Introduction - Lesson 8
Completion requirements
Why is one packaging better than another is?
Packaging is an important part of a product. It protects the
product when it is moved around, information about the product is
written on the packaging, and sometimes the packaging is made to be especially eye-catching to customers.
Think about the packaging for a toy. The package needs to
hold the pieces together so that, after you buy it, you can take it all
home and assemble it if necessary. A description of the toy is on the
outside of the packaging so you know what it looks like. The
package usually has an eye-catching design, pictures, and colours so
that people will notice it and want to buy it! Some products come in
several layers of packaging as well. That toy package may have a
box on the outside, little bags on the inside to hold smaller pieces,
Styrofoam packing to protect it, and clips and ties to hold it all in
the package. A lot of packaging for one product!
Product packaging is important, but not all the materials used
for packing are environmentally friendly. For example, plastic bags,
plastic wrap, and Styrofoam can end in a landfill, but they take many
years to decompose or they may never decompose. About 30% of the waste
in a landfill is product packaging. If we can reduce, reuse, and
recycle the packaging, we can make a difference in what goes into a landfill.