In thinking and writing about packaging, it’s all too easy to let admiration for the design overshadow the equal respect that’s due to the engineering. But, the reality is that no package succeeds simply because it looks good. If structure, performance, and ease of use haven’t received the same amount of attention, the appeal of the package lies nowhere else but on the surface.

Assuring that packages do what they are supposed to do is the mandate of packaging engineers—professionals who bring their knowledge of physics, chemistry, materials science, logistics, and other technical specialties to bear in improving the manufacture of packages, closures, and related components. Decisions made by packaging engineers dictate what happens at all stages of a package’s life cycle from filling, transport, and store display to end-use, disposal, and recovery.

Packaging engineering covers an enormous stretch of territory, but the following examples from recent packaging trade shows or awards competitions may give a fair idea of the creativity and innovation that characterize the discipline wherever it is practiced.