Shelf war of products: The score is in the packaging

摘要

Packaging in a historical perspective has undergone tremendous metamorphosis, from the use of leaves and clay to more advanced materials in glass, wood, paper, metal, plastics and composites. Packaging has also become "politicised", provoking regulatory and ethical debates: should it be plain and homogeneous, or branded - as in tobacco and cigarette packaging? Should it be paper or plastic for shopping bags in view of the waste management agenda? Should materials be biobased or petroleum-based for packaging, in the interest of curbing marine litter?