Abstract: The development of the commodity economy has led to the prosperity of the packaging design industry. However, the environmental pollution and the waste of resources caused by commodity packaging have become increasingly prominent. The key to solving the problem is to adhere to the sustainable development of packaging, which includes "tangible packaging" and "invisible packaging". This article attempts to define the concept of "tangible packaging" and "invisible packaging" based on the concept of sustainable development of packaging, which is not only the designer's wishes and responsibilities, but should be the future trend of packaging.
Keywords: sustainable development, tangible packaging, invisible packaging
First, the proposed "tangible packaging", "invisible packaging" definition
Sustainability in packaging should include two aspects: First, emphasize development, that is, continuously improve economic, social and cultural levels, including people's living standards. The second is the emphasis on sustainable development and the continuous circulation and continuous use of non-renewable resources. The narrow sense of packaging refers only to the things that package goods, but from a commercial and design point of view, the packaging of a complete product should include two elements: 1. The containers used to store and circulate goods, embodied in the packaging, Can be called "tangible packaging." 2. The advertising packaging and publicity of the container that are consistent with the information of the goods it contains are called "invisible packaging" (as opposed to "tangible packaging").
Second, the sustainable development of "tangible packaging" and "invisible packaging"
There are two methods for sustainable development of “tangible packagingâ€. One is to limit excessive packaging; the other is to choose green and environmentally friendly packaging materials. The sustainable development of "invisible packaging" is mainly related to the concept of consumption advocated by advertising packaging and public opinion propaganda, and the sustainable development of consumer attitudes is often easily overlooked by people.
1. Limits of "tangible packaging" and choice of materials
Restricting packaging is a worldwide issue. At present, there is a wave of "green packaging" around the world. European governments have formulated packaging laws. Germany, which first praised the recycling of packaging materials, has formulated the “recycling economy lawâ€; Denmark has taken the lead in implementing the “green tax†system; many countries require manufacturers, importers, and retailers to take responsibility for the recycling and remanufacturing of packaging materials; overpackaging Items are illegal in South Korea. In order to implement restrictions on the ratio and number of layers of goods, the government will inspect the packaging of goods, reward lean packaging, and punish excessively packaged goods. In view of the challenges caused by “over-packaging†to China’s natural resources and sustained and healthy economic development, China should also strengthen the restrictions and management of product packaging. This not only concerns the future of the entire packaging industry, but also relates to the environment. Resources and other issues.
Material properties often determine the full play of material energy during production and use. Packaging materials that are consistent with sustainable development should use low-energy, low-cost, and less-polluting materials. They should also be easy-to-process, with no or less contaminated materials during processing. For example, China's design and development of environmentally friendly materials - self-destructive plastics, is to add a special UV photosensitizer in the polyolefin, the plastic can be quickly broken down after use, in line with environmental requirements. Therefore, designers should thoroughly, meticulously, and specifically understand and master green packaging materials with environmental protection when carrying out “tangible packagingâ€.
(1) Reduce unnecessary packaging, save materials, and reduce resource consumption, so as to reduce the volume of packaging waste, reduce the burden on consumers, but also protect the environment.
(2) Use the same packaging material as possible when designing the same kind of packaging products for easy recycling.
(3) Full consideration should be given to the recycling of materials, which not only saves raw materials but also facilitates the recycling of resources. At the same time, non-recyclable materials must be treated with certain technological methods to minimize their impact on the environment.
(4) The degradability of materials should be considered in design. In 1997, the State Environmental Protection Agency announced the environmental labeling and product technical requirements for biodegradable plastic packaging products, and implemented the sign recognition system for biodegradable plastic packaging products, which greatly improved the status of plastic packaging pollution.
(5) Design and produce reusable packaging products. Different from the traditional design concept that only pays attention to formal beauty and unique style, under the premise of respecting the aesthetic principle of sustainable development of “tangible packagingâ€, the first consideration is how to more effectively use natural renewable resources and reduce the use of non-renewable resources. The consumption, while creating a more rational use of methods.
2. The special meaning of "invisible packaging"
Nowadays, when a new commodity is to be listed, enterprises must also carry out “invisible packaging†in addition to packaging the product itself. That is, advertising is used to evoke consumers’ potential consumer awareness as much as possible and generate purchasing behaviors, so as to obtain them. profit. This is understandable. However, in order to expand the market and maximize profits, companies in the “invisible packaging†process will often try to guide consumption concepts, encourage replacement and renewal, and maximise consumer spending. Consumers blindly believe that the popularity of “invisible packaging†is needed, and the life expectancy of products is getting shorter and shorter, and they are constantly being replaced by newer and more popular products. Frequent replacements and updates have caused a lot of waste, leading to many problems that endanger the environment. Britain has to abandon nearly 4 billion plastic cups each year. If we connect them one by one, it will be enough to circle the earth for 12 rounds. We can't imagine that China's more than a billion people will lose all kinds of furniture, electrical appliances, and clothing that are still discarded every year. How many are there in the box? The concept of stimulating consumption has almost become the sole criterion for guiding design. This is the root cause of energy waste, resource destruction, and ecological disorders. Therefore, in order to continue to survive and develop, it is necessary to rethink the current concepts and methods of consumption. This change of concept is an important condition for persisting in the sustainable development of “invisible packagingâ€.
To make "invisible packaging" conform to the strategic thinking of sustainable development, we must do three things:
First, the government regulates the market of "intangible packaging", advocates the concept of saving consumption, and implements the strategic thinking of adhering to sustainable development in all aspects of people's lives.
Secondly, from the designer’s point of view, as a citizen with a sense of responsibility to the society, designers should at least select those energy-saving and non-polluting raw materials for packaging design when they carry out “tangible packagingâ€, and adopt simple processing techniques. Reduce the cost of packaging. In the "invisible packaging" of goods, pay attention to guiding people's correct consumption patterns and consumer psychology.
Thirdly, consumers should clarify the concept of sustainable development and not be fooled by "invisible packaging." When choosing commodities, those products that are simple to pack and environmentally friendly are preferred, and those that are still in use should be fully utilized.
The negative impact of invisible packaging has caused damage to the environment, so people must make long-term efforts towards the goal of protecting energy and resources. Only by constantly enhancing the public's awareness of environmental protection and the concept of environmentally-friendly consumption can the sustainable development of packaging continue.
Conclusion
China is a developing country. The current situation of declining resources and gradual deterioration of the ecological environment requires us to re-examine and evaluate the design. Design should not be designed for design. It must go beyond simple modeling and aesthetic issues. The greater responsibility of design lies in shaping the personality, helping to form a conducive social atmosphere, and building a good relationship between people and people and between man and nature. Therefore, when designers carry out "tangible packaging", they should establish the concept of rational distribution, development of energy, recycling and reuse of old products and old materials; when conducting "invisible packaging", they should pay attention to guiding consumers to change unreasonable. Consumption habits, behaviors, etc. The design of the future will be based on the common development of man and nature. The design will focus on saving resources as much as possible, slowing down the rate of environmental deterioration, reducing consumption, meeting the needs of human life, and improving the quality of human life so as to ensure humanity Sustainable development.
Author: Zhang Lan, Soochow University School of Art
Reprinted from: Guangdong Printing Network