Small glass or plastic containers, used mainly in medical and pharmaceutical packaging applications that often include measured doses.

A plastic or multilayer bag that is housed in an outer corrugated box or metal wire container, often for bulk items, that allows for easier handling, shipment, and storage, such as a bag-in-box containing bulk tomato sauce shipped to food service operations.

Any rigid plastic or glass container that is used to contain a variety of liquids or solids. Bottles can also be made from aluminum or even paperboard.

Cans are cylindrical metal containers, typically made from aluminum or steel (but also plastic) that are used for a wide variety of liquid and solids. A canister typically refers to a spiral-wound, paper-based container with a paper or plastic lid or overcap, for a wide range of dry products. A typical example is a paperboard canister for dry oatmeal.

Elongated rigid containers that dispense a wide range of products; examples might be tubes containing caulk. Cartridges refer to any kind of specially manufactured container that contains raw product and fits into some sort of larger system, for example cartridges for injectable medicine applications.

Rigid, concave packaging containers in a variety of formats, sizes and materials, characterized by a wide opening that’s typically the same as the diameter or width of the package itself. Examples include tubs for margarine, microwavable plastic bowls for frozen meals, and Styrofoam cups for ramen.

Companies that specialize in making empty rigid packages (often thermoformed) used by retail and fresh food service sectors, i.e., tubs used for fresh soup or deli items at a grocery store.

Trays are shallow, rigid or semi-rigid containers made from a variety of materials that support and contain food as well as non-food products. Examples include microwavable polypropylene trays for frozen dinners, clear trays for rows of cookies or crackers. Baskets (sometimes known as punnets) refer to open or mesh containers, typically plastic, that are designed for holding fresh fruit or vegetables. Note: this category is distinct from corrugated shipping trays (see Paperboard & Corrugated).