PACKAGING

PACKAGING

To the majority of us, the philosophy of packaging is a mystery. Or you can say that the packaging industry takes the customer for granted or a ride – choose anyone.

             

   

If this sounds like an exaggeration, remember what happens when you try to unwrap a new shirt ! If removing all the plastic parts and cardboard was not enough, remembering to remove all the pins is a task in itself. If any is left out it is sure to pierce your shoulder when you wear the shirt, or if the unwrapping was done on your bed (as is normally done) it may well puncture you when you go to bed !

        

Another item we all come across is the small tomato ketchup sachets provided with your breakfast on trains etc. Bravado eggs you on and you take the courage to try to tear it open – first with your fingers and then with your teeth. Other passengers are looking on in gleeful anticipation on whether you succeed or not, maybe even taking bets among themselves. You do not give up but have to in the end. Seasoned travelers leave this pouch alone or pocket it, to try opening it at home !

Similar is the case of shampoo sachets, but it happens in the privacy of the bathroom, with no one to see the struggle. You even have the moustache trimming scissors handy to cut it open.

Cheese now comes in readymade slices, but the packing is a sort of lamination which takes time to unravel making the hot crisp slice of bread go cold by the time you take out the cheese slice. Even cheese cubes are so shrink wrapped that the cheese and the wrapper become one, with portions of the wrapper becoming your breakfast.

And less said of the metal caps on bottles which have the legend with arrows “To unscrew turn this way” on its periphery. You have to have pliers’, hammers and screwdrivers to attempt opening them.

On the other hand, biscuits are wrapped in the flimsiest of papers imaginable. On opening half of the biscuits are found to be broken or reduced to crumbs.