types of packaging

• Packaging


  • Can extend shelf life
  • Allows oddly shaped items to stack neatly in a display
  • Makes possible the use of machines to move pallets loaded with goods
• Packaging


  A reflection of the manufacturer's budget, advertising technique, and environmental awareness
• Choosing a packaging material


  • Depends on what the manufacturer needs
  • For something lightweight, paper and plastic fit the bill
  • Materials like metal or glass are heavier but more durable
  • Comes down to stylistic choices, shipping conditions, shelf stability, and the product's end user
• Five common packaging materials

  • Glass
  • Plastic
  • Paper
  • Metal
  • Multi-material
• Glass


  • A nonporous, nontoxic material made from sand
  • Infinitely recyclable
  • Downsides are breakability and heavier weight than plastic
  • Requires substantial heat (energy) to produce
• Plastic


  • Lightweight, inexpensive, and strong enough to protect items during shipping
  • Can be used as tape to bind packages together
  • Manufacturers can make it in a variety of colors and opacities
  • Also used inside other types of packaging in the form of packing peanuts or bubble wrap
• Paper


  • 100% recyclable
  • Making it out of wood is less eco-friendly, but there are numerous up-and-coming alternatives that have a smaller carbon footprint
• Metal


  • Aluminum, steel, and other types are made by mining raw materials from the earth, then refining them
  • Can be more durable than glass or plastic, although thin metal is usually pliable and subject to bending out of shape
• Multi-material packaging


  • Can be engineered to guard products from moisture, like a metallized plastic bag that keeps potato chips crispy