Overpackaging

{{essay|date=March 2026}} {{AI-generated|date=February 2026|reason=edits such as this and this; note WP:AISIGNS in superficial analyses, vocab distribution typical of 2024-25 LLMs, etc}} {{Short description|Use of excess packaging}} '''Overpackaging''' is the use of excess packaging. The ''Institute of Packaging Professionals'' defines it as "a condition where the methods and materials used to package an item exceed the requirements for adequate containment, protection, transport, and sale".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Soroka |first=W |url=http://www.iopp.org/i4a/pages/Index.cfm?pageID=1 |title=Illustrated Glossary of Packaging Terminology |publisher=Institute of Packaging Professionals |edition=Second}}</ref> It aligns with the hierarchy principle of reduce, rescue, recycle, prioritizing the elimination of unnecessary package.<ref name=":1" />

Reducing overpackaging is a key strategy in source reduction, which aims to minimize waste before it is generated.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Source Reduction |url=https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/land/recyclingandoperationsprogram/pages/source_reduction.aspx |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Department of the Environment |language=en-us}}</ref> It aligns with the waste hierarchy principle of reduce, reuse, recycle, where eliminating unnecessary packaging takes precedence over recycling or disposal.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Richard |date=2021-08-06 |title=What Is a Waste Management Hierarchy? {{!}} Axil-IS |url=https://axil-is.com/blogs-articles/waste-management-hierarchy/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Axil Integrated Services |language=en-GB}}</ref> In some cases, the degree of excessive packaging is quite obvious; while in others, whether it is excessive packaging or not may be subject to dispute depending on the assessment criteria.

For example, luxury packaging frequently uses more packaging than the minimum requirements. The enterprises hold that additional packaging is beneficial for protecting the products and enhancing their sales appeal. It can convey the brand concept, boost the visual appeal of the products, and increase the sense of ritual when consumers purchase luxury goods.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Villalón |first=Pablo Gutiérrez-Ravé |date=2024-03-20 |title=The Power of Packaging in the Luxury World |url=https://luxonomy.net/the-power-of-packaging-in-the-luxury-world/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=LUXONOMY |language=en-US}}</ref> Gift wrapping traditionally involves additional layers, though consumer preferences and cultural practices sustain its use.<ref>{{cite journal | last =Liu | first =Lin | title =Measures for Excessive Application of Gift Packaging Design Materials | journal =Springer Nature, Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Culture, Design and Social Development (CDSD 2022) | volume =16 | date =2023 | url = https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/cdsd-22/125984879 | access-date = 25 November 2024 }}</ref> Decorative packaging boxes incorporate artistic design elements. The function of such boxes goes beyond the basic requirements of product protection or transportation; instead, they can better create a sense of ceremony.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Manager |first=Store |date=2019-09-02 |title=Decorative Boxes - Thinking Outside of the Box with Decorative Boxes |url=https://invitinghome.com/thinking-outside-of-the-box-with-decorative-boxes/?srsltid=AfmBOoqgGcI_ctlVkrlG1gGlodjJWSM5KKHonBCQzCHLyWggregBhRmt |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=Inviting Home |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Excess packaging by design==

[[File:Breakfast.svg |thumb|Thin carton of breakfast cereal: designed intentionally with an inefficient shape, adding to packaging waste]]

An example of a wasteful package design is a breakfast cereal box (some other products also). This is typically a folding carton enclosing a plastic bag of cereal. Cartons are frequently tall and wide but very thin. This has a poor material to volume ratio and is inefficient and wasteful. Package designers are aware of this opportunity to save packaging costs, materials, and waste but marketing and merchandising people want the “billboard” style package for advertising and graphics. An optimized folding carton would use much less paperboard for the same volume of cereal, but with reduced room for graphics. Use of only a resealable plastic bag would use even less material per unit of cereal; of course, even that option results with an empty plastic bag to discard.<ref>{{cite journal | last =Fitzgerald | title =Cereal Box Design | journal =Tech Directions | pages = 22 | date =August 2004 | url = https://www.proquest.com/openview/d6c3b4c65fccd6512f3b55eb005fdd7b/1.pdf?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=182 | accessdate =4 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | last =Obolewicz | first = P | chapter = Cartons, Folding | pages =234–241 | editor-last = Yam | editor-first = K L | title = Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology | publisher = Wiley | publication-date = 2010 | isbn = 978-0-470-08704-6 }}</ref>

The amount of paperboard in a folding carton blank is the sum of the area of all faces of the carton plus the area of the inner flaps, plus a glued lap. This area can be compared to the volume of the carton by a ratio for a measure of efficiency. Depending on the specific design and choice of length, width, and height, this efficiency can vary significantly.<ref>{{cite book | title = Cartons, crates and corrugated board: handbook of paper and wood packaging technology | author = Diana Twede and Susan E. M. Selke | publisher = DEStech Publications | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-1-932078-42-8 | pages = 41–42, 55–56 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=kc0MSzFvrH8C&q=robert-gair%20box&pg=PA41 }}</ref> <ref>{{cite journal | last =Fitzgerald | title =Cereal Box Design | journal =Tech Directions | pages = 22 | date =August 2004 | url = https://www.proquest.com/openview/d6c3b4c65fccd6512f3b55eb005fdd7b/1.pdf?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=182 | accessdate =4 November 2021}}</ref>

==Underfilled packages== [[File:Big Aspirin Bottle.jpg|thumb|The 300 aspirin tablets take up less than a quarter of the container they came in. Using an appropriately-sized container would minimise packaging waste. （Without considering the efficacy and safety of the product）]]

Underfilled packaging (Slack-fill packaging) refers to the design of packaging containers with internal volumes significantly exceeding the actual space required for the product, resulting in non-functional empty areas.<ref name=":0" /> The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has defined six permissible reasons for functional underfilling in packaging: additional space required to protect contents; extra space necessitated by machinery requirements related to the packaged product; additional space resulting from natural settling of products during transportation; packaging-related space needed to facilitate food preparation or consumption; reusable containers with extra space (which helps display contents and maintains significant value after product use - including food containers, promotional items, commemorative durable containers, and gift sets); and additional space resulting from the inability to increase fill quantity or reduce package size due to food labeling requirements, tamper-evident features, or efforts to facilitate handling or prevent theft. The FDA considers packaging to be misleading if manufacturers fail to adequately fill packages for reasons other than those specified above.<ref name=":0">{{citation | title =Misleading Containers, 21CFR100.100 | url =https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=100.100}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Blogger |first=Guest |date=2023-03-13 |title=When Is Slack Fill Functional and When Is It Wasted Space? |url=https://www.allthingssupplychain.com/when-is-slack-fill-functional-and-when-is-it-wasted-space/ |access-date=2025-04-03 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==E-commerce== thumb|Delivery of a small item in a much larger corrugated box, requiring air pillows for void-fill. In E-commerce, "the overpackaging of products has become a major ecological concern."<ref>{{cite journal | last =Xie | first =Guojie | title = Assessing Consumer Preference for Overpackaging Solutions in E-Commerce | journal = Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health | volume =18 | date =2021 | issue =15 | page =7951 | doi =10.3390/ijerph18157951 | doi-access =free | pmid =34360244 | pmc =8345421 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last =Georgakoudis | first =E D | title =An investigation into the issue of overpackaging - examining the case of paper packaging | journal = International Journal of Sustainable Engineering | publisher =MDPI | volume =14 | pages =590–599 | date =2021 | issue =4 | doi =10.1080/19397038.2020.1780337 | url = https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/15/7951 | access-date = 26 November 2024 }}</ref> E-commerce packaging usually requires separate shipments and may include rough handling during shipment. This process involves multiple packaging layers: first, the retail packaging itself must be transported through courier systems; second, these retail packages are frequently placed in oversized corrugated boxes with substantial filler materials for stabilization.<ref>{{Citation | last =Lindsay | first =K | title = Why your small goods come in gigantic boxes | publisher= BBC | date=23 April 2024 | url = https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240415-why-your-small-goods-come-in-gigantic-boxes | access-date = 8 December 2024 }}</ref>

The design of packaging systems presents difficult choices. For example, manufacturers optimizing packaging design for e-commerce shipping needs might ostensibly lead to excessive packaging for physical retail.<ref name=":2" /> Conversely, packaging designed solely for retail display purpose often fails to meet e-commerce logistics protection requirements.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal | last =Escursel | first =S | title =Sustainability in e-commerce packaging: A review | journal =Journal of Cleaner Production | date =1 January 2021 | volume =280 | article-number =124314 | doi =10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124314 | pmid =32989345 | s2cid =221859798 | pmc =7511172 | bibcode =2021JCPro.28024314E }}</ref>

In the packaging design of electronic products, engineers need to take into account both the fragility of the products and the packaging protection during transportation at the same time. Sometimes, proper protection may lead to use of expensive cushioning materials and oversized packaging dimensions, resulting in waste of packaging materials. Therefore, optimizing packaging design to ensure that it can effectively protect the products while reducing the packaging materials is an important goal in the current packaging design of electronic products.

The requirements of individual shipment in e-commerce can require rugged packaging. Some products require dual-layer packaging systems (pallet shipping packaging + individual delivery packaging). This design not only leads to a decrease in production efficiency, but also highlights the need for innovative packaging solutions.<ref>{{cite journal | last =Alberto | first =R | title =A New Paradigm for Packaging Design in Web-based Commerce | journal =International Journal of Engineering Business Management | date =2014 | volume =6 | article-number =14 | doi =10.5772/58825 | s2cid =3059955 | url =https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C24&q=e-commerce+packaging&btnG= | accessdate =14 November 2021| doi-access =free | hdl =11577/3157220 | hdl-access =free }}</ref>

==Food overwraps== Fresh produce is usually presented for sale without packages, allowing shoppers to touch the items and choose which ones to buy. Some foods are over wrapped with shrink film, individually bagged, or further protected to increase the appeal to some customers. However, there are different opinions and discussions on whether the additional packaging of fresh agricultural products is necessary.<ref>{{cite journal | last =Marino | first =G | title =ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: OVERPACKAGING IN THE FOOD SYSTEM | journal =Renewable Matter | volume =33 | date =12 January 2021 | url =https://www.renewablematter.eu/articles/article/enough-is-enough-overpackaging-in-the-food-system | accessdate =11 December 2021}}</ref> <gallery> File:Wasteful Food Packaging, Japan.jpg|A tomato on a plastic tray and with a plastic shrink film File:Hong kong during typhoon utor 14.08.2013 08-22-10.JPG|Apples in shrink film and foam cushioning File:Individually wrapped bananas in Thailand.jpg|Individual bananas inside plastic bags File:Bananen-Box.jpg|Banana in plastic container File:アローマ マスクメロン (48912289523).jpg|Melons with wrappings in individual wooden boxes </gallery>

==References== {{reflist}} * Soroka, W, "Fundamentals of Packaging Technology", IoPP, 2002, {{ISBN|1-930268-25-4}} * Yam, K. L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 2009, {{ISBN|978-0-470-08704-6}} {{packaging}}

Category:Packaging