Packaging effectively

Packaging is the science, art, and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages. Packaging can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport, warehousing, logistics, sale, and end use. Packaging contains, protects, preserves, transports, informs, and sells.

Today almost everything comes in a package. Whether you think about food, mail, furniture or clothes, they are all packed in some way. Through this lesson we would study how the packaging of apparel and related products takes place.

However, it must be remembered that “packing” and “packaging” are not synonyms. Packing is technically referring to the material used to pack or package goods and the process is packaging.

The huge variety of packaged products in any market is evidence of the magnitude of the packaging industry and the purposes for packaging. Some products seem overly packaged, and some packaging seems, frustratingly, near impossible to penetrate without, at least, very sharp scissors. However, not all packaging is wasteful and without function. Packaging protects products from contamination and spoilage during the product's journey from production line to consumer usage. It also protects products from damage during the shipping process.

1.    Necessity – is the main reason for packaging of many products of a shape and consistency that could not be stored or sold easily without adequate packaging.

2.  Convenience - Packages can have features that add convenience in distribution, handling, stacking, display, sale, opening, reclosing, use, dispensing, and reuse. Some companies retain loyal customers by ensuring that their product is convenient to use once the consumer gets it home. For example, with liquid laundry detergents, many consumers prefer the convenience of buying those with built-in liquid dispensing taps or caps that are also measuring cups.

3.  Safety - Packaging can play an important role in reducing the security risks of shipment. Packages can be made with improved tamper resistance to deter tampering and also can have tamper-evident features to help indicate tampering. Many packaging material (like metallic tags) can be used to reduce thefts in stores.

4.    Protection – the packaging generally provides goods protection in two ways:

a)   Physical Protection – The packaged goods may require protection from mechanical shock among other things. One example is insertion of plastic or paper board in the shirt collar to protect it from losing its shape or hanger packing on broad hangers for jackets and coats.

b)   Barrier Protection – Packaging helps keep the goods clean, fresh and sterile; protecting it from contamination from dust, moisture, microbial attack etc. This is especially important when shipping goods in case of exports. An increase the moisture level can cause increase in the microbial growth on the product if not packaged appropriately; also, many stains can be caused by the dust particles already present on the fabric absorbing moisture making it unappealing at point of sale.

5.    Marketing - The packaging and labels can be used by marketers to encourage potential buyers to purchase the product. Packaging is essential in catching the attention of customers. When designing packaging, companies must choose designs that will stand the test of time. Customers become familiar with the packaging for certain brands and are conditioned to pick those when selecting products. Frequent changes in packaging design can affect the customer negatively, since they fail to recognise that brand and will select another eye-catching product instead.

6.   Sales Gimmick – Certain styles of packaging are used as marketing and sales tricks to boost the sales of slow merchandise. Certain merchandise are grouped together and sold as “a combo pack” containing multiple items at an assumed discounted price, e.g. ‘n’ number of T-shirts of the same size in different colours for a price slightly lower than buying the same number of T-shirts individually. These attract the price conscious customers.

Types of Garment Packing

Packaging may be looked at as being of several different types. For example a transport package or distribution package can be the shipping container used to ship, store, and handle the product or inner packages. Some identify a consumer package as one which is directed toward a consumer or household.

It is sometimes convenient to categorise packages by layer or function: "primary", "secondary", etc.

• Primary packaging is the material that first envelops the product and holds it. This usually is the smallest unit of distribution or use and is the package which is in direct contact with the contents.

• Secondary packaging is outside the primary packaging, perhaps used to group primary packages together.

• Tertiary packaging is used for bulk handling, warehouse storage and transport shipping. The most common form is a palliated unit load that packs tightly into containers.

 I.          Carton Standards

     1.    Cartons must be of sufficient strength and quality to be able to withstand double pallet stacking without creasing or collapsing. Cartons must be stacked on their bases.

      2.    Carton size must be chosen to closely fit the volume of contents within. Merchandise must not be crushed into cartons, over filling, and likewise empty spaces left in the top of the cartons are not acceptable.

      3.    If various sized cartons are used they must be stacked from the largest and heaviest on the bottom layer graduating up to the smallest and lightest at the top layer.

    4.    Second hand cartons are not permitted if the description on the outside of the carton would be misleading as to the actual contents, or where the carton does not have sufficient strength to support and protect the product.

    5.    Metal staples, metal strapping closures and polypropylene strapping must not be used to seal cartons. Cartons may be glued or taped closed.

     6.    It is the Suppliers responsibility to ensure that merchandise is securely packed to ensure no damage will occur during transit or sortation.

II.          Carton Markings

      Cartons or garment bags are to be externally clearly marked with:

1.    Brand Name (i.e. MGB, Shoppers Stop, J C Penny, etc)

2.    Name of Country of Origin (i.e. India)

3.    Name of Country specific (i.e. Australia)

4.    Port of Discharge (i.e. Melbourne)

5.    Order Number

6.    Key code / Bar code Number

7.    Quantity per issue pack

8.    Quantity per outer pack

9.    Made in (Country of Origin)

10. Carton number (i.e. ____of____)

11. Gross carton weight

12.Cubic Metres

     Environment Friendly Packaging

Many large companies today have environmental policies aimed at reducing their adverse impact on the environment. The hygiene and cosmetics company; The Body Shop says that its packaging for make-up is made of 25% recycled material and all their PET plastic bottles consist of 50% recycled plastic.

Companies that have not been directly associated with environmental activism have also started thinking along these lines. The large British company Marks & Spencer has an ambitious “eco-plan”. By 2012 it will be carbon-neutral and all its packaging will be recyclable.

When a company wants to profile itself as environmentally friendly with regard to packaging, there are number of different ways of going about it. Avoiding unnecessary transportation in manufacturing is one way. Reducing the use of unnecessarily large packaging (which leads to air being transported and greater number vehicles having to be on the roads) is another. In addition, it is better to choose an environmentally friendly material to produce packaging from.

But which material to use? That obviously depends on what kind of product to be packaged and what demands consequently have to be met by the material. What is more environmentally friendly to use must be decided on a case-by-case basis. There are a large number of environmentally friendly materials that are available. These vary as to the beneficial impact they have on the environment. Some of them are described below:

•      BIOPLASTIC - is not a specific type of plastic, but a term that represents a whole family of different plastic products. However what they have in common is that they are either made of a renewable material or can be composted.
•      “GREEN POLYTHENE” - Plastic that is made from ethanol rather than crude oil can be used to produce both flexible and hard packaging. “Ordinary” polythene plastic is most commonly used in the manufacturing of plastic bags today. Manufacturing of Green Polythene will not begin until 2009 at the earliest.
•      PET PLASTIC - This plastic is transparent and recyclable and often used in the manufacturing of bottles and bags. However, the raw material for this plastic is crude oil.
•       PLA PLASTIC - This plastic is based on corn starch and can be used to make thin, transparent packaging or bags. A small picture of a corncob can sometimes be seen on packaging made from this material.
•      BAGASSE -  is a by-product from the manufacturing of sugar. Packaging made of this material can be composted in 45-60 days. Its appearance is reminiscent of compressed paper. Products we have seen manufactured in this material include, for example disposable plates and mugs.
•      PALM FIBRE - This is a by-product from the manufacturing of palm oil. Packaging made from palm fibre is similar to paper packaging but is coarser in structure.
•      REED FIBRE - Packaging can also be made from reed fibre. Reed grows quickly and can be planted at the water’s edge, which means that it does not compete for land with food production.
•     HEMP - is an ancient, tolerant and fast-growing plant that can grow on nutrient-poor soils in most climatic zones. The hemp can be used, for instance, for string or woven into bags.