The Pros & Cons of Bottled and Jarred Packaged Goods. Let’s begin with the initial packaging methods used by our ancestors!
The Origin of Packaging
The idea of packaged goods is not something that was invented yesterday. People from ancient times also used to do trading, for which they needed to pack food items to store them.
Pre- Industrial and Post-Industrial Revolution
To carry things from place to place for trading purposes, early humans felt a necessity to store their food so they began with the exploitation of the items which were easily available to them, such as hard-shell gourds, big leaves, hollow tree trunks, wooden material, lamb sheets and animal skins.
When trading became an occupation, the necessity of new packaged goods methods arose. Some of the civilized villagers came up with the idea of creating sacks and baskets to deliver their goods. Gradually, they became more creative and started using clay to make pots, wooden boxes, and canisters to port things in bulk. Additionally, over a period of time, glass and wooden barrels also came into use. The Chinese introduced paper packaging and so on.
In the 1900s, when the industrial revolution occurred, usage of machines brought massive changes in packaging methods. Polythene, boxes, and bottled and jarred packaging became more common.
What are Common Bottle and Jar designs?
Bottled and Jarred packaged goods. Designs of bottles and jars vary according to the food and beverage. Markets have introduced a variety of designs in water bottles and soft drinks. These bottles and jars can be made up of plastic as well as glass, and they come in the following shapes and sizes such as slim, short, long bottles with narrow necks, clearly transparent, or in the color theme of their brand with the logo on the front.
How do these packaging methods facilitate carry?
Bottled and Jarred packaged goods. Perishable food requires to be sealed or else it quickly rots, for example, meat, vegetables, fruits, and seafood. The use of this packaging method is more common in delivering food and beverages. Using airtight jars is the best decision while carrying eatables such as honey, mayonnaise, fish, etc. Glass bottles contain all kinds of liquids. Even some cosmetic brands serve their liquid items in glass bottles.
Favorable Points
Bottled and jarred packaging goods can be favorable for consumers in such ways:
1. Sanitary Controls
As the world is becoming more polluted day by day which is damaging the air, sanitary practices and hygiene controls are becoming more serious among citizens. Bottled and jarred packaging prevents eatables from being contaminated and reduces bacterial issues.
2. Preservation and Protection
Bottled and Jarred packaged goods. Airtight jars do not let carbon dioxide harm the product, which increases the shelf life of the product. For food that comes in various flavors, sellers use sealed jars and bottles to maintain the flavor and freshness of food. Brands never break the trust of their targeted audience, so they never compromise on the quality of their products and always prefer bottled and jarred packaging.
3. Durability and Reusability
Bottled and Jarred packaged goods. To earn customers’ trust, products are manufactured in safe packaging so that they cannot be destroyed easily while they are being carried. As compared to unpacked goods, they are safer to carry with no hurdles. Not even vacant glass jars and bottles are futile. People reuse these bottles and jars by storing food and beverages in them instead of throwing them out.
4. Conveniently Portable
Bottled and Jarred packaged goods. The whole supply chain plays an essential role in the trading of goods. No matter how long the goods travel from place to place, or whether the environment is clean or not, they do not get affected by any environmental fluctuations such as rain, dirt, polluted air, and whatnot.
5. Wrapping Variants
Bottled and Jarred packaged goods. It does not matter if the product is in clear plastic or in a printed one. Buyers don’t mind either way. When the plastic/glass has transparency, the food inside it can be clearly seen and no one would worry while buying that product. In contrast, printed packets have all the ingredients used in the product listed over them, through which consumers can take better decisions.
Unfavorable Points
1. Fragile Items
Bottles and jars which are made up of glass demand special handling. Glass materials can be easily broken during the delivery process. The heaviness of glass increases the weight of the product. So, due to the particular care needed and extra weight delivery charges on those goods, total costs increase.
2. Longevity of Plastic
Plastic jars and bottles are cheaper in price as compared to glass bottles, but they can get cracked easily. Furthermore, plastic has the tendency to leave a subtle taste in food, and reduce the flavor of the food. Another notable point is that the Earth cannot recycle the remaining plastic, which is awful for the environment.
3. Processed Food
Packaged food contains some amount of chemicals that kill bacteria from the food. Preservatives like nitrates are good for the long life of food but enhance health risks in humans as well. These additives can lead us to severe diseases, especially among elderly people.
Summary
After reading numerous merits and demerits of bottled and jarred packaging, readers should now be aware enough to make decisions. Consumers should never forget to consider different packaging methods either. Everyone should make buying decisions according to their health, age, income, and preferences while keeping in mind that packaging does affect us in many ways.
