Psychologists warn of growing packaging rage amongst consumers
Psychologists have identified the humble plastic wrappers, caps and packets as one of the chief agents in a growing tide of anger as consumers struggle to get to grips with their purchases, according to Which? magazine.
The report found that 4 in 10 people had injured themselves whilst attempting to open packaging with the worst culprit cited as an Oral-B electric toothbrush, fitted with a tamper proof ‘clamshell’ cap that can only be opened by scissors or a Stanley knife.
This was by no means the only focus of ire however with one Which? reader admitting he had been unable to open a pack of Warburtons crumpets, despite being a healthy 30 year old male.
Another found themselves in a pickle after purchasing a pair of WH Smith scissors, enmeshed in a Fort Knox like plastic cage that could only be broken by, yes, scissors.
NHS statistics from 2002 suggest that 57,500 people presented themselves to A&E that year having come off the worst in encounters with various containers and wrappers in the home – cardboard boxes and tin cans being particularly dangerous.
Mark Shayler, a design and innovation consultant who contributed to the research, said: “Manufacturers are lazy. PET – the type of clear plastic used in so much packaging – is a cheap material. You can make a heat-sealed clamshell packet far more cheaply than designing a special cardboard box.
“There is also a fear of pilfering. If it is small and expensive, manufacturers worry that it will get stolen if they don’t lock it away. But, as always, the fear of the risk is greater than the risk itself.”