ABSTRACT
What Is Packaging? In its simplest terms, packaging is preparing goods for transport, distribution, storage, retailing, and use. Packaging is essentially a service function that does not exist without something to put inside the package. Packaging has evolved from simple clay pots and woven bags and baskets into the multi-billion dollar market that it is today. Primitive packaging was not concerned with the contain, protect, and transport functions of modern packaging. Back when craftspeople were responsible for selling their own wares, the benefits of the product were divulged to the purchaser verbally on the spot; packaging graphics and other package-specific information was not necessary. As society developed and the idea of a central store was born, the craftsperson was no longer able to provide the information when the wares were purchased. Thus, the need for a fourth packaging function-inform/sell-became apparent. As our society continued to evolve, the study of demographics provided data that helped firms make smart decisions about package designs. These efforts gave way to entire industries focusing on packaging design, graphics, marketing, and converting (those firms that take raw materials and create packaging materials such as paper, paperboard, corrugated cardboard, and plastic.). Packaging science continues to progress at a remarkable pace. With this growth have come additional regulatory and environmental hurdles. Firms are concerned with the four Rs: Reduce minimizing the amount of packaging material in any given application without jeopardizing the integrity of the goods within; Reuse where possible, creating packaging systems that can be used over and over again; Recycle collecting used packaging materials to be re-processed into new material; and Recover as in recovering energy from packaging material by incineration rather than sending it to a landfill. Each of these ideals comes with specific political implications.
