History of Packaging

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Packaging has begun with natural materials such as leaves. Serial production was later done with products
such as weaved materials and pots. It is estimated that glass and wood packaging are being used for
around 5000 years. In 1823 Englishman Peter Durand obtained the patent for the first metal packaging
made from sheet metal "canister”. Double stitched three peace can begun to be used in 1900. Paper and
cardboard have become important packaging materials in 1900s. With the invention of plastic, it started
replacing paper as a packaging material.

General use of plastics in packaging applications has started after World War 2. Polyethylene was produced
in abundance during the war years and became an easily found material in the market right after the war.
In the beginning it replaced the wax paper used in bread packaging. The growth in plastic packaging has
sped up since 1970s. With today's technology and conditions, these previous materials have been replaced
by more suitable and economic materials such as glass, metal, plastic, paper and cardboard. During those
years packaging was used only for transport and storage, but with these new materials it has also begun
to advertise the product. So now packaging is part of marketing policy. This is because packaging creates
the distinction between the same type of products sitting side by side on shelves.
Glass Packaging from Egypt to Present Day
Glass packaging first begun to be used in 1500 B.C in Egypt. Glass, first seen used as a pot, was being
mixed with melted limestone, soda, sand, silicate and shaped into glass packaging.
Around 1200 B.C pots and mugs started to be made from molded glass. After the invention of the blow
pipe in 300 B.C by the Phoenicians, the production of completely transparent glass was during the times
after A.C. During the thousand years that followed glass production technique has improved and
expanded.
The development that affected glass packaging the most was the patenting of the "automated rotary
glass manufacture machine” in 1889. After the 1970s glass packaging begun to be used in high value
products' protection and has a wide range of usages today.
Bonaparte Leadership in Metal Packaging
Since ancient times metal packaging seen in forms of gold and silver boxes as well as strong alloys and
coverings is today being used to protect many products.
The production of tin sheet was invented in Bohemia in 1200 A.C. Afterwards in the beginning of 14th
century tinned food cans have started to be used. This technology was kept a secret since the 1600s, and
has been replaced by better quality and easier produced steel after William Underwood forwarded the
process to USA.
The idea of putting food safely in metal packaging was first had in 1809 when Napoleon Bonaparte said he
would award 12thousand Franks to whomever comes up with a method to protect the army's food supply.
Nikolas Appert from Paris presented that tinned can pressed with stannic has an ability to preserve food
after it has been sterilized. A year later English man Peter Durant, earned to right to patent the cylindrical
can with his pressed stannic invention.
The first printed box in the history of metal packaging was made in 1866 in USA. It wasn't until 1910 that it
was in the stores commercially and the aluminum foil box design was developed in early 1950. The first
aluminum canned food came out in 1959. Screws and hammers were being used to open metal packaging
until 1866. Later, packaging with tearable lids was made. In 1875 can opener was invented.
Metal packaging that has passed through many phases and has renewed itself now offers convenience for
practicality.
Plastic -The Newest Form of Packaging
First artificial plastic was prepared by Alexander Parker in 1838 and was displayed at the Grand
International Fair in London in 1862. This plastic was intended to replace natural materials such as ivory
and was dubbed "parkesin”. In 1849 Charles Goodyear and Thomas Hancock developed a procedure that
destroyed the sticky property and added elasticity to natural rubber. In 1851 hard rubber or "ebonite” has
become commercial.
In 1870 New Yorker John Wesley Hyatt was given a patent for "celluloid” produced in high temperatures
and pressure and has low nitrate content. This invention is the first commercialized plastic and has
remained as the only plastic until 1907 when Leo Hendrik Baekeland produced "Bakelite”.
What exactly plastic was, was not know until 1920 when Hermann Staudinger's revolutionary idea was
heard. All plastics, rubber and cellulose were claimed to be polymers or macro molecules. This assumption
was first not accepted widely by many scientists, but Staudinger received the Nobel Prize in 1953 with this
idea.
Plastic packaging has begun to be used widely after 1950s. Towards the end of 1970s plastic packaging
sector has begun to grow.
Paper Packaging Begins In China
Paper is the oldest re-shapeable packaging material. Mulberry tree barks were used in China in the 1st and
2nd centuries B.C to wrap food, and paper making techniques have improved during the following 1500
years and transported to the Middle East.
Paper making techniques have reached Europe and from Europe they reached England in 1310 and
America in 1609. The first commercial cardboard box was produced in England in 1817, 200 years after
China and corrugated cardboard was invented in 1850s, replacing wooden boxes in trade. The 20th
century was the brightest era for paper and cardboard.

The History of Packaging

Published

The packaging industry is an ancient industry that has been around since the early days of man. Packaging in
some form or another has always been around to assist man in transporting, storing, and protecting a variety
of items. Early man would use crude packaging materials and designs to meet the needs of hunting and
gathering to survive. As technology advanced, packaging materials and processes advanced. Let's take a look at
the various stages and progress of the packaging industry.

Early Packaging
Hunters and Gatherers

It is not certain or specifically recorded when the first packaging was invented and put into use. Most
historians agree that it was when early humans were nomadic hunters and gathers. The constant movement
and relocation of these people forced them to construct devices for carrying and containing food, tools, and
other valuables. There is a lot of speculation to what the fist packaging product was made from. Even though
the materials were basic there are several possibilities to what was used.

Possible Materials Used in The First Packaging Products

1. Leaves - Large leaves from a variety of different trees or plants used with vines may have constructed the
first packaging container product.

2. Nuts or Gourds- Early civilizations have well-documented information about the use of both nuts and gourds
to store, contain, and transport a variety of goods.

3. Animal Skin- Nomadic people believed in using every part of an animal when killed. It is very possible a
tanned hide was used to contain and transport products, food, and goods.

4. Wood- A hollowed out piece of wood may have been used with leaves or animal skin to construct a
containing/storing device.

All of these options are only speculation to what may have been the first packaging material used by early
humans. Years after the hunters and gatherers developed the first form of packaging, the need for packaging
and containing devices became more important. When man began to domesticate animals and plants, villages
began to pop up. The introduction of villages increased the need for larger storage and transportation devises
to supply larger groups of people.
Domesticated Village Packaging Advancements

The increase in villages helped to bring about many advancements to advance the way of life. Many of these
advancements spilled over into packaging technology. A variety of different materials were used to produce,
transport, and store goods and products. The types of materials used varied depending on the geographical
landscape each village was located in. Below is a list of packaging products used by early village settlers to
better their way of life.

1. Woven sacks and baskets made from a variety of plants depending on the geographical location of the
village.

2. Wooden boxes and crates were constructed to contain, store, and transport goods.

3. Clay was shaped into a variety of containers and storage devices for dry goods and liquids.

4. Animal skin was used to shape and form containers and storage devices.

These materials and methods advanced the packaging industry and improved quality of life for people living at
the time. With these advancements, humans could store crops and food for the winter, protect food and goods
from dangerous animals, and transport products to and from the village. Hundreds of years later, trade and the
establishment of cities helped to make large technological advancements in packaging.

The Establishment of Cities

The rise of cities and trading brought about the exchange of goods and innovation. Supplies were made
available to regions that had never been available before. The exchange of goods helped increase the quality of
life, it also increased the sophistication of packaging materials and products.

Blown glass was one specific product that helped advance the human quality of life as well as the packaging
industry. Blown glass

enabled craftsmen to mold glass into a large variety of shapes. Many of the products produced were
containers for transportation and storage. The blown glass containers are often made of thick durable glass
that was heavy yet preferred because of the many benefits offered.

During the same time period, the invention of the wooden barrel came about. Many believe the techniques
used to shape and bend the wooden barrel were derived from ship making. Craftsmen would use steam to
heat the wood and bend it. With the wood in the proper mold, it can be slowly heated and bent to shape the
barrel into the proper form.
Once the barrel is cured, it was found to be one of the most effective forms of bulk packaging known at that
time. The barrel enabled people the ability to store and transport liquids and dry goods in large quantities.

After the fall of Rome, inventions and innovation became stagnant within Europe. Many new technologies and
advancements came from other cultures around the globe. China began making the first true form of paper
during this time period. The invention and production of paper proved to be a valuable and common material
used in the packaging industry for centuries.
Modern Packaging
Industrial Revolution

The industrial revolution brought changes to everyone's way of life. It consisted of an age where products
began to be produced by machines instead of by hand. Many rural residents moved into towns and cities to
obtain steady jobs and increased wages. The change in the level of production and the increased disposable
income encouraged producers to develop durable, dependable, and efficient packaging methods. The
increased product production resulted in a large rise in demand for:

1. Storage and transportation bins

2. Bags
3. Food packaging methods
4. Primary packaging materials
5. In-store packaging options

The migration of citizens into the city reduced the need for large bulk consumer packaging options and
increased the need for individual and smaller packaging quantities. Manufacturers and producers needed large
storage containers and bins more than ever, but consumers needed other packaging options. These demands
offered a new chapter in the packaging industry.

Bulk packaging had been around for hundreds of year by that time, but individual packaging was something
new. A variety of papermaking methods were implemented during this time period to fulfill the needs of the
demands listed above. Initially, most of the food packaging, bags, primary packaging, and in-store packaging
options were developed from a paper-based material. There were some exceptions. Glass jars and jugs were
an important part of the demand for individual packaging methods. Many companies developed printing
methods to place their brand upon the product packaging. This helped users quickly identify the maker of the
product.

No major advancements were made in the packaging industry until the early 1900s. This was when plastics
were introduced to the packaging industry. The new cellulose plastic changed the packaging industry and
dominated the flexible packaging sector for years. Polyethylene was produced in the '60s and quickly became a
preferred packaging product.

There have been many changes and new developments since the development of plastics into the packaging
industry. A large variety of different plastics have been produced since the first introduction. These plastics
have increased the quality of life for people around the globe and continued to advance the packaging
industry. The plastics have enabled manufacturers and producers to extend life and better protect products.

Environmental Impact
The large rise and production of plastic packaging materials have increased the demand for more
environmentally friendly options. Many materials in the packaging industry now have recycling options. Check
out our recent blog post about recycling packaging products. In recent years there have been large
advancements in the development of more environmentally friendly packaging methods. Currently, many of
these methods are not cost effective enough to be commonly used in the market place. In time,
manufacturers, and producers will shift to packaging that reduced the environmental impact.

The Future of Packaging

With continued advancements in technology and products, the packaging industry will continue to evolve. The
continued evolution is sure to offer:

1. More Environmentally Friendly Packaging Options

2. Continued Push For Increased Packaging Efficiencies
3. Increased Design and Branding Capabilities