The very first packages found, were woven baskets and small bags of animal skins to carry berries, plants and seeds. In ancient times the hunters and collectors were recyclers because their packaging was constantly reused.
When men started farming, harvest came every year at the same period. Each harvest needed to be stored, traded or processed. So storage, transport and preservability suddenly started to be an issue. The very first evolution of packaging was a fact: true innovation in ancient times!
Roman packaging
As we all know the Romans had a general drive for cultural expansion. And so for their food, although they were also of the type a stick-in-the-mud will try nothing new. So amphoras - stone jugs - were used to store and transport typically Roman food, such as Thrush or Mackerel. Air tightly sealed with pitch and rope, everything could be kept for longer. Thus high-ranking Roman soldiers could also enjoy momma’s Mediterranean cuisine in the outskirts of the Roman empire.
The Romans Daedalian as they were, invent numerous of new preservation techniques: salts, smoking, storing in oil or vinegar. For centuries the amphora, the glass bottle and air closed baskets were used as packaging.
The first mass production of packaging in history
In 1400 the paper entered the world. Paper mills were introduced. Paper packaging for dry goods - sugar and flour - was sieved on a larger scale. You can say, these were the first packaging machines. Large frames with old rags were made into paper sheets by a complicated process - indeed a kind of ancestor of our Sleever! These paper sheets were gradually printed. From the 17th century the Netherlands is not only market leader when it comes to paper, there is also considerable experimentation with cardboard. But this growth stagnated around 1810, and isn't restored until the industry started to mechanize later that century.
The modern history of packaging
The arrival of the supermarkets has of course caused a revolution in the packaging industry. Shopping becomes a completely different experience; suddenly people had to collect all their groceries themselves. Therefore knowing what and how much a package contained becomes of great importance. Information on the packages appeared and increased rapidly.
Technology is leaping forward; food cans, plastic films, vacuum packaging, beverage cartons. Innovation in the field of packaging brings broad prospect of possibilities.
In this same time frame also demographics started to develop differently. Smaller families are more common, people are getting older and subcultures are a new upcoming phenomenon, each with their own products and thus their own packaging. Marketing on packages starts to attend being more important to "catch" the right consumer.
The package of the 21st century
Today's packaging is a product in itself. A well designed casing protects the product during transport and storage. It extends the shelf life of the product. The product identifies itself through the information we put on its outside. If possible, today's packaging is sustainable; you can reuse the packaging, she is biodegradable or 100% recyclable.
Anno 2019, minimal packaging is an inevitable piece of design. Awareness of our own consumption behavior not only concerns the product itself, but certainly also how it is packaged. We are ready to exchange ideas with you on how we can best package your product in an honest, contemporary manner.
Animal skin or Sleever, a beautiful product should be wearing a nice outfit!
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