Why Packaging Exists
This massive shift of people from the land (a trend that continues today) had a huge impact on society (and on the way in which packaging could deliver society’s various needs). The vast majority of the population was now some distance from its source of food and means had to be found to ship large quantities of goods with the minimum of waste.
Modes of transport changed too. The horse and stagecoach gave way to an extensive rail network across Canada. Then came roads and automobiles which in turn gave way to trucks and specially designed refrigerated vehicles. General purpose cargo ships became container vessels and the rail and aircraft industries became more sophisticated and efficient in their safe delivery of fresh and uncontaminated product.
Those countries or regions not blessed with the land area or proper soils or climate to be self-sufficient in food production found they had to trade other goods in exchange. So packaging distribution systems that were nationally and internationally compatible steadily evolved: the most obvious symbols today being the bulk cargo vessel for grain and oil, the wooden pallet for stacking and storing, and the sturdy, paper-based corrugated container to protect and deliver bulk product to wholesalers and retailers.