Small objects are typically grouped together in one package for reasons of efficiency. Liquids, powders, and granular materials need containment.
Information transmission – Packages and labels communicate how to use, transport, recycle, or dispose of the package or product. With pharmaceuticals, food, medical, and chemical products, some types of information are required by governments. Some packages and labels also are used for track and trace purposes.
Marketing – The packaging and labels can be used by marketers to encourage potential buyers to purchase the product.
Security – Packaging can play an important role in reducing the security risks of shipment. Packages can be made with improved tamper resistance to deter tampering and also can have tamper-evident features to help indicate tampering. Packages can be engineered to help reduce the risks of package pilferage. Packages may include authentication seals and use security printing to help indicate that the package and contents are not counterfeit. Packages also can include anti-theft devices, such as dye-packs, RFID tags, or electronic article surveillance tags that can be activated or detected by devices at exit points.
Convenience – Packages can have features that add convenience in distribution, handling, stacking, display, sale, opening, reclosing, use, dispensing, reuse, recycling, and ease of disposal
Portion control – Single serving or single dosage packaging has a precise amount of contents to control usage. Bulk commodities can be divided into packages that are a more suitable size for individual households. It is also aids the control of inventory: selling sealed one-liter-bottles of milk, rather than having people bring their own bottles to fill themselves.
Warehouse function: Packaging is required to facilitate the storage of a product. If possible, the packaging should be stackable and meet the demands of the storage equipment.
Transportation function: The packaging also has the task of facilitating the transport of a product or actually enabling the product to be transported.
Handling function: The goods should be combined by the packaging into units that simplify their processing during trans-shipment and delivery. The form and size of the packaging units must also facilitate the employment of technical aids such as forklifts or storage and retrieval systems.
Types of Packaging: It is sometimes convenient to categorize packages by layer or function: "primary", "secondary", etc.
Primary packaging is the material that first envelops the product and holds it. This usually is the smallest unit of distribution or use and is the package which is in direct contact with the contents.
Secondary packaging is outside the primary packaging, perhaps used to group primary packages together.
The interior dimensions and capacities of larger packaging must be able to accommodate the external dimensions and capacities of the smaller packaging to be stored in the larger units. But the different interior dimensions of containers can result in altered space utilization with pallets. In order to make the best use of both space and area, the height of the packaging units has to be considered.
Shipping container labelling: Technologies related to shipping containers are identification codes, bar codes, and electronic data interchange (EDI). These three core technologies serve to enable the business functions in the process of shipping containers throughout the distribution channel. Each has an essential function: identification codes either relate product information or serve as keys to other data, bar codes allow for the automated input of identification codes and other data, and EDI moves data between trading partners within the distribution channel. RFID labels for shipping containers are also increasing in usage. Shipments of hazardous materials or dangerous goods have special information and symbols as required by UN, country, and specific carrier requirements. With transport packages, standardized symbols are also used to communicate handling needs.
With some types of products, the design process involves detailed regulatory requirements for the package. Toxicologists and food scientists need to verify that the packaging materials are allowed by applicable regulations. Packaging engineers need to verify that the completed package will keep the product safe for its intended shelf life with normal usage. Packaging processes, labelling, distribution, and sale need to be validated to comply with regulations and have the well being of the consumer in mind.
Environmental considerations: Package development involves considerations for sustainability, environmental responsibility, and applicable environmental and recycling regulations. The traditional “three R’s” of reduce, reuse, and recycle are part of a waste hierarchy which may be considered in product and package development. Development of sustainable packaging is an area of considerable interest by standards organizations, government, consumers, packagers, and retailers.
Prevention – Waste prevention is a primary goal. Packaging should be used only where needed. Proper packaging can also help prevent waste. Packaging plays an important part in preventing loss or damage to the packaged-product.
Minimization – The mass and volume of packaging can be measured and used as one of the criteria to minimize during the package design process. Usually “reduced” packaging also helps minimize costs.
Reuse – The reuse of a package or component for other purposes is encouraged. Returnable packaging has long been useful for closed loop logistics systems.
Recycling – Recycling is the reprocessing of materials into new products.
Energy recovery – Waste-to-energy and Refuse-derived fuel in approved facilities are able to make use of the heat available from the packaging components.
Disposal – Incineration and placement in a sanitary landfill are needed for some materials.
Different logistics units: Logistics units come in all forms. Details of some of the popular logistics units are as follows:
Large containers: Large containers include sea containers are either 20 feet or 40 feet long. The term TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) is the standard worldwide measure for a container. A TEU is a 20-foot-long container. A 40-foot container amounts to two TEUs.
Small containers: Small containers are suited for small parts being stored, picked or transported within a business operation. They have standard sizes and can often be stacked, a feature that enables several small containers to be packed collectively into a logistics unit on pallets. Small containers include plastic containers, cardboard boxes, foldable units and insulated.
Box pallet: The box pallet is a combination of container and pallet. It is based on a pallet and has a superstructure of wire mesh, sheet metal or wood. It is used to store an assortment of packaged goods in large quantities or with large volumes.
Flat pallet: The best known flat pallet in Europe is the Euro pallet which is a load-bearer. In North America, pallets measuring 48 inches by 40 inches, are most often used.
Stack pallet: The stack pallet is a flat pallet with four corner columns that facilitate the stacking of pallets on top of one another. The vertical columns on the four corners of the pallet have a standard profile and are either fixed or removable.
Modular packaging systems: A coordinated, modular packaging system is necessary because various companies generally operate together in a transport chain and different packaging stages may be involved. This means the sizes of smaller packaging, larger packaging and loading spaces must match.
To meet this need, the packaging industry has developed a packaging or space displacement module with a superstructure based on the pallet for single, group and shipping packaging.
