Packaging or containers haves existed ever since man used natural resources to hold, carry and transport. banana lLeaves to wrap and cook food,; madkinge baskets from leaves, tree bark and straw from coconut palm leaves,; useding animal hides for bags for carrying or as bladders for liquids,; turneding clay into bowls, jars and bottles; and madkeing boxes and crates from wood not forgetting glass to make bottles as early as 1,500 bc.
With the advent of commerce in the ancient world wholesale packaging was created for the shipment of grians, powder (flour), oil, fish paste, other staples and exotic products like herbs and spices, particularly throughout the countries and domains of the time accessible by water.
Industrialization brought with it, the invention of the tin can, the discovery of the preservation of food through sterilization, the resurgence of glass for packaging the manufacture of paper and printing on vast scales that eclipsed the previous home industries. The idea of packaging originated following the need of the early man to move items from a place to the next. Solid objects that were large in volume could get carried without packaging. However, powders and liquids needed some types of containers.
While containment was the primary function and most essential purpose of the package not all products in a package were consumed at once and so the need to use some of the contents and keep the rest for later use arose. And so the second and third purposes of packaging evolved preservation (protection) and dispensing.
With commercial productions and transactions, now on vast scales, coupled with the need for transportation and distribution the box evolved not only as a means to contain standardized items and numerous identical items in one transaction but also to serve as early point of sales displays in warehouses, on transports and in stores.
Then Iin the early 1960’s plastic was invented and a whole new industry of packaging was creatbegan to evolved and has continueds to this day to be at the forefront of research and development offor packaging. Today marketing, communication, and display undertake essential roles for packaging.