A few weeks ago, I read a wonderful article at Slate.com about the diminishing use of clamshell packaging. "HUZZAH!" I yelled in my head.
You know the drill: You pick up a(nother) new pair of earbuds. Or someone in your household receives a doll with a tea set neatly ensconced in its own plastic prison. Or, ironically, the box-cutter razor you just picked up at the home center requires you grab a pair of scissors to get at them. And then, invariably, you cut yourself on the plastic because you're too impatient—you think (rightly), "Surely I'm stronger than engineered rigid molded plastic."
Hubris. It's why there are band-aids.
What I didn't know is this: packaging pundits have been predicting the demise of the clamshell for awhile. I also hadn't heard of something called "Wrap Rage," but Wikipedia filled me in.
Thankfully, with a 1991 California law extending to clamshells in 2013, it's really just a matter of time before they're a thing of the past.
That's good news for consumers. Friendlier packaging is one of the low-hanging fruits if you're pursuing a "Consumer First" strategy. It's better news for the environment. And even better news for the wrists and knuckles of the impatient.
