For every product, no matter what type or kind it is, packaging is an integral part although it's wise to use a minimal amount of packaging to cut down on costs and waste. When it comes to this particular need, the materials available for use include cardboard, plastic, paper and even some of the metal-type materials. Follow on for the basics on packaging and its common types.
Perhaps you often hear of people saying that they bought soup or chili packaged in a tin can whereas in reality, these are not cans made from tin at all. It has been a practice for several decades now that canned items including vegetables, soups and sauces are actually packaged in cans produced from aluminum. Although tinplate steel was once the material, since the late 1950s it has been aluminum that is commonly used for canned goods.
Compared to tinplate steel, aluminum is more advantageous being less expensive and not as difficult to make however it still is corrosion resistant. Add the fact that this is the most abundant metal on Earth. Do you know that aluminum is so recyclable that in fact two-thirds of all aluminum produced is still being used and reused as of today? The sad part though is that only half of the material ever makes it to the recycling bins.
Take a look around and surely you'll find plastic to be the most commonly used material for packaging. Even when you look inside those products you see with cardboard boxes you will find the foods are wrapped in waxy plastic bags, such as cereal, cookies and crackers. A resin code, typically identified by a number in a triangle, will tell you which type of plastic was used for your plastic packaging.
There are several different types of plastic that are used to make food packaging, including polyethylene terephthalate, which is often used to hold liquid products, such as soda and water. High-density polyethylene is another type also used to make plastic bottles, milk jugs, plastic bags and many types of food storage containers. Low-density polyethylene also is used to make plastic bags and well as plastic wrap and the plastic rings used to hold together cans of soda.
What plastics go through for their transformation from a large piece of thin plastic into different products is called thermoforming. Manufacturers use either vacuum forming or injection molding as they heat up the plastic and then forced into molds. The moment it has been cooled down, they trim away any excess plastic from the mold which does not go to waste as is recycled for new thermoformed products. Then you have the final product removed from the mold.
Perhaps you often hear of people saying that they bought soup or chili packaged in a tin can whereas in reality, these are not cans made from tin at all. It has been a practice for several decades now that canned items including vegetables, soups and sauces are actually packaged in cans produced from aluminum. Although tinplate steel was once the material, since the late 1950s it has been aluminum that is commonly used for canned goods.
Compared to tinplate steel, aluminum is more advantageous being less expensive and not as difficult to make however it still is corrosion resistant. Add the fact that this is the most abundant metal on Earth. Do you know that aluminum is so recyclable that in fact two-thirds of all aluminum produced is still being used and reused as of today? The sad part though is that only half of the material ever makes it to the recycling bins.
Take a look around and surely you'll find plastic to be the most commonly used material for packaging. Even when you look inside those products you see with cardboard boxes you will find the foods are wrapped in waxy plastic bags, such as cereal, cookies and crackers. A resin code, typically identified by a number in a triangle, will tell you which type of plastic was used for your plastic packaging.
There are several different types of plastic that are used to make food packaging, including polyethylene terephthalate, which is often used to hold liquid products, such as soda and water. High-density polyethylene is another type also used to make plastic bottles, milk jugs, plastic bags and many types of food storage containers. Low-density polyethylene also is used to make plastic bags and well as plastic wrap and the plastic rings used to hold together cans of soda.
What plastics go through for their transformation from a large piece of thin plastic into different products is called thermoforming. Manufacturers use either vacuum forming or injection molding as they heat up the plastic and then forced into molds. The moment it has been cooled down, they trim away any excess plastic from the mold which does not go to waste as is recycled for new thermoformed products. Then you have the final product removed from the mold.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell loves blogging about how stuff is made. For further information about custom packaging solutions or to discover more about food packaging design, please go to the Indepak site now.
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