By Patricia Davies –
In 1961, the first man went into space. In 1969, men walked on the moon. In 1976, we landed a spacecraft on Mars and sent high resolution color photographs of the Martian landscape to Earth.
But in 2013 we cannot make a blister pack that actually OPENS!
The unopenable packs in question are the notorious hermetically sealed blister packs and clamshells. Heat sealed to perfection to prevent theft, tampering and damage they cause a buildup of anger as the consumer struggles to get a simple store bought item out of it’s plastic packaging.
We have all been victim of these packs. Beginning with our bare hands, pulling and tugging, sometimes biting in a vain attempt to make a hole in the impenetrable plastic casing. As our frustration rises, it takes our blood pressure with it making the tamest, tempered, consumer curse and swear as we leave it to go and find a sharp implement. Sometimes scissors, perhaps a kitchen knife, with the fiasco ending in tears with cut fingers, bruises and even sprains.
People are calling it “wrapper rage.”
The packaging industry, of which I am a long term member, knows perfectly well how to make packs easy to open while maintaining tamper evidence and protection. But it costs money. There is no financial advantage to add a tear strip or a perforated edge, so they don’t do it. Their financial advantage is to get the webbing on the machine and wallop it through at the fastest speed. So there can be no perforated areas, no metal foil backs that can be easily broken, no tear strips.
I am a middle aged woman with a disability so my weakened hands can’t handle these Superman strength packs. Having recently bought a pack of screws that was bullet proof, I had to note the comparative ease of opening over the counter drugs and prescription medicine packs.
Packaging companies can keep their excuses that their packs have to be tamper proof. I know they do. But it just doesn’t make any logical sense that if I want an aspirin I can have one with no problem at all, but if I need a screw I’ve got no chance.
__________________________________
Patricia Davies is a sought after consultant and advisor due to her 25 year expertise in packaging technology.
She is expert in development of cosmetic components, toiletries, personal care, all aerosol, glass and plastics, fragranced products, household consumer goods, setting up laboratory tests of all packaging types at customer premises, sachet seals and IHS failures, including evaluation and test reporting giving expert conclusions and recommendations.
Her expertise extends to all areas of compatibility testing. She consults hands-on in technical evaluation of new pack concepts, problem packs, NPD assessments, and cosmetic pack and redeveloping / rectifying component failures. She has trained teams of technologists and laboratory staff. Pat has also written technical manuals, documents, and SOP’s with complete compliance to QMS.
Prior to opening her consultancy, PackLabs, Pat worked for Yardley of London, DDD Ltd (Bodyshop), Julius Mellor (M&S), Muller Dairy, and Church & Dwight, Co., Inc. Additionally, she has worked on projects for Holland & Barrett, M&S, Next, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
Pat can be reached at pat.mark@talktalk.net
5 Minute Business Mind 