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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
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.
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Seitenzahl: 405
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
About the Authors
Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I: Fundamentals of Packaging Design
1 Introduction to packaging
1.1 Multiple functions of packaging
1.2 Packaging legislation and regulations
1.3 Packaging terminology
1.4 Packaging as a system
1.5 Packaging goes beyond a single discipline
1.6 Going multidisciplinary – packaging logistics
References
2 Sustainable development and packaging
2.1 Sustainable development goals
2.2 Three pillars of sustainable development
2.3 Looking back at the role of packaging
2.4 Misconceptions of packaging
2.5 Packaging contributions to sustainable development
2.6 Packaging contributions to sustainable development for supply chains
References
3 Designing packaging
3.1 The complexity of packaging design
3.2 Challenges of dealing with the complexity
3.3 Organizing and managing packaging design
3.4 Tools for packaging design
References
Part II: A Packaging Design Compass for Sustainable Development
4 Introducing the compass
4.1 Points of the compass
4.2 Users of the compass
4.3 How to navigate
4.4 The making of the compass – our methodology
References
5 The directions of the compass
5.1 Protection
5.2 Material use
5.3 Fill rate
5.4 Apportionment
5.5 User‐friendliness
5.6 Information and communication
References
Part III: Practical and Illustrative Cases
6 Product protection
6.1 Better quality grapes for the people
6.2 Cheap is not always the best: The citrus box
6.3 IKEA
Ektorp
sofas: Knock‐down boxing
References
7 Material use
7.1 Know and adapt your food packaging material
7.2 Can or no can? The
Tetra Recart
retortable package
7.3 Wine in glass or plastic bottles
7.4 Facing the orange juice brand
References
8 Fill rate
8.1 Detergent powder packaging: Less is more
8.2 Ice cream packaging: Brick or elliptic shape?
8.3 IKEA loading ledges: It’s not rocket science, but it is about space
References
9 Apportionment
9.1 Apportion for less product waste
9.2 Appropriate numbers in shelf‐ready packaging
9.3 The quantity of bottles in boxes
References
10 User‐friendliness
10.1 Pharmaceutical packaging: Does size matter?
10.2 Less frustration, less injury and less handling
10.3 TORK hand towels: Carrying to caring
References
11 Information and communication
11.1 How do you know if the milk is sour? An innovative sensor technique
11.2 Mobile communication through the package
11.3 Roll containers for dairy products: Connecting atoms and bits
11.4 What does the silent salesman do for a sustainable society?
References
Afterword
Index
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 01
Table 1.1 Examples of terms used for packaging.
Chapter 06
Table 6.1 Countries from where Swedish retailers import grapes during different periods.
Table 6.2 Illustration of the supply chain actors from South Africa to Sweden and their activities for different packaging levels.
Table 6.3 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, on the suggested packaging design of table grapes.
Table 6.4 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, from a reinforced cardboard box.
Table 6.5 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of the redesigned
Ektorp
packaging solution.
Chapter 07
Table 7.1 The impacts (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of selecting protective food packaging material.
Table 7.2 LCA figures for different primary packages and their space utilization in the packaging system.
Table 7.3 Collection rates (in recycling systems) of different packaging materials for retort packaging.
Table 7.4 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of the retortable carton package.
Table 7.5 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of PET in the wine supply chains.
Table 7.6 Handling time per litre (sec/litre) (Olsson and Györei, 2002).
Table 7.7 Evaluation on a 7‐point scale of packaging features (Olsson and Györei, 2002).
Table 7.8 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of the redesigned plastic pallet solution.
Chapter 08
Table 8.1 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of enhanced fill rate for the detergent powder packaging system.
Table 8.2 The impact (+ pros and – cons), on the three pillars of sustainability, of going from an elliptic to a brick packaging system.
Table 8.3 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of introducing loading ledges throughout IKEA’s product range and global supply chain network.
Chapter 09
Table 9.1 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, from having 100 g packages for salmon filé, and more efficient secondary packaging.
Table 9.2 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of the fully loaded secondary packages.
Table 9.3 The impact (+ pros and – cons), of the suggested nine pack box system for Absolut Vodka, on the three pillars of sustainability.
Chapter 10
Table 10.1 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, for
Alvedon
pill packaging with the current 20 pills per primary package instead of the previous 30.
Table 10.2 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of primary packaging with CDM applications.
Table 10.3 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of the redesigned packaging solution for TORK hand towels.
Chapter 11
Table 11.1 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, for packages with biosensor for temperature indication.
Table 11.2 Packaging improvement potentials identified on markets A and B.
Table 11.3 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, from an environmentalley marked‐adapted packaging (Market B).
Table 11.4 The impact (+ pros and – cons) on the three pillars of sustainability, of tracking and tracing roll containers at Arla Foods.
List of Illustrations
Chapter 01
Figure 1.1 The levels of packaging: primary, secondary and tertiary packaging.
Figure 1.2 The packaging system and its interactions among the packaging levels and the product.
Chapter 02
Figure 2.1 The UN sustainable development goals for 2015.
Figure 2.2 People, planet and profit for sustainable development.
Figure 2.3 Package that illustrates the necessary role of distribution.
Figure 2.4 Schematic environmental impact of overpackaging and underpackaging.
Figure 2.5 Total cost of product waste and packaging.
Figure 2.6 A generic food and packaging supply chain.
Chapter 03
Figure 3.1 Like an onion, packaging design has interrelated layers of needs and requirements.
Figure 3.2 Reliability of different consumer insight methods.
Figure 3.3 The KANO model.
Chapter 04
Figure 4.1 Packaging design compass for sustainable development.
Figure 4.2 The research methodology that resulted in the packaging design compass for sustainable development, inspired by Blessing and Chakrabarti (2009).
Figure 4.3 Assessment framework used in the illustrative cases.
Chapter 05
Figure 5.1 Typical apportionment decisions in packaging design.
Chapter 06
Figure 6.1 The PET, 500 g consumer package for table grapes, showing the circular holes for airflow.
Figure 6.2 An example of damage to
Ektorp
resulting from poor packaging.
Figure 6.3 The new structural box design for
Ektorp
.
Figure 6.4 The new, improved and implemented packaging system configuration containing three sofas.
Figure 6.5 Illustrations of how the packages can be placed and stacked.
Chapter 07
Figure 7.1 Undesired transfers between the surrounding environment and internal packaging environment.
Figure 7.2 Principle for aseptic carton filling.
Figure 7.3 The material set‐up in a
Tetra Recart
package.
Figure 7.4 Chickpeas packed in a metal retort can and in a flexible retortable carton package.
Figure 7.5 Cans and cartons in secondary packages.
Figure 7.6 The principle difference in transports (inbound and outbound from production) of retortable cans compared to
Tetra Recart
.
Figure 7.7 Sketches of the two designs: the traditional tray solution on the left and the redesigned layer solution on the right.
Chapter 08
Figure 8.1
Via
900 g primary packaging.
Figure 8.2 Illustration of the current
Via
detergent powder packaging system configuration: a) six layers of secondary packing units on a EUR pallet forming the tertiary package; b) eight secondary packaging units on a EUR pallet; c) one secondary packaging unit; and d) one primary packaging unit.
Figure 8.3 A
Via
detergent powder supply chain.
Figure 8.4 Illustration of the suggested
Via
detergent powder packaging system configuration: a) seven layers of secondary packing units on a EUR pallet forming the tertiary package; b) eight secondary packaging units on a EUR pallet; c) one secondary packaging unit; and d) one primary packaging unit.
Figure 8.5 A prototype of a suggested opening device.
Figure 8.6 Primary packaging for
GB Glace
0.5 litre ice cream.
Figure 8.7 Secondary packaging for
GB Glace
0.5 litre ice cream.
Figure 8.8 Illustration of the tertiary packaging system for
GB Glace
0.5 litre ice cream. All measures are in millimetres.
Figure 8.9 Primary packaging for 0.5 litre
SIA Glass
.
Figure 8.10 Secondary packaging for 0.5 litre
SIA Glass
.
Figure 8.11 Pallets of
SIA Glass
at a distribution centre.
Figure 8.12
SIA Glass
supply chain.
Figure 8.13
GB Glace
supply chain.
Figure 8.14 A loading ledge.
Figure 8.15 How to use particle boards as supporting platforms with loading ledges.
Figure 8.16 Illustration of a 44% fill rate increase of a container.
Figure 8.17 Illustration of a unit load consisting of 500 loading ledges.
Chapter 09
Figure 9.1 Environmental impacts of salmon vs. green peas (all measures include growth and fishing/harvesting, which are referred to as “primary production”).
Figure 9.2 The 100 g and 400 g salmon packages evaluated.
Figure 9.3 The secondary packaging used for salmon.
Figure 9.4 How the tubes are stacked in the shelf‐ready secondary packaging.
Figure 9.5 The proposed stacking of tubes in the secondary packaging.
Figure 9.6 A pallet of secondary packaging containing 24 tubes as the new apportionment.
Figure 9.7 Illustration of the twelve pack box system configuration.
Figure 9.8 Illustration of a suggested nine pack box system configuration.
Chapter 10
Figure 10.1
Alvedon
’s primary package before deregulation.
Figure 10.2
Alvedon
’s new primary package.
Figure 10.3 Consumer packages suitable for the CDM application.
Figure 10.4 CDM applications for replacing traditional secondary packaging.
Figure 10.5 The old TORK hand towels primary and secondary packaging. The carry handles are not visible.
Figure 10.6 Generic supply chain for TORK hand towels.
Figure 10.7 The improved TORK hand towels secondary packaging solution.
Chapter 11
Figure 11.1 Graph of accumulated time and temperature peaks.
Figure 11.2 Temperature biosensor circuit and tag.
Figure 11.3 Difference in packaging size – Sony Ericsson vs. Nokia.
Figure 11.4 Arla Foods’ new roll container.
Figure 11.5 Rotation of the roll containers and the tracking identification locations. 3PL stands for third‐party logistics.
Figure 11.6 Package claiming that you get 33% extra, however, 33% or more is air.
Figure 11.7
PlantBottle
claiming that up to 30% is made from plants and is 100% recyclable.
Figure 11.8 Label claiming the product to be organic and locally produced.
Figure 11.9 Package claiming organic cheese.
Figure 11.10 New separable package – “new smart packaging”.
Figure 11.11 Marketing saying buy more packages and save more.
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
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Managing Packaging Design for Sustainable Development
A Compass for Strategic Directions
Daniel HellströmandAnnika Olsson
with contributions from Fredrik Nilsson
This edition first published 2017 © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Registered OfficeJohn Wiley & Sons, Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK
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The right of Daniel Hellström and Annika Olsson to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author(s) have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services and neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
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ISBN: 9781119150930
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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Cover image: Erik Andersson
About the Authors
Daniel Hellström is an Associate Professor in Packaging Logistics, www.plog.lth.se, at the Department of Design Sciences, Lund University, Sweden. He earned his PhD from Lund University in 2007. His research has appeared in journals including Packaging Technology and Science, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review and Journal of Business Research. His research is characterized as multidisciplinary and is closely related to industrial practice. Specifically, he enjoys research regarding technology, retail, and logistics and supply chain management. He has been active in establishing the research platform ReLog (Retail Logistics), www.relog.lth.se, and the Centre for Retail Research at Lund University, www.handel.lu.se. He participates in several national and international research projects and educational programmes. He enjoys teaching Master’s students and executives, and supervising PhD students.
Annika Olsson holds the Bo Rydin Professorship in Packaging Logistics, www.plog.lth.se, at the Department of Design Sciences, Lund University. She earned her PhD from Lund University in 2006. Her research is mainly on user‐oriented packaging innovation and packaging development for sustainable development in supply chains and for society. Her particular research focus is on food and packaging supply chains, which she carries out in close collaboration with the related industries. Professor Olsson has had more than 15 years experience of working in the Swedish food and packaging industry. She is active in the management of the research platform ReLog (Retail Logistics), www.relog.lth.se, and the Centre for Retail Research at Lund University, www.handel.lu.se. Her teaching activities are related to packaging technology and development. Professor Olsson supervises Master’s and PhD students in the areas of packaging development, packaging innovation and packaging logistics. She has published research in journals including Packaging Technology and Science, Journal of Cleaner Production, Technovation, British Food Journal, International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications and The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research.
Fredrik Nilsson is Professor in Packaging Logistics, www.plog.lth.se, at the Department of Design Sciences, Lund University, Sweden. He is also Professor Extraordinary at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, where he has established research and education in the field of packaging logistics. His research areas are complexity thinking and theory, with current projects in health care, packaging and consumer goods supply chains. In close cooperation with a large number of partners from industry and academia, he is now dedicated to food waste issues and trying to address this major problem with new packaging solutions that integrate innovative thinking with mobile technologies. He has published research in journals including International Journal of Operations and Production Management, International Journal of Logistics Management, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, International Journal of Business Logistics and International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management.
Preface
This book is about packaging design for sustainable development, the kind of design that can make our lives friendlier, our planet greener and our businesses richer.
It is necessary and obvious that we need to move towards a more sustainable society, as we see more pollution in our oceans, more waste in our streets, more landfills and the tremendous waste of essential resources such as food on our planet. Despite the negative effects that packaging might have on our world, we need to see the other side of the coin and ask: What can packaging do to contribute to sustainable development? Interestingly enough, there is research evidence indicating that packaging design initiatives have a major impact on sustainable development.
Packaging design is a powerful vehicle for change in making the transition to a more sustainable society. 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 presents a compass for you to find the path to get there. With the compass we encourage you to go off‐road, to develop and innovate, and to remake the packaging design solution that previously was best practice. In a world of continuous change, technology, people and organizations keep changing the routes we take to attain sustainable development. In this world, a compass is more important than ever before.
The intention of this book goes beyond presenting a compass. The overall ambition is to bring order out of chaos in a multidisciplinary field where misconceptions and contradictory views are more dominant than the coherence and recognition of its importance. Managing Packaging Design for Sustainable Development – A Compass for Strategic Directions is strongly grounded in the concept that the book as a whole has a far more important story to tell than presenting every little detail. Even though reading the book makes you zoom in on packaging design, its aim is to empower you to zoom out and gain a holistic view that considers the many packaging design contributions to sustainable development. Consequently, it is not intended to be a reference book per se, but rather an inspirational guide to this complex and important topic.
In line with that ambition, the book aims to reach the minds of all professionals and companies that have, or do not have, packaging as a core competence or business. Packaging design is a cooperative team effort of people from multiple disciplines. Thus, there are many professionals from various disciplines, company functions and departments for that matter, who are involved in packaging design. This can include professionals from R&D, production, marketing, sales, finance, purchasing, logistics and regulatory. For a majority of these professionals, packaging is not their core competence. This book provides them with guidance so that they can navigate the packaging landscape. Yet, for highly experienced professionals in the realm of packaging design, the book provides great inspiration and valuable new ways of thinking.
Theory and practical applications are balanced by dividing this book into three integrated parts. In Part I, the basic tenets of packaging, sustainability and design are presented to make the book more managerial, integrative and “cutting edge”. Views on sustainable development and packaging design are also subjects that you will become acquainted with in Part I. It “sets the scene” for what is to come: the packaging design compass for sustainable development. Part II is the focal point of the book. It describes the compass in detail, its directions and how to navigate with it. Part III exemplifies the compass directions in a wide range of illustrative cases that help readers to understand and gain insights into explorative, comparative and real‐life cases. It aims to inspire and challenge the mindsets of those who apply the compass in packaging design related projects. The case material is integrative in nature and examines directions of the compass that are important for sustainable development. The cases are structured to inspire readers in the challenging task of packaging design thinking.
Packaging design for sustainable development is a field in its infancy, veiled behind preconceived myths and misconceptions. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge that needs to be generated and disseminated, and there is considerable interest from industries and academia to take in and apply this knowledge. Managing Packaging Design for Sustainable Development – A Compass for Strategic Directions is the only publication that takes a broad supply chain orientation and views the subject from a sustainable development perspective. While emphasizing the supply chain aspects of packaging, it integrates all three pillars of sustainable development as well as incorporating how to make strategic decisions in relation to packaging design. In addition to the compass, there are several important topics that are unique to this book or are approached in a new way. Examples are the complexity and challenges of packaging design, and the packaging logistics perspective as such. The multidisciplinary themes are interwoven throughout the chapters.
This is a must‐have book for designers, engineers, logisticians, marketers, SCM professionals and other managers who seek guidance on sustainable solutions through packaging design. The nature of the book is pragmatic and applied in its approach to managing packaging design for sustainable development. It is also a valuable source of knowledge and practical experience for students, public officials, researchers, policymakers and many others who have a strong interest in packaging design and sustainable development. It fills the gap in the scarcity of books about the crucial role packaging design plays in sustainable development. It clearly takes a giant leap from thinking of “sustainable packaging” to thinking of “packaging design for sustainable development” by comprehending the whole rather than the separate parts.
As with packaging design processes, the outcome of this book has been a journey of iterations based on the authors’ many years of experience. This has been intertwined with the practical cases and integrated with the existing but sparsely reported research in the field. The journey has taken several directions. It has consisted of real‐life presence and off‐road imaginary thoughts. At the end of this journey, we wished we’d had a compass. Yet without a compass, we still feel we have moved in the right direction by contributing to and inspiring packaging professionals and communities to strive for a more sustainable world.
Lund, on Leap Day, 29 February 2016Daniel Hellström and Annika Olsson
Acknowledgements
There are many people and organizations that contributed to the research behind this book, and who supported us in different ways during its actual writing.
The Bo Rydin Foundation has been the first and foremost funder from the start. Its donation to Lund University in 1994 founded packaging logistics as an educational and research subject area. The research group has since grown and established itself and is internationally recognized. This book is based on this original packaging logistics research. Without the initial donation and ongoing funding from the Foundation, neither the area of packaging logistics nor this particular book would have come into being.
The idea for the book came up during a research project funded collaboratively by two Swedish funding bodies, “Formas” and “Handelns utvecklingsråd”, under their programme “Sustainable Retail”. We were specifically funded for a project called “Packaging Design for Sustainable Development of Retail”. As a result, we developed the first prototype of the compass and investigated, gathered and authored all the illustrative cases in the book with our colleague, Professor Fredrik Nilsson.
We are grateful to all the people and companies for the time spent sharing their insights about the cases and for providing us with the case material. We have specifically acknowledged your support in conjunction with each case.
Throughout the overall development process of the book, a number of people were very helpful. Special thanks go to Erik Andersson, our supportive colleague whose photographic skills have illustrated our research. Erik’s patience with us, our alterations and our short deadlines has been amazing and much appreciated. We are very grateful to Eileen Deaner. Being native Swedes, we do our best to write in English, but with a never‐ending support, she turned the text into something understandable for an international audience. Thank you Eileen for working days and nights to improve our writing and for never giving up on us! We are also grateful to Catrin Jakobsson for the well thought through illustrations. Catrin was able to understand what we wanted to illustrate and make it better than we had ever expected.
This book has been a mix of pain and pleasure for us to write and assemble. Without the support of our families, it would have been impossible. The first author wishes to thank his soul mate, Josefine Broman, who has been a constant source of inspiration and support in maintaining a balanced life. Special thanks goes to the first author’s son, Hjalmar, and daughter, Lisa, for giving up hours of time with their father so that he could work. The second author would like to thank her family who has lived the last year with her in parallel with this book project. Her guiding stars of life are Torben, Elin and Anton. Thank you for the inspiration, patience and support you have provided, one of the many reasons why I love you all.
Finally, to all our academic colleagues. We are indeed grateful for the daily discussions about research studies and projects, including this book. Co‐creation often occurs in these discussions, a co‐creation that advances our knowledge in the field we are dedicated to. See you at the coffee machine!
Part IFundamentals 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.
1Introduction 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:
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.
Packaging is the means of ensuring safe delivery from the producer to the ultimate consumer in sound and safe conditions.
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 small units are grouped into bigger ones to improve efficiency. However, large units are regularly divided into smaller units to be assembled later and elsewhere. Like apportionment, it helps to make the handling of packaging suitable for different stakeholders in different situations and at different locations. The primary function of the famous shipping container, sometimes called “the box that made the world smaller and the world economy bigger”, is unitization. Unitization is sometimes used as a synonym for agglomeration.
1.1.5 Convenience
The primary purpose of the convenience function is to make it easy and convenient to use the packaging and its contents. Convenience relates to unitization and apportionment. The main task of all three is to facilitate handling and to package the product in appropriate sizes and amounts for its use at different stages in its life cycle. This can be done in practically endless ways. Aspects of the convenience function in packaging throughout all stages in production and distribution to the final consumption and recovery include:
the ability to consume products at any time and any place;
the perception of the packages as being easy to open, carry and empty;
providing accurate and safe dispensing;
ease of disposal.
1.1.6 Information
The package is the interface between the product and the logistics, and between the product and the consumer or other users. This means that the role of the package as the information carrier is essential. Information on packages is often taken for granted, but sometimes underestimated and forgotten. We need to keep in mind that information constitutes a fundamental function of packaging. The two major roles of packaging information are to help users identify the content, and to provide them with instructions on how to use it. Barcode technology is a ubiquitous element of modern civilization and an integrated part of packaging information. Other technologies applied to packaging indicate tampering. These include authentication seals, security printing and other anti‐theft devices on packaging that tell you the package and content are not counterfeit or stolen; they also serve as a measure of loss prevention. The interactive information achieved through this technology development is part of the communication function in packaging, which is a type of two‐way information between the producer and the user.
1.1.7 Communication
The package is a medium for communication between the brand owner and the consumer. This kind of communication is regarded as marketing. Packaging is sometimes called “the silent salesman”, especially when it comes to groceries. Packaging is often the first and most regular contact consumers have with a product, attracting the eye and whetting the appetite. More than just giving a face to the brand, packaging is a powerful sales and commercial tool. It influences market position and consumer behaviour by triggering purchase and creating identity and loyalty. Marketing communication in the form of physical and graphical design is often applied to the package in order to bring products to life in accessible and engaging ways from the way they look, feel and function, to how the content is perceived.
But just as packaging can be seen from different points of view than those of the product and packaging developers, so can its functions. For example, packaging directly and indirectly impacts different organizational business functions such as:
logistics (handle, transport, store, distribute, inform);
marketing (sell, differentiate, promote, provide value, inform);
production/manufacturing (produce, make, assemble, fill);
information systems (perform, inform);
environment (reduce, reuse, recover, dispose, inform).
It can thus be argued from an organizational business perspective that these processes are the main functions of packaging.
1.2 Packaging legislation and regulations
The legal ramifications of the initiatives taken by governments and authorities can impact the way actors relate to the packaging functions described in section 1.1. The legislation that affects packaging comes in many forms and subjects because there is no separate branch of “packaging law”. Examples of the legislation concerned with packaging cover the sale of goods, transport, environmental issues, food and drugs, food safety and waste management. The legislation and regulations are constantly under revision and updated frequently. Corner and Paine (2002) provide an excellent overall categorization of the areas in which many countries have packaging legislation. The most important areas fall under the following four categories:
Administrative needs:
For example, regulation for food packaging, pharmaceutical and medical packaging and dangerous substances.
Requirements to protect the public:
For example, child‐resistant packaging, tamper‐evident packaging, fraud, and weight and measurement directives.
Protection of packaging designs:
For example, copyright laws, intellectual properties, trademarks and patents laws.
Environmental protection:
For example, packaging and packaging waste directives and producer responsibility
The intention here is not to give a complete list or description of laws and regulations, but to provide examples of significant legislation and regulations found in the categories that apply to packaging. Hence, an overall description is presented.
1.2.1 Administrative legislation and regulations
Two areas with extensive legislation on the interactions between the packed product and the materials in which it is packed are food and packaging compatibility, and food and drug material contact. Currently, one major material is plastic and the legislation is mostly concerned with the contact plastic has with food; but in principle other materials are also applicable. The legislative concerns are primarily if substances migrate from the packaging into the foodstuff or drugs, and are either harmful for the consumer or have an adverse effect on the contents’ deterioration properties – such as taste and aroma. However, any kind of inert migration and contamination is undesirable. The US Food and Drug Administration and the European Union are authorities that regulate this important legislation.
1.2.2 Legislation and regulations for protecting the public
There are laws that regulate labelling and consumer information to protect the public. Consumer information must not mislead the consumer in regard to the contents’ nature, properties, composition, quantity, origin and durability. In the European Union, the Energy Labelling Directive (2010/30/EU) and the Ecolabel Regulation (EC, No. 66/2010) concern packaging, or at least the content inside the package. Another important law is that of child‐resistant closures for packages containing dangerous substances sold to the general public. For some products, there are regulations about tamper‐resistant packaging, which means that it must have an indicator or barrier to entry that is distinctively designed, or must employ an identifying characteristic (a pattern, name, registered trademark, logo or picture).
1.2.3 Legislation and regulations for protecting designs
Some copyright, intellectual properties, trademarks and patent laws fall into the category of protecting packaging designs and technologies. Trademarks may comprise words, letters, numerals, names, designs, or the shape of goods or their packaging. To be entitled to packaging trademark protection, a trademark has to be distinctive enough so customers can identify the packaging with a company product or service and not a competitor’s. Patents are registered in specific countries and are valid for a set period of time before they are released for use by others.
1.2.4 Legislation and regulations for protecting the environment
There are two major established environmental policies related to packaging in Europe. Their underlying principles are that preventive action should be taken, environmental damage should be managed at the source, and the polluter should pay. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (EU, 2015/720) seeks to provide environmental protection and to ensure the functioning of the internal EU market. According to the Directive and its appendix, packaging must meet certain essential requirements and member states must ensure that packaging placed on the market complies with these requirements:
to limit the weight and volume of packaging to a minimum in order to meet the required level of safety, hygiene and acceptability for consumers;
to reduce the content of hazardous substances and materials in the packaging material and its components; and
to design reusable or recoverable packaging.
Another major environmental policy related to packaging is the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). This is defined and described by the OECD as:
…an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post‐consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. An EPR policy is characterized by: 1. the shifting of responsibility (physically and/or economically; fully or partially) upstream toward the producer and away from municipalities; and 2. the provision of incentives to producers to take into account environmental considerations when designing their products. While other policy instruments tend to target a single point in the chain, EPR seeks to integrate signals related to the environmental characteristics of products and production processes throughout the product chain.
With the Extended Producer Responsibility, the producer pays in advance for the pollution the future owner will generate. In this way, consumers are relieved of the responsibility for the disposal of packaging.
In contrast to Europe, the US Federal Government has not published any national environmental packaging regulations or introduced extended producer responsibility. In the 1990s, the US President’s Council on Sustainable Development introduced the term extended producer responsibility to mean that all participants in the product life cycle (governments, companies with economic interest in the product, consumers, and those handling waste) share the responsibility for the environmental effects of products. This difference in definition and use of the extended producer responsibility concept from the Europe version has yet to find its way to any legislation.
1.3 Packaging terminology
In order to gain a coherent understanding of packaging as defined by Paine, it is best classified as primary, secondary or tertiary (Paine, 1981). This classification should be used when packaging is regarded as a system and illustrates the levels of hierarchy in the packaging system (Figure 1.1).
Figure 1.1 The levels of packaging: primary, secondary and tertiary packaging.
However, several other terms than the above‐mentioned levels are used by practitioners in different industries when discussing different types and levels of packaging. This incoherent use does not make communication easier and often causes miscommunication and difficulties in understanding packaging. Table 1.1 summarizes some of these terms and shows that a term often describes both its primary function and use.
Table 1.1 Examples of terms used for packaging.
Packaging type
Description
Consumer packaging
The packaging that the consumer usually takes home.
Sales packaging
The unit for sale.
Group packaging
Packaging that is created to facilitate protection, display, handling, and/or transportation of a number of primary packages.
Retail packaging
Same as group packaging with an emphasis on the design to fit in retail.
Display packaging
Same as group packaging, often with an emphasis on the display features.
Transport packaging
Packaging that facilitates handling, transport and storage of a number of primary packages in order to provide efficient production and distribution, and to prevent physical handling and damage during transportation.
Industrial packaging
Distribution packaging
Bulk packaging
Used packaging
Packaging/packaging material remaining after the removal of the product it contained.
Other terminology used in the description of the package relates to the type of product it contains: food packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, etc. In short, there are numerous viable terms used in packaging. This calls for a more homogeneous and systematic terminology for classifying packaging: primary, secondary and tertiary packaging.
