Packaging is defined in the regulations as "all products made of any
materials of any nature to be used for the containment, protection,
handling, delivery and preservation of goods from the producer to the
user or consumer."
This applies where the product is one of the following:
This applies where the product is one of the following:
- 'Primary' or 'Sales' packaging is packaging which forms a sales unit for the user or final consumer, for example, a box containing soap powder
- 'Secondary' or 'Grouped' packaging is that which contains a number of sales units, for example, a cardboard outer containing a number of boxes of soap powder.
- 'Tertiary' or 'Transport' packaging is packaging that is used to group secondary packaging together to aid handling and transportation and prevent damage to the products, for example, the pallet and shrink wrap used to transport a number of cardboard outers containing boxes of soap powder. For the purposes of the Regulations, this does not include road, ship, rail or air containers.
- paper/fibreboard
- plastic
- glass
- steel
- aluminium
Packaging
The wrapping material around a consumer item that serves to contain, identify, describe, protect, display, promote and otherwise make the product marketable and keep it clean.
Packaging is more than just your product's pretty face. Your
package design may affect everything from breakage rates in
shipment to whether stores will be willing to stock it. For
example, "displayability" is an important concern. The original
slanted-roof metal container used for Log Cabin Syrup was changed
to a design that was easier to stack after grocers became reluctant
to devote the necessary amounts of shelf space to the awkward
packages. Other distribution-related packaging considerations
include:
Labeling. You may be required to include certain information on the label of your product when it is distributed in specific ways. For example, labels of food products sold in retail outlets must contain information about their ingredients and nutritional value.
Opening. If your product is one that will be distributed in such a way that customers will want to--and should be able to--sample or examine it before buying, your packaging will have to be easy to open and to reclose. If, on the other hand, your product should not be opened by anyone other than the purchaser--an over-the-counter medication, for instance--then the packaging will have to be designed to resist and reveal tampering.
Size. If your product must be shipped a long distance to its distribution point, then bulky or heavy packaging may add too much to transportation costs.
Durability. Many products endure rough handling between their production point and their ultimate consumer. If your distribution system can't be relied upon to protect your product, your packaging will have to do the job.
Labeling. You may be required to include certain information on the label of your product when it is distributed in specific ways. For example, labels of food products sold in retail outlets must contain information about their ingredients and nutritional value.
Opening. If your product is one that will be distributed in such a way that customers will want to--and should be able to--sample or examine it before buying, your packaging will have to be easy to open and to reclose. If, on the other hand, your product should not be opened by anyone other than the purchaser--an over-the-counter medication, for instance--then the packaging will have to be designed to resist and reveal tampering.
Size. If your product must be shipped a long distance to its distribution point, then bulky or heavy packaging may add too much to transportation costs.
Durability. Many products endure rough handling between their production point and their ultimate consumer. If your distribution system can't be relied upon to protect your product, your packaging will have to do the job.
