Tasks of a packaging

Packaging is omnipresent and causes a lot of waste - this is the widespread opinion. However, only a few people are aware of the important tasks that packaging has and the high demands that are placed on modern packaging. Basically, packaging has the following tasks:

Protective function:
The contents are to be protected from environmental influences, damage or contamination - on the other hand, the users are also protected from the contents (toxic, sharp-edged, corrosive, flammable, etc. contents).
-Different and specific requirements have an influence on which packaging (materials) offer the greatest possible protection/benefit.
-packaging extends the shelf life of the food through optimal use of materials

Storage function:
-Stackability on standard pallets
-Optimised packaging dimensions
-Ideally the same packaging in storage and sale
-Adapted to storage conditions (humidity, frozen products etc.)

Transport function:
-Standardised packaging sizes optimise space requirements during transport
-protection against mechanical and climatic damage
-Special requirements for sea or air freight
-Theft protection
-Tracking the delivery

Information and sales function:
-The packaging identifies the product by type, quantity, composition, weight and price
-packaging design, design, sizes, application aids (doser, portioner, dropper etc.)
-How to use/prepare
-Multilingual declaration
-Minimum shelf life
-hazard pictograms
-barcode, EAN codes
-character recognition
-Award

This is an incomplete extract of the requirements that packaging must fulfil.


Modern packaging fulfils a multitude of tasks, whereby there are always conflicting goals:

-as good protection as possible / as little material used as possible
-special design / standardised packaging sizes
-low costs / sustainable, high-quality materials
-conspicuous packaging / unmixed packaging facilitates recycling
-noble presentation / inexpensive production
-individual packaging / inexpensive packaging due to mass production
-favourable procurement / regional origin
-Low stock quantity / short term availability

The development and use of the optimal packaging is always a weighing and balancing of various factors. We packaging specialists will be happy to advise you on the selection of suitable packaging.