Innovation im Verpackungsbereich. Das Dilemma zwischen Funktionalität und Ökonomie

For a proper selection of a packaging material for a given application, several criteria are taken into account which often lead to conflicting requirements. The paper shows that the specific packaging functionality plays the predominant role in the selection process. Environmental aspects may - as an estimation - be tackled by the total energy value of the whole packaging system. Technical developments with highest potential are to be found in polymer films, combined with coating processes, leading to lightweight flexible packagings.