Packaging is a vital part of almost all product operations; whether protection or preservation, identification or sales enhancement, modern business would be hard pushed without it.  However, in the boardroom packaging almost always plays second fiddle to the product, until that is that markets and finances get tight.  Packaging is then often one of the first areas that receives attention for expenditure savings.  2008 is turning out to be just such a time; re-examination of packaging and packaging systems costs is again flavour of the month, an inevitable reaction to the credit crunch, rising energy and raw materials costs.