Like the history of human development, the development of packaging has gone through a long period. Starting from the earliest convenient carrying function, it has gradually evolved into a modern packaging that integrates display, carrying and publicity. The upgrade of packaging materials and packaging machinery proves that “technology changes life, and technology changes the future”.
From a big perspective, all things used to wrap items can be called packaging. From a small perspective, the packaging of commodities used for circulation is called packaging. Let us clear the fog of history and explore the truth step by step.
Original packaging
Original packaging sprouted in the Paleolithic age of primitive society. In primitive society, because people’s mastery of production skills is extremely low, all packaging comes from natural rough processing. Plant leaves, fruit shells, animal skins, animal bladders, shells, turtle shells and other items are used to hold food and drinking water. Although some parts of these animals and plants that have almost no technical processing can not be called real packaging, from the perspective of packaging, they are already budding packaging. Like the zongzi eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival in China, the outer zongzi has been used to this day.
Ancient packaging
In the Neolithic Age, due to the development of human productivity, from the stone tools of the primitive society to the grinding of stone tools, and then to the earth-fired pottery. Pottery was invented around 1500 BC, and early pottery bottles and pots have been found in the Nile region, Britain, Belgium, and Germany. This simple and easy-to-manufacture method has made the original mode of relying on nature specialize at the beginning of self-sufficiency, and packaging has been greatly developed. At the same time, due to the initial discovery of dyes, these pottery have initial aesthetic designs, such as ancient Greece. The pottery vase reflects everyday life and mythological stories, etc.
The opaque glass was first produced in the Fifth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt (2500 BC), when not only glass but also various other containers could be made. Before 1300 BC, transparent glass containers appeared, and later glass-making techniques were spread to the Mediterranean region.
Ancient Greece is an area where iron containers appeared earlier. Around 1500 BC, iron blocks were first smelted in the Caucasus region. Later, in 1200 BC, iron smelting technology spread to the Mediterranean coast, ancient Egypt and the two rivers.
Medieval packaging
In the long Middle Ages, packaging technology developed very slowly. In 1400 AD, typography was invented in Europe. In 1495, England built a paper mill.
Porcelain appeared later. It was not introduced from China until the 18th century, and production began. Although glass blowing was invented earlier, formal glass factories were not built in the United States until 1609.
Modern packaging
It was not until the Western Industrial Revolution that packaging technology developed rapidly. The Industrial Revolution began in England in the 1760s, because of the invention and promotion of the steam engine, editing chemistry, machinery manufacturing and other industries. After the United Kingdom, most European countries, the United States, Japan, etc. have also completed the industrial revolution one after another.
The industrial revolution has promoted the development of modern packaging, man-made materials continue to replace natural packaging materials, and machine packaging products continue to replace manual packaging products, laying a solid foundation for the development of modern packaging.
The papermaking and printing techniques introduced from China made great progress in this stone tool, and the Fourdrinier paper machine and multicolor lithography succeeded one after another. Subsequently, the machine version paper
Paper bags and corrugated cardboard came out one after another. The food processing industry is beginning to modernize. Since 1795, when the first video of heating glass bottle packaging appeared in France, glass bottle cans, tinplate seals and frozen food packaging have been patented one after another. Machine-made wooden boxes, steel drums, metal hoses, cellophane, and the world’s first canning machine and bottle filling machine were all invented during this period.
Now
With the continuous production of new plastics, commodity packaging has entered a stage of modernization. With the development of science and technology and global economicalization, more packaging forms and packaging contents have come out one after another. There is no doubt that packaging has entered a new era with the following characteristics :
1. With the continuous development of packaging technology, new packaging materials are constantly produced;
2. People’s requirements for packaging are getting higher and higher and more diversified, which requires packaging technology to meet people’s needs;
3. The contents of the packaging are constantly changing, such as the popular pre-made dishes now;
4.The packaging design is more scientific and modern, in line with the current technological development.
