Packing or wrapping the products in suitable materials in different ways and forms for protection, transportation or similar purposes is called packaging. Throughout the history of humanity, it has developed packaging techniques for the materials it needs, within the time and conditions.
Packaging is a valuable material that best protects the product in it according to the structure and shape of the product, keeps it clean, facilitates its transportation, and also promotes the product. The use of packaging has taken its current form after the changes it has experienced. Packages originally consisted of wooden barrels, chests, earthenware pots, leather overalls and sacks.
Nowadays, it has become more convenient and economical, mostly consisting of paper / cardboard, plastic, glass and metal materials. Packages, which were previously only responsible for storing and transporting the product, have become a tool to introduce the product as well as to store the product in a clean way today.
It is a material that is necessary and must be used because it protects the product in the package and ensures that it is delivered to consumers in a healthy way. In our daily life, the usage area of packaging has expanded considerably. We buy many products from food to cosmetics, from flowers to furniture in their packaging, and we generally consume recyclable packaged products.
When the packaging completes its task, packaging waste emerges. Packages used for convenience in transportation complete their task when the product arrives at the point of sale and is unpacked. Packages that have completed this task are considered packaging waste. Examples of these are parcels. Similarly, after the purchased product is consumed, the packaging completes its task. In short, packaging waste refers to sales, external and transportation waste, including reusable packaging that has expired.
Packaging wastes created by the empty packaging of products used in daily life are examples of household waste. Consumers and markets such as points of sale, shopping centers, etc. Since they generate packaging waste, they are considered packaging waste producers.
We can sample these wastes as food, cleaning products packaging, milk and juice cans, glass or plastic bottles, canned food, tomato paste, glass jars of honey or jams, tin and metal cans, aluminum beverage cans, etc. In order to recycle packaging waste, it is sufficient to collect them separately from the garbage and throw them into recycling bins.
Municipalities that carry out recycling practices collect packaging waste from homes, sales points, schools, workplaces, in short, at the source where packaging waste is produced, separately from garbage. It sends the collected packaging waste to the recycling industry.
If we explain the explanations above in a loop. The packaging manufacturer company produces the packaging for the brand owner, after which the brand owner offers this packaged product for sale at various sales points. As consumers, we buy, use and consume these products. The products we consume are put on the market in packages so that they do not deteriorate, can last for a long time, and are protected from exposure to external factors. Some of these products can be consumed in a short time, while others can be used for much longer. When the product is finished, the task of this container is also over. Packages whose duty is terminated become packaging waste; It should be collected separately from garbage and added to the recycling system.