Do we really need all this?

Dorsetmike

Member
I was thinking yesterday evening as I struggled to liberate some glue from its bubble pack (it was called adhesive, but I wanted it to glue some things together).

I got to remembering the days when goods came "loose" without all the expensive and frustrating packaging plastered with all sorts of text, from product name to uses and similar cr@p, who reads all that anyway? What is wrong with the glue in a tube or bottle, probably just not enough space for all the pretty coloured blurbs on it!

Sugar arrived at the grocers in a sack, the grocer measured it out on his scales into thick blue paper bags, tea came in large square plywood boxes (tea chests), although a few brands came in 1/4lb packets. Milk came either in pint glass bottles or dipped out of a 5 or 10 gallon churn. Most "dry goods" flour, rice, semolina, oats etc, came in sacks, other goods also came in bulk, cheese,butter and other fats in a block and your half pound was cut off and wrapped in grease proof paper.

What good does all the packaging do apart from make millions for the paper and plastics industries, and the design agencies (read parasites) OK we may want some brand awareness (or so we are told). The packaging on the glue I originally referred to greatly increased the bulk of one tube of glue, also no doubt the weight, that would add to warehousing and transport costs, some agency will have spent hours "designing" the shape of the packaging, the printing etc, all of this we have to pay for when we buy the product.

Further to this we now see in supermarkets, tomatoes in bubble packs - often still on the stalks (sorry "on the vine"), lettuce and other salads prepared in bags, beans ready sliced in bags, are we really so lazy, incompetent, or so busy that we are prepared to pay way over the odds for what are often, I'm sure, second class produce "prepared for our convenience" (they hope we will just chuck it on the plate without looking at it or feeling how limp it is)

When I buy fresh vegetables or salad I prefer to see exactly what I am paying for, so I will, for example, pick over the loose potatoes and select ones of the size I want without any signs of deterioration, so many times prepacked ones have had one or two which have gone bad within days, the bags are often printed all over so you can't see what you are getting.

I do admit to using some frozen veg, meat and fish, but mainly for storage reasons, being single I can't afford to buy some things in bulk , so I freeze it, not being able to use all of it before it goes bad. I also buy some frozen veg "out of Season"
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
An excellent sentiment you share Br. Mike - I perceive "quite a few" share the same feelings as you have expressed - Of course, I can't quantify as to how many. Let me posit that it might be an "industry geared to convenience everyone". Maybe we all can agree that the "consumer is fickle" - thus, all the monkey business with pre-packaged veggies...
 

Buchpteclare

New member
Im with you on that Mike. I suppose there are some reasons for oversize blister packs. Consider the tiny, (in every way but the price) - thumb drive. I assume the idea is to discorage the light fingered shoplifter. But wow - getting some of those things open..... (Swear, cuss - where did I put my heavy duty box cutter)! ;))
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
Yeh, life is a begger to day not like the good old days
 

teddy

Duckmeister
We announced in this country that the use of plastic carrier bags would be reduced to help cut pollution. Unfortunately the oil industry needs to make them as they are a by product of the oil industry and a useful income for them. Tesco give you a discount on your shopping for every bag you re use, and charge for every bag you buy from them. A very good idea in my opinion.
Packaging generally needs to be reduced but in these days of self service small items need to be bulked with packaging to reduce theft not to mention room for instructions. As far as fruit and veg are concerned we of ten use farm shops and farmers markets where fruit and veg are normally tipped straight into your bag.

teddy.
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
teddy I think I told you of the time that I arrived at the checkout with a substantial amount of produce and was asked if I would like them in a plastic bag and was told this would cost me 10cents a bag to which I replied that they could put it all back on the shelves and walked out
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Should that not be INconvenience everyone? (Assuming you were referring to packaging industry)

Absolutely Br. Mike - 'Tis an inconvenience in the order of the nth magnitude:scold::scold::scold::scold::scold::scold::scold::scold:
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
We have a quasi farmers market here where we get most of our produce. It is all arranged in bins, ready for the consumer to select as they choose. The head lettuce is wrapped in plastic, but individually.

This same market also sells grains, nuts, rice in bulk quantities ... the consumer grabs a bag and uses a lever to dispense it ourselves into the bag. Each dispenser has a number, and we simply write down that number on the twist tie tag that we attach to the bag.

Most all of our supermarkets also sell produce from open/accessible bins or displays. I won't shop at places that have "chosen" which fruit or vegetables are to be grouped together - I want to select my own.

Addressing Mike's original post, yes, it is very frustrating trying to get product out of those plastic tombs ... my anti-persperant is packaged that way, and it almost takes an act of congress to get the items out of the packaging. Then there those blaster blister packs ... like they have sucked every ounce of air out of them, then sealed them with gorilla glue ... I have to put them in my shop vice to get them open. I can imagine how difficult it is for the older generation (present company excluded), and for those with severe arthritic conditions.

Kh ♫
 
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