Food packaging

[creative]

What is it with food packaging these days? I don't use much packet stuff, but when I do the process of opening it leaves me incensed. Back in the good old days, you could lightly tug at the seam at the top of the packet and it would come apart quietly and politely, leaving you to enjoy the contents and reseal the packet for later use. These days the seams totally refuse to be parted, and if you tug even harder you end up with a huge unstoppable tear down the side of the packet, and rice, shredded wheat, sugar, dried fruit, whatever, all over the floor and a packet you can't reseal. And the seam remains intact. It may be fit for purpose for manufacturers or retailers, but it's not fit for purpose for the end user.

One word - scissors!

Actually I DID complain to a chocolate manufacturer when I bought a bar of chocolate that I had tremendous difficulty getting open! The wrapper was tough plastic with a somewhat welded seam. Scissors are not something most people carry around when grabbing a chocolate bar to eat when travelling.

 

[Morning Glory]

Its cardboard and paper... why not recycle it? It can at last become toilet paper for someone that way (or corrugated cardboard for more packaging).
Personally I burn mine because of a lack of newspapers to light a fire with. I use tissues, packaging and well anything paper like that burns and leaves no residue behind (but that is because its my only heating and I have to store and then take everything to the tip to get rid of any rubbish that is not compostable because I have no bin collection.

I do recycle it but it still seems an extraordinary waste to turn the lovely printed card into grey mush.

 

[classic33]

I do recycle it but it still seems an extraordinary waste to turn the lovely printed card into grey mush.

Or throw in the bin!

You'd be suprised at what can't be recycled though.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

One word - scissors!

Actually I DID complain to a chocolate manufacturer when I bought a bar of chocolate that I had tremendous difficulty getting open! The wrapper was tough plastic with a somewhat welded seam. Scissors are not something most people carry around when grabbing a chocolate bar to eat when travelling.

I remember Ellen Degeneres was talking once about how insane packaging is. Here's a snippet of that routine:

So, I bought a new CD and I was trying to get it open but couldn't with all the layers..I mean plastic and then tape and the tape is like government tape. It says open here..is that sarcasm?, and buy batteries and they are in there with layers and layers of cardboard. And then scissors....you need scissors to get into scissors! What if you were buying them for the first time? you wouldn't be able to get them open. Then you try and buy a light bulb and it's this thin thin cardboard, open on both ends .....what are they thinking? "Ohh they'll be fine"​

 

[classic33]

I remember Ellen Degeneres was talking once about how insane packaging is. Here's a snippet of that routine:

So, I bought a new CD and I was trying to get it open but couldn't with all the layers..I mean plastic and then tape and the tape is like government tape. It says open here..is that sarcasm?, and buy batteries and they are in there with layers and layers of cardboard. And then scissors....you need scissors to get into scissors! What if you were buying them for the first time? you wouldn't be able to get them open. Then you try and buy a light bulb and it's this thin thin cardboard, open on both ends .....what are they thinking? "Ohh they'll be fine"​

Fold flat with less adhesive required. Design is also a tried and and tested one, that does actually work.

 

[Yorky]

I do recycle it but it still seems an extraordinary waste to turn the lovely printed card into grey mush.

We recycle most things, in fact a guy comes around and buys the stuff from us. There's only polystyrene packing that he wont take.

 

[Morning Glory]

We recycle most things, in fact a guy comes around and buys the stuff from us. There's only polystyrene packing that he wont take.

View attachment 7149

What does he do with all the paper and plastic?

 

[Yorky]

What does he do with all the paper and plastic?

AFAIK, he sorts it and sells it on to recyclers.

Or maybe makes it into weird trousers for him and his wife?

 

[creative]

AFAIK, he sorts it and sells it on to recyclers.

Or maybe makes it into weird trousers for him and his wife?

'Weird'? Those trousers would be in vogue in the 1960s!

I wear similar (flimsy and colourful) ones indoors.

 

[epicuric]

And another thing - when you buy stuff from the deli counter, they bag it then stick the price label over the join. I'm sure there is a good reason for it, but really annoying when you get it home and the label won't come off and the bag tears apart. You then have to throw away the bag and use another's.

 

[classic33]

And another thing - when you buy stuff from the deli counter, they bag it then stick the price label over the join. I'm sure there is a good reason for it, but really annoying when you get it home and the label won't come off and the bag tears apart. You then have to throw away the bag and use another's.

Stops the contents sliding out! Or anyone adding to it.

Finger on the pricing label on each side of the join, with another making the tear. Or you could rub the label on the upper part of the bag with your finger prior to peeling, then peel the label off.

 

[creative]

Stops the contents sliding out! Or anyone adding to it.

Finger on the pricing label on each side of the join, with another making the tear. Or you could rub the label on the upper part of the bag with your finger prior to peeling, then peel the label off.

That's what I do, i.e. the tear method. I don't like to keep it in plastic though, i.e. often I will either wrap it in greaseproof paper or transfer to a plate (covered) - if not using that day.

 

[toddhicks209]

What is it with food packaging these days? I don't use much packet stuff, but when I do the process of opening it leaves me incensed. Back in the good old days, you could lightly tug at the seam at the top of the packet and it would come apart quietly and politely, leaving you to enjoy the contents and reseal the packet for later use. These days the seams totally refuse to be parted, and if you tug even harder you end up with a huge unstoppable tear down the side of the packet, and rice, shredded wheat, sugar, dried fruit, whatever, all over the floor and a packet you can't reseal. And the seam remains intact. It may be fit for purpose for manufacturers or retailers, but it's not fit for purpose for the end user.

No matter how much I take my time and try to be deliberate, I have trouble opening some packages of cereal and crackers.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

And another thing - when you buy stuff from the deli counter, they bag it then stick the price label over the join. I'm sure there is a good reason for it, but really annoying when you get it home and the label won't come off and the bag tears apart. You then have to throw away the bag and use another's.

There must be an international bureau of food packaging that governs such things, since we have the same thing in the States. I always approach opening the bag like I'm in a movie diffusing a bomb. Perhaps the penalty for failure isn't as severe, but the suspense of wondering if I'll open it properly feels like the same thing.

 

[classic33]

There must be an international bureau of food packaging that governs such things, since we have the same thing in the States. I always approach opening the bag like I'm in a movie diffusing a bomb. Perhaps the penalty for failure isn't as severe, but the suspense of wondering if I'll open it properly feels like the same thing.

They're easy enough open without tearing. And with very little extra effort used.

Peel and fold back one corner when it's handed to you. Makes peeling later easier.