The Ultimate Guide to Types of Packaging

Packaging is an essential part of the supply chain. It plays a critical role in ensuring product quality, safety, and security as well as increasing brand image. The packaging gives consumers the confidence that what they are buying is what it says. It can also help them feel a sense of ownership over the product they purchase.

Companies use packaging to create brand awareness among consumers through visual cues such as color schemes or design elements like graphics on labels or containers.

Although there are different types of packaging, they share some commonalities. Such as, they all involve keeping something safe until it reaches its destination safely and securely. The variety of high-quality and cost-effective packaging materials allows you to package the products without breaking the bank.

In this blog, we have compiled the most popular packaging types to assist you in selecting the materials according to your product’s needs. 

Let’s dive in!

What is Packaging?

Packaging is the physical container for a product. It’s the first thing a customer sees, touches, and uses when purchasing your product. It offers maximum protection to your items during storage, display, or shipping.

Types Of Packaging

The most common types of packaging are as follows. Let’s read them together!

• Paperboard 

Paperboard is a material made from recycled paper, which is why it’s often used in packaging. It can be made out of any paper, but corrugated cardboard, also known as cardboard, is the most popular choice. It’s lightweight and relatively cheap compared to other types of packaging.

Corrugated cardboard has many benefits over other materials: it’s recyclable and doesn’t require glue or tape to keep its shape. Plus, it doesn’t need staples or an extra layer of protection on top as shrink wrap does.

• Shrink Wrap 

Shrink wrap is a form of packaging that uses heat to wrap around a product. You can also call it hot melt, heat seal, or oven-bake plastic. Shrink wrap typically protects the products from moisture, dirt, and dust.

• Plastic

When it comes to packaging, plastic has many benefits. It has various applications in food packaging, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Moreover, it offers insulation for buildings or vehicles.

• Bubble mailers 

Bubble mailers safely ship large items or items that need protection from elements like humidity and temperature. They can also be an alternative packaging option for fragile items like glassware and electronics.

Bubble wrap is made from plastic bubbles, which are then sealed together by heat, pressure, and adhesive so that each piece keeps its shape once it’s wrapped. Bubble Wrap has many benefits over traditional packaging methods, such as:

• It protects your product from damage caused by moisture or other elements such as dirt, dust, etc.
• It ensures the product arrives at its destination in perfect condition without any stress on delivery.

• Chipboard 

A chipboard is a type of board that is made from wood or cardboard. It can manufacture the boxes and other packaging materials, such as boxes, cartons, and bags. The main benefit of using this material for your product packaging is its less cost than other materials.

There are many reasons why you should consider using chipboard instead of paper:

• It’s cheaper than paper but durable enough to protect the items inside from damage.
• The best part is that this material doesn’t contain chemicals or toxic materials that could harm your customers’ health.

• Bubble Wrap 

Bubble wrap is a cushioning material made of plastic film used to ship fragile items. It is made from polyethylene film and is often used in conjunction with corrugated cardboard.

Bubble wrap is a staple for any packaging or moving operation because it can provide an extra layer of protection for your items during transit. The bubbles act like shock absorbers, which absorb some of the impacts the shipment feels when it hits bumps along its journey to its destination.

• Kraft Paper

Kraft paper is a strong paper that you can use for packaging different products. It is made from wood pulp and is of high quality, making it suitable for many different types of packaging.

Kraft paper packages the food items such as fruit or vegetables, pharmaceuticals, electronics, metal items like tools, weapons, and jewelry, chemicals such as paint cans, and vegetable products like frozen dinners. There are many other uses for this type of packaging material, but these are common ones that come to mind when thinking about what you might need if you’re looking into using kraft paper in your business!

• Paper Bags

There are many benefits of using paper bags. Such as, they are

• Low cost.
• Recyclable.
• Biodegradable.
• Lightweight, which makes them easy to handle and transport for delivery purposes or shipping products through the postal system.

Additionally, paper bag packaging is strong enough to withstand numerous shipping attempts by consumers. They are flexible enough to fold into any shape necessary.

• Wood crates and pallets 

Wooden crates and pallets can transport the goods over longer distances without any hassle. They are made with renewable materials, are easy to use, and are cost-effective. They provide high levels of protection for your products against damage during transit or storage.

Now, let’s discuss two types of packaging having worldwide importance. Numerous leading brands use them for packaging food and pharmaceutical products.

Pharmaceutical Packaging

Pharmaceutical packaging is a type of packaging that stores and transports pharmaceutical drugs. FDA regulates this packaging and has created regulations on how the labels of these products must be printed.

The FDA also requires that any expiration date on a drug product should be visible on its label, as well as any other information about safety or usage. There are many different types of pharmaceutical packaging, such as blister packs (also known as blister film), bottles and containers such as vials or syringes, bags, and more.

Food Packaging

Food Packaging is the protective packaging surrounding food products during transport, storage, and retail display. It protects the foods from damage, contamination, and spoilage.

Food packaging containers may be made from metals, paper, paperboard (also known as corrugated fiberboard), plastic (which includes polyethylene terephthalate), or glass, depending on their intended use.

Final Words!

We hope that this blog was helpful for you in learning the most common and well-known types of packaging materials. Now that you know the types, it will be easier to select the custom packaging material for the products you will be willing to showcase to your target audience.