Has Packaging Revamped?
By: Esha Mehta
Tags: Engineering, Packaging, Design, Emotions, Technology

Has Packaging Revamped?

It all started with the consumption of raw materials. From wrapping food in leaves secured by a string to plastic containers with reliable locks and smart features taken to the school. They all have one thing in common, packaging. It took about a million years to reach about a hundred crore population, and after that we all have just galloped in the terms of a global outburst of population in two hundred years, making it to 750 crores. We have grown when it comes to talking about agro-economy to manufacturing it into an urban-centric economy, India has gone way ahead in terms of how we transform things.

The Ecosystem surrounded by the transformed sector is mainly agriculture, manufacturing, urban centre, market and retail, celebration, transportation, housing and infrastructure, social life, hygiene and safety (which is the most paramount in today’s time), healthcare, travel and leisure.

“At every stage we have something or the other getting packaged whether it is in the physical form or through verbal communication,” says Samir Limaye, the Vice President at Wimco and the President at Institute of Packaging Machinery Manufacturers of India. With over 30 years of experience, his expertise lies in industrial packaging machines, automation and mechanization. He has worked under various domains including project management, strategy, business development and factory operations. He provides industrial solutions to Pharma, Cosmetics, Consumer products, Beverage & Engineering segments. He has been working towards spreading his knowledge about the packaging world and facilitating institutes to begin courses in packaging.

There has always been a need to convert raw materials into a value-added product, the place of production and the place of consumption have never been the same and that is where packaging comes into play. As countries became urbanized, people came from rural areas, connectivity increased and trade and commerce grew, it became essential to be able to package what was manufactured for it to last and that is how we have reached to a point where we can eat our favourite bag of chips while we binge-watch. Packaging has become somewhat of a safe haven for the modern-day consumer.

“Human Population and the young population are having their own aspirations. Technology will play a major role and all these things will only help Packaging, the Economy and the Society,” says Samir Limaye.

We continue using a wide variety of materials for packaging including paper, wood, glass and plastic among the others. You may have heard from your grandmother about her prized spice box and all those stories a rusty, disfigured tin box secretly hides. You may also have heard from your parents as to how they had only glass bottles or pots to store water and their excitement at the thought of chilled water. This makes us realize that all these people had an emotional connect with the containers. But today, we have reversed the situation. We prize what the packaging stores more than the packaging itself and this very attitude has given a rise to the use and throw culture and single-use plastic.

Packaging holds great power to change the world. Plastic is here to stay and we haven’t a technological advancement where we can replace plastic completely. But should that really stop us from finding a replacement? The design of packaging will grow with the advancement of technology and with the aspirations of the younger generation i.e., our generation.

Having made us conscious of all the complex work and effects of packaging, Samir Limaye concludes the session with the importance of packaging in the times of the pandemic and our lives. He inspires all of us to make a difference — a different material, a different design, a different attitude and as a community, we shall make a difference.