THE DIFFERENT MATERIALS

Plastic remains the dominant material in the world of packaging, since it is safe, hygienic and convenient. Available in many forms, flexible or rigid, watertight and solid, plastic can be used for making all kinds of resistant packagings for a competitive cost. However, the rising tide of ecological concerns puts it in the firing line of consumers and authorities alike, and if it is to remain the flagship packaging material it must quickly adapt and make amends for its significant ecological impact. This is the new challenge for the plastics professionals.

Cheap, easy to work with and highly appreciated for their ecological fibre, paper and cardboard are extensively used in packaging manufacture. Although the apparent fragility of paper and card may appear to impose limits on their use, consumer expectations concerning packaging do however confer on them a front-line role.

The revolution in the packaging and intralogistics ecosystem does not only concern materials that are already in use. By compelling industries to innovate, it encourages them to invent new solutions, which are more sustainable and kinder to the environment.

Its durability, its resistance and its adaptability to the products with which it is associated make wood a first-rate material in the field of packaging. The multitude of possible uses for this raw material (construction timber, fuel wood, industrial timber, etc.) makes it a major resource for those involved in the packaging industry.

Packaging material since time immemorial, versatile, airtight and watertight, glass tends to have been progressively replaced by plastic for many uses, in particular bottles. And yet, in the face of increasingly pressing environmental concerns, glass is making a strong comeback in the packaging industry.

Highly resistant, impermeable to liquids and radiation, excellent for preserving and keeping safe the products it contains, metal is an extremely reliable material for packaging production. If we add to this its recyclability and reuse possibilities, metal truly does have a part to play in the future of packaging.