Packaging has been playing a major role in every industry. Packaging has been used to transport products from one place to the other. If the packaging was not there, we would not be able to protect our products. The big and establishing industries that you see, they are nothing without packaging. How would it be possible for them to transport their products from industry to the market and from the market to the retailers safely without packaging? Without packaging, it would be impossible for them to transport their products without any damage. Packaging keeps the products safe.
Packaging not only helps to keep the products safe, but it also helps to communicate the company’s message to the customers. It is the packaging that helps to increase sales. Products look more beautiful and visually pleasing with packaging. Without packaging, products can get damaged, and there are higher chances that the quality of the products may be compromised. Studies have shown that packaging has been helping the businesses to promote their products through packaging. Packaging helps to safely transact the products, and it has been effective in increasing the shelf life of a lot of products like food products and medicines etc.
Have you ever looked at the packaging of the products that you use in your daily life and wondered how it is invented? Is it something new? Well, the packaging industry is not new. It has been there since the early years of man. Boxes has been there to help people out, and people have been using it in one or another way. Packaging has been a need of man, and till date, it is serving us.
Packaging in ancient times
No doubt, that packaging was used in ancient times, but the packaging in ancient times was a lot different than the packaging in the modern world. In ancient times, people felt the need for packaging to store the food items and to transport them from one place to the other, and that is how the packaging was invented. In ancient times, people used to hunt in order to survive. When they used to relocate from one place to the other, they used to carry food with them, and that was the time when they invented ways to carry, store and transport food items from one place to the other. Well, a lot of materials were discovered with time, which will be discussed further.
Packaging materials that were used in ancient times
1. Leaves
In ancient times, as civilization grew, the need for packaging also grew. People started using natural resources to create packaging for their food items. Large leaves from the trees like palm leaves, lotus leaves etc. were being used. People used leaves as containers to keep and transport the food items. These leaves were also used as plates. Food was served on these leaves in ancient times.
2. Animal Skin
Animal skin was also used in the ancient times to store, protect and transport food items, other products and goods.
3. Nuts or Gourds
Researches show us that nuts and gourds were used to store and transport food items.
4. Wood
People started taking benefit of the available resources, and they created containers out of wood. They used bamboo, coconut shells and other woods to create vessels in which they used to store food items. They used to cut wooden pieces and make containers out of them to store food. Wood was a strong packaging material.
5. Use of pottery
As the people started becoming more civilized and the villages came into being, the needs of the people were also changing. People started making advancements, and they found new ways to store and protect the goods. People used clay and made pottery out of it. In villages, clay was significantly used to protect and store food items. Clay was shaped in different new shapes. Liquid and solid food items were being stored and cooked in those potteries. Pottery has been in use for a very long time until the people became more civilized and found new ways of packaging.
Modern Packaging
Life started becoming advance, cities established, and people started getting educated day by day. Older ways of packaging diminished and new ways were discovered to package goods and food items. Industries brought a revolution into the packaging field. Man-made packaging materials went out of fashion, and modern technology was used to package goods and food items. Packaging methods became modern, and machines were being used to pack products.
Plastic bags
Bags were being used to pack different materials, whether it is a food item or a cosmetic product. Plastic packaging was used. Shopping bags were used in the shopping centers to pack me trials that the consumers will buy. Well, it became very handy to pack different items with the industrial revolution.
Packaging materials used to transport different products
Well, with time different materials were used to store and pack different items. Transportation of the goods was a major concern in ancient times and to date, it is the main concern of every industry. Cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, plastic bags, Kraft paper, folding cartons, etc. are used to pack and store products. Then, these boxes are sent for shipping, and that is how the transportation of products became so much easier. There is a high chance that the products may get damage if they are well-packed and year after year, new technologies are arising to make the packaging stronger and more functional.
Other Packaging types
The packaging industry has advanced a lot, and every business is now using customized packaging for its products. The food industry is using plastic cups, plastic plates and forks to store and serve food items. There are plastic trays in which food items are stored to increase their shelf life. Business owners have become very advanced and intelligent; they are now using packaging as a promotional tool. They are using customized and fancy packaging that not only protect their products but also enhance the look of the products. Boxes have now become modern and user-friendly.
Packaging in the coming years
Packaging has proved to be very useful in the past and the present years, and it will continue to be used in the coming years. It is predicted that packaging will become more advanced and functional. These days, the use of plastic packaging has increased to a great extent that it has become a threat to the environment. Plastic packaging is harmful to the environment and the health of the people. People have become more educated, more environment-conscious and health-conscious. Their concerns for the environment have increased, and they are looking for more sustainable packaging. Some businesses have started using wholesale eco-friendly packaging so that they can protect the environment, but the majority of the people are not aware of eco-friendly packaging.
In the coming years, new ways will be discovered to make the packaging more cost-efficient and environment-friendly. The continued industrial and packaging revolution will surely offer better packaging ideas and sustainable packaging in the coming years.
