Why packaging is necessary

Protection of the product means that there must be a resistance to both internal and external corrosion, with effective properties that guarantee resistance to gas, oxygen, water and smells.

Packaging must be safe, it must be impregnable and have safeguards in place to show that it has not been tampered with.

Much of consumer confidence in the products they buy derives from the knowledge that the product has not been opened or tampered with, as seen through the existence of visible seals on products such as the mango juice carton.

Packaging is vital to conserve the product. 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.

Packaging must meet consumer requirements that products are not just kept in top condition but that they are kept fresher for longer.

Packaging also performs overtly technical functions, displaying what the product actually is and information regarding the product, as well as creating brand awareness. 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.

Packaging is also the spokesperson for the manufacturer of the product. The package is the interface between the maker and consumer and therefore must present a desirable image. One of the best examples of which is the Coca-Cola bottle shape which is known the world over and is protected as a registered trade mark.

Types

Packaging can be broken down into five main types:-

• Paper and board
• Plasti
• Glass
• Metal
• Wood

All meet the different needs of the consumer, producer, transporter etc.

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.

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 1256