What is container?

What Does container Mean

If we are left with the first meaning of packaging mentioned in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), the term refers to the act and the result of packaging : placing a liquid or other substance in a container.

The most common use of the notion, however, is associated with the container itself. In other words, a container is an object that allows the storage and transport of certain products .
There are multiple types of packaging since the elements packaged can be very diverse. The glass or plastic and cartons , for example, are the most common containers for beverages . Cookies, meanwhile, are usually sold in plastic, paper or cardboard containers .

The characteristics of the container depend on what it contains, since it must guarantee the adequate collection, protection, manipulation and distribution of the product . A soft drink or soda, to cite one case, cannot be packaged in paper as the package would get wet and spoil. The most fragile goods, on the other hand, need shock-resistant packaging.
The material used to manufacture each type of container is a fundamental point, which not only affects the quality and conservation of the product it contains, but also sets a trend and identifies it with an era. For example, while until the late 1980s yogurt used to be distributed in glass containers, today plastic is used.
Caring for the environment , on the other hand, requires the use of reusable or recyclable packaging to minimize the generation of waste. Glass bottles, in this sense, are valuable as they can be refilled after undergoing a comprehensive cleaning and disinfection process. Some plastic bottles can also be recycled: they are melted and then used as raw material for the production of new packaging or other products.
Depending on the criteria applied, there are several ways to classify packages. One of them is based on the distance between them and the products they contain, and this results in the following three types: primary, secondary and tertiary . The primary packaging is in direct contact with the product, so that it not only serves to contain it but also to protect it.
In a commercial store, each primary packaging corresponds to a unit of the product in question and is aimed at the final consumer , that is, it is not intended for wholesalers. Although it can partially or totally cover the product, it guarantees that the product cannot be modified without the container being opened. Soft drinks are sold in this type of container.

On the other hand we have the secondary packaging , which is also known as collective and is used to contain one or more primary packaging, in order to protect them during the commercial distribution process. In a store, we can find it in packages of several units, either for sale to the final consumer or to keep them near the shelves for eventual replacement. The transparent plastic films that group several bottles of mineral water are a clear example of this type of container.
The tertiary container , finally, is that which is used to transport or mixing containers either above types a container that protects customers in vehicles that carry along the commercial distribution network. They are manufactured with the aim of making it easier to transport and handle many units, minimizing the chances of damage and alteration. Two clear examples of this kind of packaging are reusable plastic boxes and pallets.