Packaging Symbols and Their Meaning

Knowing the packaging symbols and their meaning is important for both companies and consumers because it helps to better identify what is inside each package and how it should be handled.

What are packaging symbols?

ISO boxes are those that comply with the ISO 780:1999 standard, which specifies the basic characteristics of the symbols commonly used in product packaging to convey handling instructions. The most common are the following:

• Upward Arrows Indicate correct package orientation during storage and handling to prevent damage.
• Broken Glass Warns that the package contents are fragile and susceptible to damage from strong impacts.
• Umbrella Signifies that the material inside is sensitive to humidity and must be kept dry.
• Crossed-out Box Stack Indicates that stacking other items on top of the package is not allowed to prevent damage.
• Recycling Loop Identifies the packaging as made from recycled materials, recyclable, or reusable.
• Box with Sun Refers to the need for the package to be protected from heat and direct sunlight.

Arrows pointing upwards with a horizontal line underneath

They indicate the correct position of the package, the one in which it must be kept during all storage and handling to prevent the items inside the box from being damaged.

A glass or a broken glass

This symbol is very easy to interpret, as everyone understands that it warns that the contents of the package are fragile. It does not necessarily have to be glass, but materials that can deteriorate if they receive a strong blow.

It is very common for this symbol to appear on packaging along with the arrows we just saw.

When you see the broken glass symbol, assume the contents are delicate, even if not glass. Always combine this awareness with proper orientation indicated by upward arrows.

Umbrella

When an open umbrella appears on a packaging box, it means that the material inside is sensitive to humidity, so the box must be kept as far away as possible from sources of humidity.

A box with another one on top crossed out

This symbol is also easily understandable. It conveys the need not to stack anything on top of the box in question, as the merchandise could be damaged. Sometimes a similar symbol appears accompanied by a number, which indicates the maximum number of boxes that can be stacked.

In other cases, a figure expressed in kilograms indicates the amount of kilos that can be stacked on top of the package.

Three arrows forming a kind of circle

It is the international recycling symbol, and it warns that, like our boxes, it is packaging made from recycled materials, that can be recycled, or to which other uses can be given after having fulfilled its primary purpose.

Packaging symbols ensure goods reach their destination in optimal condition, communicating crucial handling information without revealing contents.

A box with a large sun behind it

Between the box and the sun, there is usually an element that resembles a house roof. This symbol refers to the fact that the package must be protected from heat.

Thermometer

Among the box symbols, it is common to find a thermometer that reflects two temperatures. It indicates the maximum and minimum temperature limits at which the merchandise must be kept to be in optimal condition.

Crossed-out forklifts and pallet trucks

Another of the packaging symbols that are easily understood, as it conveys the message that the box in question cannot be handled with these types of tools.

Being aware of packaging symbols and their meaning is the best way to ensure that goods will reach the recipient in optimal conditions, without the person handling the package needing to know what is inside.

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