Complying with EU Packaging Regulations Using ASTM International Standards
Karen Sams
IDS Packaging Ideas Newsletter
Article Summary
The world would be chaotic were it not for standards that allow the industrial community to simplify commerce. Standards promulgate a common language that promotes the flow of goods between buyer and seller and aids the common man by improving safety and safeguarding health. Some simple examples are; the use of nuts and bolts in both the metric or SI systems; a 92 octane gasoline that meets specific combustion ‘standards’ and state and federal regulations require that gasoline meet these standards so the consumer knows what he/she is pumping into their gas tanks; plugs (e.g. serial, parallel, RF) for connecting peripheral components to computers are all uniform worldwide for every type, make, and manufacturer of computers; medical devices are tested using standardized test methods so that performance specifications can be developed, and these same tests can be used to test the efficacy of similar or competing devices. Standards create order where there is disorder.
