Packaging materials
Packaging materials are gradually evolving. But the basis of any of new materials are quite stable. This article describes the basic materials used in packaging.
Glass
Glass is mostly used for packaging of liquids, cosmetics and preservatives.
Glass is good at protecting its contents from moisture but it has one major drawback. Glass has the danger of being fragile and easily broken. The advantage of using glass for packaging is that it is reusable and versatile in its color and form. It is one of the most used material currently.
Cardboard
Cardboard is a very light packaging material that is popular because of how inexpensive it is to manufacture. While a lot of products use other types of materials for packaging, they are often stored and transported in cardboard packaging. Certain types of groceries, such as milk, are packaged in cardboard containers that are specially coated to be fluid resistant. Cardboard is also a common type of packaging material for dry goods.
Plastic
Recent years plastic gained popularity as a packaging material due to its light weight, durability and easiness of production. However plastic is still material that is not easy to recycle. Plastic is moisture resistant and often used in food packaging to keep out air, which can lead to spoilage. Plastic is used a lot in the form of polystyrene, as found in fast food product packaging.
Metal
Metal such as aluminium is a popular packaging material due to its low cost. Aluminium provides good protection for its content and prevents any micro-organisms from entering and contaminating the product. Aluminium plated tin cans are used for the packaging of tinned food. Metal drums are also used as packaging material for certain liquid products during shipping.
Glass
Glass is mostly used for packaging of liquids, cosmetics and preservatives.
Glass is good at protecting its contents from moisture but it has one major drawback. Glass has the danger of being fragile and easily broken. The advantage of using glass for packaging is that it is reusable and versatile in its color and form. It is one of the most used material currently.
Cardboard
Cardboard is a very light packaging material that is popular because of how inexpensive it is to manufacture. While a lot of products use other types of materials for packaging, they are often stored and transported in cardboard packaging. Certain types of groceries, such as milk, are packaged in cardboard containers that are specially coated to be fluid resistant. Cardboard is also a common type of packaging material for dry goods.
Plastic
Recent years plastic gained popularity as a packaging material due to its light weight, durability and easiness of production. However plastic is still material that is not easy to recycle. Plastic is moisture resistant and often used in food packaging to keep out air, which can lead to spoilage. Plastic is used a lot in the form of polystyrene, as found in fast food product packaging.
Metal
Metal such as aluminium is a popular packaging material due to its low cost. Aluminium provides good protection for its content and prevents any micro-organisms from entering and contaminating the product. Aluminium plated tin cans are used for the packaging of tinned food. Metal drums are also used as packaging material for certain liquid products during shipping.
