Yet why is it that the majority of companies that produce products and use packaging for consumer goods use hard-to-open packaging?
Not only does it frustrate consumers, but it also aggravates painful conditions of the fingers, wrists and hands of consumers who suffer from arthritis and similar conditions.
Understandably, manufacturers want to ensure freshness and protection from contamination of their products as well as keeping them intact and protected from breaking.
Additionally, hard-to-open packaging is a deterrant to theft.
Here are some products I find nearly impossible to open:
Pill/vitamin/supplement bottles - their caps and shrink-wrap around the caps
MoneyTalksNews offers 5 tips:
5 Tips to Opening Plastic Packaging Quickly and Safely
https://www.moneytalksnews.com/how-to-open-plastic-packaging-without-injuring-yourself/
Frustrated with hard plastic cases on your
purchases?
Here's an easy way to open even the toughest packaging
without ending up in the ER.
Have you suffered from “wrap rage,” the term coined to describe the frustration consumers experience while trying to open the hard plastic packaging that encases so many things?
If so, we feel your pain. Fortunately, there are ways to open this kind of packaging without ending up in the emergency room. Follow these tips for getting seemingly impermeable plastic cases open without cutting hands or lopping off fingertips:
1. Avoid clamshell packaging
The easiest and safest solution to the hard plastic cases dubbed “clamshell” packaging is to avoid buying products wrapped in it whenever possible.For instance, online retail giant Amazon offers an option it calls “Amazon Certified Frustration-Free Packaging” for certain products as part of an effort to alleviate wrap rage. This packaging is recyclable.
The next-best solution is to buy products in plastic packaging that is designed to be easier to open. Check for pull tabs or perforated lines, which can help you open the package without sharp tools.
2. Use a can opener or tin snips
If you can’t avoid hard plastic casing, prepare to do battle with it — without getting hurt. A pair of tin snips or a rotary can opener can often do the job better than a knife or scissors while also posing less risk of injury.If you have tin snips in your toolbox, use those. They cut effortlessly through the hard plastic.
Alternatively, insert the bottom edge of the package inside a rotary can opener, as you’d normally do to open a can, and turn the can opener until you reach the other end of the package. From there, you may be able to remove the item from the package without further effort.
If not, you can repeat this can-opener process with the remaining edges of the package. Or insert a kitchen knife inside the now-open part of the clamshell — with the blade facing away from you — and run the knife along the remaining edges to free the item from the package.
You’ll have an open package in just a few minutes with the contents and any instruction print-outs intact.
3. Get a tool made for the job
If the idea of opening clamshell packaging yourself still seems daunting or risky, a few products on the market are designed to make the task easier.For example, this package opener from Zip-it promises to slide along the edge of the packaging to open it. It looks similar to a can opener but works with the press of a button.
4. Put safety first
Whatever method you use to open hard plastic wrapping, put on a pair of protective gloves first.If anyone is close enough to you to possibly be injured, move away from them. Also, don’t hold the item between your legs to stabilize it.
If a sharp object like a knife is your only option, remember to cut away from your body. If you use scissors, choose a pair with blunt tips.
5. Spare children from wrap rage
If you’ve ever found yourself spending Christmas morning with a crying child who just can’t wait for you to break open that clamshell packaging and untwist those 14 twist ties, consider opening the package ahead of time.Save any packaging materials in case you have to return the toy, put the toy in a box and then wrap it. Your kid or grandkid likely won’t care that the item isn’t in its original packaging, and you will avoid potential stress or injury due to having to open that plastic casing in a hurry.
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This Old House Recommends These Tools for Package Opening:
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/tools-to-cure-wrap-rage
Tools to Cure Wrap Rage
This holiday, curb the frustration. These 11 items help you open
impenetrable packaging while keeping your gifts—and your fingers—intact
Wrap Rage Tools
It's hard to have a holly jolly
Christmas when you are forced to open a pile of clamshell- and
blister-packaged gifts with tons of twisty ties while eager children
await. In fact, more than 6,000 Americans visit the emergency room after
attempts to open difficult product packaging—by tearing, biting,
stabbing, and cutting—each year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Ouch! These tools (some of which are designed to exclusively open
packaging and others you may already have that can be repurprosed for
the task) will help you survive the gift-giving season with your
presents—and your hands—in tact.
Please note: Despite their safety features, many of these package openers feature extremely sharp blades and are not intended for use by children; store these tools out of their reach.
Please note: Despite their safety features, many of these package openers feature extremely sharp blades and are not intended for use by children; store these tools out of their reach.
All-in-One Opener
Photo by Zibra
Alloy steel jaws cut away the
toughest zip and twist ties and eat through product-hugging plastic with
ease. One handle features a retractable utility knife with safety lock
(for opening CDs, DVDs, and boxes), while the other features a fold-out
mini screwdriver (for opening toy battery compartments). If there are
parents with little ones on your gift list, give them this and tell them
to open it before the kids get started on what Santa brought them. It's
available in Berry Red, Fire Orange, Mocha, and Sky Blue. About $12; Zibra
Get a Better Grip
Photo by Rubicon
Rubicon's ambidextrous design
allows for a steady grip and applies a pierce-and-pull method that
protects your hands from the blade while cutting through tough plastic.
When not in use, a locking guard conceals the replaceable steel blade.
The shortness of the blade makes this a great tool for opening cardboard
boxes without slicing the goods inside. About $8 for the Open Sezz Me
and about $2 for a pair of replacement blades; Rubicon
Super-Sharp Blade
The surgical-grade blade on
this package opener will never need sharpening. All you have to do is
trace around hard-plastic encased items to free them from packaging. For
those of you particularly wary of sharp tools, the long, ergonomic
handle will put some distance between your hand and the blade. The
auto-close safety cover opens only when making the first pierce, then
falls back into place on its own to conceal the blade. About $9; Charles Leonard
For Those Tough Clamshells
Photo by Pyranna
If you find yourself constantly
wrestling with clamshells in particular, then this single-function tool
designed especially for mollusk-tough plastic packaging, is your best
bet. It works a lot like a can opener: it slices the sealed edges of the
perimeter of a package. When not in use, the device closes and locks to
conceal stainless steel cutting blades. About $10; Simply Simon
Packaging-Opening Set
How many tools does it take to
liberate a hard-to-open product? Five separate tools for everything from
opening packages to ring-pull cans may seem a bit excessive. But,
considering the fact that a large percentage of accidents caused by
packaging affect the elderly (according to a University of Sheffield
study), this kit may be just what the doctor ordered. Arthritis and
joint-pain suffers of any age will appreciate the included soda can
opener, as will your manicure-loving mom. A bag opener (for those pesky,
super-sealed cereal bags) and a small CD/DVD opener are also included.
About $20 for 5-piece set (products also sold separately); RNR Direct LLC
Scissors With Extras
If you're not into fancy
gadgetry, here's a familiar-looking tool. These new multifunction
scissors by the makers of the Open-X Dual Blade Universal Package Opener
feature adjustable tension to tackle troublesome materials. Let's see:
What other pesky packages haven't we covered yet? Bottles without
twist-off caps? Walnuts and other hard-shelled nuts? A nutcracker and
bottle opener are built into this unit, and will come in handy for
holiday entertaining. About $28; Open-X
A CD and DVD Solution
If you have a movie or music
buff on your list, consider picking up one of these. Each unit features a
molded plastic case with a built-in carbon blade to accommodate the
disc you'd like to open. Slide the CD or DVD in and out, and every layer
of wrapping—from shrink wrap to security stickers—is ready to be peeled
away. The entire process takes a mere two seconds. While other versions
of this product are available on the market, this one's safer thanks to
the inaccessible blade. About $10 for each tool; CD and DVD Stripper
Cutter with Power
This Old House
editorial assistant and resident tool guy Sal Vaglica—an expert opener
of several products and packages a day—gets right through just about any
kind of plastic or cardboard with this power tool. "I just zip around
three edges, and even the most amazingly annoying packages open right
up," he says. With its Auto Sharp blade, not getting boxes and packages
opened is hardly an option. The lithium-ion battery holds charge for up
to 18 months, and the battery fuel gauge will tell you when you're
running out of juice. This cutter isn't just for quelling wrap rage; you
can use it on everything from wrapping paper to carpeting (up to ¼"
thick). About $60; Skil
Crowd-Favorite Multi-Tool
Members of the This Old House messageboard community
raved about this multitool that can open troublesome packaging, and
help with loads of other tasks, too. The 17-in-1 unit offers easy access
to four locking blades without even fully opening the tool. Other
package-opening helpers include hard wire cutters, a saw, scissors, and a
screwdriver. The 8-ounce tool incorporates a bottle opener,
diamond-coated file, ruler, and other necessities. For gifting, you can
add accessories like a leather or nylon carrying case and bit kits.
About $85; Leatherman
Twisty Tie Removers
Photo by Klein and Wiss
Other suggestions from the
online community for removing twisty ties—according to Consumer Reports'
Oyster Awards, there can be up to 50 ties on a single Bratz doll—were
linesman's pliers, tin snips, and aviation shears. One user said, "If it
can cut sheet metal then it can definitely cut through annoying nuclear
blast-proof packaging! I've got a pair of snips in every room." Shown
here are TOH editor's pick linesman pliers by Klein and
Metalmaster Compound Action Snip by Wiss. About $30 for pliers and about
$13 for snips; Klein Tools and Wiss Tools
New Use for Nail Nippers
You can turn to a toolbox staple if you refuse to buy a special tool just for opening stuff. TOH's
Sal Vaglica often uses nail nippers, or nail cutters, to free zip-tied
products. "When there is no room to get a blade or scissor between a zip
tie and the surface of a product—for example, the throttle cord that is
zip-tied to the handle of my lawn mower—the flat-tip of the nail cutter
clips the zip toe off without having to needle its way in," he says.
His favorites are the High Leverage End Cutting Nippers shown here.
About $40; Knipex
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The Arthritis Foundation has their stamp of "Ease of Use" on products "proven to make life easier for people who have arthritis and other physical limitations".
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The Arthritis Foundation has their stamp of "Ease of Use" on products "proven to make life easier for people who have arthritis and other physical limitations".
Here is a link to their site where you can view these products:
https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/tools-resources/ease-of-use/health-and-wellness/
Here are tips for every room in your house:
https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/living-with-arthritis/your-home/
Adaptive Equipment on Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/myotspot/adaptive-equipment/?autologin=true
Now this is a great product for one who needs a lightweight ramp (with video!)
https://www.accessibleconstruction.com/services/ramps/roll-a-ramp
The future of accessible packaging:
http://supermarketnews.co.nz/the-future-of-accessible-packaging/
The future of accessible packaging is being
driven by a new partnership between Arthritis New Zealand and Packaging
New Zealand. Arthritis New Zealand and Packaging New Zealand have
created a set of guidelines to provide practical design advice to
companies producing packaging. Many bottles and lids are complicated
with tricky-to-open seals or tear tabs that are too small.
Arthritis inhibits a lot of people from easily opening foods and medicines. Philip Kearney, CEO of Arthritis New Zealand, said, “More than 670,000 people in New Zealand have arthritis, and this number is projected to increase to one million by 2040. This means that the necessity of good packaging design will become more important to more people, making it a critical element for all manufacturers and suppliers to consider.” On top of the people that have arthritis, New Zealand’s ageing population means that we have to be especially careful as the elderly tend to lose strength and dexterity as they age.
These guidelines were originally developed by Arthritis Australia who had worked with the Georgia Tech Research Institute and HealthShare NSW. The guidelines are a world first and provide scientifically verified standards for making functional packaging.
Kearney said, “Arthritis New Zealand wants to take constructive steps to encourage the industry to make accessibility of packaging a must-have.”
----------------
Now if only the United States of America could have such an initiative!
-----------------------
On Ebay:
Ten Bucks, Free Shipping!
Arthritis inhibits a lot of people from easily opening foods and medicines. Philip Kearney, CEO of Arthritis New Zealand, said, “More than 670,000 people in New Zealand have arthritis, and this number is projected to increase to one million by 2040. This means that the necessity of good packaging design will become more important to more people, making it a critical element for all manufacturers and suppliers to consider.” On top of the people that have arthritis, New Zealand’s ageing population means that we have to be especially careful as the elderly tend to lose strength and dexterity as they age.
These guidelines were originally developed by Arthritis Australia who had worked with the Georgia Tech Research Institute and HealthShare NSW. The guidelines are a world first and provide scientifically verified standards for making functional packaging.
Kearney said, “Arthritis New Zealand wants to take constructive steps to encourage the industry to make accessibility of packaging a must-have.”
----------------
Now if only the United States of America could have such an initiative!
-----------------------
On Ebay:
Ten Bucks, Free Shipping!
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