An international packaging guide has been revised to help organizations ensure their packaging is safe, sustainable, appealing, and functional.
Not only does packaging need to conform to legal requirements, it also needs to appeal to consumers and help them make informed choices.
ISO/IEC Guide 41, Packaging – Recommendations for addressing consumer needs, provides guidance to product designers, manufacturers, regulators, and others involved in decision making regarding packaging—including standards developers.
The international document was jointly published jointly by ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission.
Christine Heemskerk, Co-Convenor of the ISO working group that developed the guide, said the revised guide features more detailed information on risk assessment, vulnerable consumers’ needs, cost reduction, use of resources, suitability for intended purpose, and recycling.
“Consumers will directly benefit from industry use of the revised guide, with safer, more appropriate and informative packaging,” Heemskerk said.
Fellow Convenor, Sandra Herrera—a standards specialist at ICONTEC—agrees.
“ISO/IEC Guide 41 will optimize product packaging by providing international best practice and guidance on everything from ensuring the packaging protects the product effectively, to labelling information and environmental impact, such as reuse and recycling,” Herrera said.
ISO/IEC Guide 41, Packaging – Recommendations for addressing consumer needs, was developed by ISO/COPOLCO—the ISO Committee on consumer policy.