Tuesday, April 22, 2008

#7: Hard Shell Plastic Packaging

Why? Why oh why do they use that awful hard-shell plastic packaging for so many products today?

I bought a flash drive a few weeks ago and for the life of me, I couldn't get the darn thing out of the package with my bare hands. So, I resorted to the teeth.

Nope...no good. Then I had to break out a box-cutter razor. So I sliced a hole in the package and then reached in with my fingers to pull the plastic pieces apart. Guess what? I cut my fingers on the plastic that I had just cut!

Ugh! I've heard the phrase, "wrap rage" to define how frustrating it is to try to open these things. I think that sounds about right! The Consumer Product Safety Commission says thousands of people are injured every year by trying to open these sealed plastic packages!

It's gotten so bad, some companies are selling products like the "Open X" just to help you open the other products you bought! (Oh...and in case you were wondering...the Open X comes in a cardboard package!)

Let's be honest: I know that retailers are demanding packaging that deters theft. But there has to be a better way, doesn't there? I mean, it's 2008 for crying out loud. Maybe we aren't to the point where we are driving flying cars or colonizing Mars, but you can't tell me that we can't come up with a better solution to plastic packaging!

Or maybe we can at least come up with a better use for it. What if clamshell plastic packaging was how we wrapped all nuclear weapons? Then we'd never have to worry about a nuclear war! Who's gonna take the time? Or think about how much weight we'd all lose if candy bars came wrapped in this stuff. But oh no! They want THAT to be easily accessible!

Hard Shell Plastic Packaging: You Suck.

9 comments:

Super Rockstar Momma said...

HA! You know there is going to be some medical condition that comes out in the next few years that is directly related to the stress that comes from trying to open those blasted things.

Someone blind said...

haha thanks, i enjoyed reading your blog. I have to admit, those plastic things do make it hard to steal as consumers who buy them can't even open it themselves.

DubLiMan said...

You hit a nerve with this one. This is probably my #1 pet peeve.

I have a site that is somewhat related to yours. it is called ComplainComplainComplain.Com

Come on by and take a look. If you would allow me to post this complaint on my site it would give you some publicity and link-love.

Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment on my site.

DubLiMan said...

I have added you to my blogroll as well. Now, will you take up the Complain Challenge and allow me to post this complaint and for you to be part of a spreading link-love?

JAMJARSUPERSTAR said...

God I know, it's really bad isn't it. I've had to buy a couple of memory sticks for work and I couldn't even get into the packaging with a knife or pair of scissors! It was really awful, and I felt powerless against the maight hard-shell packaging. I'm in fear. It really does suck...
Ciao

http://scarletsculturegarden.blogspot.com
http://jamjarsuperstar.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

One the many adventures of having a 2 year old came to mind when I read your post.

Once he threw my cell phone behind his dresser. When I couldn't find it but KNEW it had to be in the house somewhere, I bought one of the pay as you go phones to get me by (the search went on for over a week).

You couldn't see the things inside, so I had no clue where to cut to get into it but not risk damaging what I may need....

So long story as short as I can make it, I destroyed the packaging trying to get into it. Only to then find when activating the phone, that I needed information from the outside of it. I simply giggled when he said that and I looked at the shredded plastic on the table.

.... and I totally agree w/ JGlenn, there will be some disorder stemming from the clamshell packaging. And then there will be a drug for it, so that instead of twitching w/ anxiety, you'll have constant migraines for life and lose a limb or something. The meds are worse for you then the condition sometimes...

DubLiMan said...

Your “Complaint” has been posted on the “Complaint Site.” The URL is < http://soyouwanttocomplain.blogspot.com/2008/04/32-hard-shell-plastic-packaging.html >. Don't forget to come by and copy/paste the current list of participants back to your post. Doing this frequently insures maximum link benefit for everyone who participates. And by keeping your list current with mine you won't have to respond to individual participant requests to add them to your list. Staying current is optional and so is posting the list. However, if you do stay current, you will maximize the “link-love” for everyone who participates. My suggestion is to schedule a visit to < http://soyouwanttocomplain.blogspot.com/2007/11/complaint-process.html > once every couple of weeks and add the new participant links.

Thanks for participating. If possible, try to get others to participate; again, totally optional. Also, you can contribute as many “Statements of Gratitude” and/or “Complaints” as you wish.

DubLiMan said...

BTW, if you do post the list, and I hope you do, it does not have to be on your front page.....you can archive it back a few weeks or so.

Doodle said...

I've gotten injured way too many times from packaging.

http://doodlesfromadream.blogspot.com