Managing Packaging Design for Sustainable Development

A Compass for Strategic Directions

Daniel Hellström, Annika Olsson

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN:
  9781119150930
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781119151029
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Food Science
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Packaging design is a powerful vehicle for making our lives friendlier, our planet greener and our businesses richer. It is an essential link between the producer and the customer, where it contributes to the positioning and presentation of a product; and on many occasions, the use of the product after purchase. What is missing is a compass that can guide practitioners in the right direction. This is particularly so in the field of packaging where the routes you take may contradict rather than contribute to sustainable development.

Managing Packaging Design for Sustainable Development: A Compass for Strategic Directions emphasizes the need to rethink packaging system design, by presenting a strategic packaging design tool; a compass. The compass encourages you to go off-road, to develop and innovate, and to remake the packaging design solution that previously was best practice. Theory and practical applications are balanced by outlining the most crucial tenets of packaging design for sustainability and by illustrating wide range of real-life cases that will inspire and challenge the mindsets of those who apply the compass in packaging design related projects.

This is a must-have book for designers, engineers, logisticians, marketers, supply chain professionals and other managers who seek guidance on sustainable solutions through packaging design.

Part I
Fundamentals of Packaging Design

Packaging is something that we interact with on a daily basis. Most of the time we do not even notice it, since packaging is fully integrated into our lives and personal use, as well as with the product inside. Can you imagine what the world would be like without packaging? Packaging ensures that the products of the world reach the consumers of the world. Some people may argue that because packaging is not part of the product, it is not needed and should be restricted or even banned. When we eat, we are safeguarded because our food has been protected by packaging. When we are sick, our pharmaceuticals are safe, efficient and not counterfeit, due to effective packaging. There would be no need for packaging if the products themselves were resistant to everything in all types of surroundings, if they did not have to be moved, and if they were not time dependent. But as we all know, this is not the case nor will it be in the future. This is why packaging is a prerequisite for safe production, distribution and consumption.

In many parts of the world packaging is an intrinsic part of businesses, industries, institutions and authorities. In businesses, packaging plays an important role in the renewal and extension of product life cycles and is recognized for its positive effects on productivity, its financial impact and its value creation. Packaging is a global business with an annual turnover of close to €500 billion that is growing in line with the global economy. For governments, packaging does not only affect the national economy but also its legislation. For society as a whole, packaging is a vital element in enabling population growth, fostering new and changing habits and life styles, creating employment and trade and most importantly, contributing to the availability of products around the world.

Part I of this book – Fundamentals of Packaging Design – is made up of three chapters. The first, “Introduction to packaging”, is where the functions, legislation, regulations and terminology of packaging are explained to introduce you to the world of packaging systems. The chapter ends by describing the multidisciplinary nature of packaging and the role of packaging logistics. Chapter 2 is about “Sustainability development and packaging”. Here we present the definition of sustainable development, the historical role of packaging, and common misunderstandings about packaging. We also elaborate on how packaging can effect and encourage sustainable development. In Chapter 3, “Designing packaging”, packaging design is examined from various points of view to explore the “brilliance” and complexity of its numerous aspects and facets. The management, practices and tools of the packaging design process are also presented. The numerous requirements and needs of packaging are described, followed by the design challenges in dealing with this complexity.

1
Introduction to packaging

Packaging is the science, art and technology of protecting and adding value to products. In order to fulfil these tasks, it is necessary to integrate the processes of designing, evaluating and producing packages, which also involves the elements of materials, machinery and people. People have a variety of views on packaging. One of the more limited views is reflected in the question: What packaging material is better than another? In reality, material is only one element of packaging, one which is highly dependent on the product that is about to be packed. This limited view needs to be supplemented by others in order to take in all the different perspectives of packaging and the functions it has throughout its life cycles. To clarify the meaning of packaging, a broad and well‐established packaging definition is needed. The definition we use in this book is based on Paine’s (1981) well established version and the EU’s definition (94/62/EC). It is expressed in three statements:

1. Packaging is a coordinated system made up of any materials of any nature, to be used for preparing goods for containment, protection, transport, handling, distribution, delivery and presentation.
2. Packaging is the means of ensuring safe delivery from the producer to the ultimate consumer in sound and safe conditions.
3. Packaging is a techno‐economic function aimed at making delivery efficient while maximizing effectiveness.

The package itself is defined as the physical artefact that performs the many functions required from different stakeholders and from the product. This is our jumping off point for further elaboration on the different functions of packaging.

1.1 Multiple functions of packaging

The principal functions that packaging is able to perform are manifold. Several authors and researchers in the packaging field have described and defined them in various ways. Paine (1981), Robertson (1990) and Livingstone and Sparks (1994) emphasize seven fundamental functions of packaging for the product to be: protection, containment, preservation, apportionment, unitization, convenience and communication of the product. Lockamy III (1995) lists the same functions, but excludes preservation, which mainly relates to food and other perishable products. In Lockamy III’s assessment of strategic packaging decisions, the six main functions of packaging are: containment, protection, apportionment, unitization, convenience and communication. These six fundamental functions are the ones that most researchers acknowledge and use, even though some of the functions have been developed and expanded. For example, the protection function can be divided into physical and barrier protection. Others researchers integrate functions by merging the above‐mentioned six into broader categories. Lindh et al. (2016) propose three main functions: protect, facilitate handling and communication. Another way of categorizing packaging is to use process‐related aspects such as security, marketing and information transmission as specific functions. One can claim, though, that security can be sorted under the protection function, as well as under communication; marketing and information transmission can also be sorted under communication (Lindh et al., 2016).

We could take any of the above‐mentioned set of functions as our starting point, but have chosen Lockamy III’s (1995) six main functions because they are the most commonly used and referred to. We have also added information as a function of its own.

1.1.1 Containment

The purpose of containment is to hold the content and keep it or the surroundings secure. The second part of this definition is similar to protection, but more clearly signals the activity of collecting things into an assembled unit. Many products need containment because of their nature, the classic example being liquids. Since products come in all shapes and sizes and react in different ways to their surroundings, some kind of containment is necessary. Imagine the process of getting pasta or rice to your dinner table without packaging. Containment highlights the need for the existence of packages in making products available to consumers.

1.1.2 Protection

The protection function of packaging involves safeguarding the contents of the package from external sources and vice versa. Damage can arise from physical, chemical, microbiological and climatic sources. Packaging provides physical protection against many different static and dynamic forces, such as vibration, compression and mechanical shock. It also protects from climatic conditions and hazards, such as temperature and humidity. From a chemical and biological point of view, it protects the product from microbiological or chemical deterioration, which is also a preservation function. Preservation means retaining the quality of the content by stopping or inhibiting chemical and biological changes. It can be regarded as part of the protection function because it is usually managed by choosing a proper packaging material. Preventing damage from external sources is often considered the main reason for having packaging. But the package also functions as protection of humans and the environment from the internal product. An example of this is in the transport of hazardous materials.

1.1.3 Apportionment

The apportionment function enables a given amount of content to control and support appropriate usage. Apportionment in packaging facilitates the output from today’s large‐scale industrial production by dividing products into manageable portions and sizes. This provides retail outlets and consumers with the desired amount and proper dimensions of the product for different users in different situations. Apportionment also helps users to manage inventory and to reduce food waste by using appropriate portion sizes. Apportionment is similar to and meets the same underlying needs as the next function, unitization.

1.1.4 Unitization

Unitization involves the consolidation or reconciliation of units. Most often smal...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• About the Authors
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Part I: Fundamentals of Packaging Design
• Part II: A Packaging Design Compass for Sustainable Development
• Part III: Practical and Illustrative Cases
• Afterword
• Index
• End User License Agreement