Abstract
A Simple container used to contain and to protect the product, has now become a crucial marketing factor, which is in perpetual evolution, and is sometimes given more importance than the product itself! It is no surprise that in such a situation, the expectations of the consumers are scanned with much attention. In the market other criterion like the costs, the practicality of the product, the brand-name and the environmental aspect, are also essential factors in the choice of the product. What then is the place of packaging? Which material should an industrialist choose to pack his product? And is the consumer really sensitive to the various selected materials? These are the questions that this paper will try to answer. In trying to do so, we will analyze plastic, glass and paperboard materials which are most commonly used in packing. We will see their principal properties, and the possibilities of recycling them. We will also speak about the various qualities of these materials. In the second part, we will study the evolution of packaging materials through time, space and some criteria like the sales target, the ecology and the cost.
