Kennesaw, GA

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Today is World Water Day:

Packaging examples cited can be viewed @ http://bit.ly/flLmYL

March 22 was first deemed World Water Day in 1993 by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) as an international day of observance and action to draw attention to the role that freshwater plays in our world and lives. It got me to thinking about the role packaging plays in humanitarian and crisis efforts. Mostly what we hear about is what consumers think about product packaging but never about what goes on behind the scene to save lives.

Did you know that in many countries they have food they just don't have the proper processing and packaging to preserve it. The food either spoils, rots or is consumed by vermin because they have no way to properly store it. Package processing is a mainstay of successful economies.

In other countries there is a lack of clean potable drinking water. In many cases this can be rectified by providing clean water for consumption in guess what? Packaging!

Bottle water gets constantly abused by the press despite the positive aspects of its role in modern society. When a crisis happens packaging is particularly important providing clean, portable water to those in need.

Have you ever heard of a water bladder? These monsters of packaging can be filled an dropped (by air) or delivered in situations requiring large amounts of water, particularly in remote or inaccessible areas.

Or disaster preparedness supplies? Water in a can you might ask? But what happens when you need it are you still complaining about excess packaging?

Now I know there are excesses in packaging and the industry as a whole needs to do a better job packaging products with less and better materials. However it some times takes a crisis to wake

people up about the role packaging plays in modern society. Love it hate it, we need it in modern society. It's our job (the packaging industry) to help everyone understand that packaging is integral to our daily lives. The world is a whole lot better place because packaging makes it possible.

JoAnn R. Hines

Packaging Diva

PackagingUniversity.com

Kennesaw, GA

678-594-6872