What is Packaging Science?

For many, an understanding of packaging is limited to experiences with Amazon deliveries and times in which packaging causes frustration. But did you know there’s an entire field of study related to learning how to design, develop, and evaluate packaging systems?

Packaging Science is a field of study that involves using mathematical, scientific, and sustainability methods to design, manufacture, test, and implement packaging solutions for products and other applications.

If you’re interested in material science, sustainability, R&D, design, ergonomics, and more, packaging science might be the right discipline for you! Many don’t even think about packaging until they have that “Aha!” moment and begin to realize its significance. A common saying in the industry goes:

“I didn’t choose to be in packaging, it chose me.”

It might come as a surprise, but packaging scientists are not only cornerstone to the $1.1 trillion USD packaging industry, they also help keep society functioning through ensuring the following: 

• Products are safe from damage and spoilage in eCommerce and other applications 

• Food and beverage products are fresh and safe 

• Packaging is optimized for end-of-life and sustainability considerations 

• Packaging and labeling communicates essential health and regulatory information

These are just a few examples of the important role packaging scientists play in the industry and society at large.

Careers in Packaging Science

Packaging science offers a fulfilling and dynamic career path with opportunities for a fair salary in a wide range of sectors within the packaging industry. For example, Clemson University highlights that the median annual salary of a packaging engineer is $78,000 USD (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Career Opportunities in Packaging Science Include:

• Packaging Research & Development 

• Packaging Engineer / Designer 

• Quality Assurance and Distribution Testing 

• Packaging Manager 

• Sustainable Packaging Manager 

• Structural Designer 

• Packaging and Product Management

• Supply Chain Management

• Compliance Manager 

• Packaging Buyer / Sourcing Manager

What Our Team has to Say

As an online institution dedicated to the creation of continued education and training programs for the packaging industry, many of our team members studied packaging science and adjacent areas. Our founder, Dr. Andrew Hurley, has close ties to Clemson University—serving as a Professor of Packaging Science for over a decade.

Here’s what some of the team said when asked to define “Packaging Science”:

Dr. Julie Rice Suggs | Academic Director | PhD in Food Science & Technology from Clemson University:

"Packaging science is a discipline that blends creativity, scientific principles, and mathematical techniques to design, develop, and evaluate packaging solutions for products."

Mitch Webster (Author) | Marketing & Sustainability Lead | MS. Sustainability Management from American University: 

“Although I did not study packaging science directly, from my understanding, it is a dynamic discipline that involves evaluating design, material, and sustainability considerations to create and optimize packaging solutions for ergonomics, function, and reduced impacts.”

Alli Keigley | Production Coordinator / Copyeditor | BA English & Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University:

“I fall into the category of those who spent most of their life oblivious to the fact that packaging science existed as a field of study. Packaging certainly chose me, and though I have spent the last nine years immersed in the world of packaging, I am constantly learning new things. It is an evolving field with a myriad of options for growth and innovation. The chance to change the future of the world is truly at your fingertips through the study of packaging.”

Learn more about Packaging Science in our CPS

Interested in diving further into the world of packaging science but don’t have time for a full-time, in-person program?

The Packaging School team has developed an online, self-paced Certificate of Packaging Science—a program designed to expose you to the art, science, and business of packaging science and design through 12 online courses that span 60 hours of content. We also offer team training opportunities; reach out to info@packagingschool.com for more information!