BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: EBarnacle
Date: 01 May 12 - 07:49 PM

Bakelite is a urea based plastic and does not use oil. It is also thermosetting so it can only melt once--no recycling.

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: Janie
Date: 01 May 12 - 07:34 PM

I caught the tail end of a broadcast on "Fresh Air" last Friday on garbage that I want to go back and listen to the entire podcast. The snippet I caught was talking about plastics. Apparently originally it was thought (back in the 50's when plastics were new) that they could "save the planet." Bakelite, et. al., very durable, good for piano keys, billiard balls, so no need to kill animals for ivory - radios, telephones, etc. It wasn't envisioned then that a material that pretty much exists forever would end up being primarily used to produce single use, disposal items.:

Like I said, I only caught a snippet and haven't listened to the whole thing, but here is the link as it might be of interest to folks reading here.

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/26/150735732/following-garbages-long-journey-around-the-earth

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: Joe_F
Date: 01 May 12 - 06:25 PM

JohnInKansas: I already have a tool (a knife) that will slice the wrapper of a CD. But designing a wrapper that requires a tool seems to me to show a bad attitude. Plenty of packaging comes with a tab that allows one to open it without getting something out & putting it away.

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 01 May 12 - 11:19 AM

I just had an argument (I eventually won) with a plastic trash bag.

The damned thing just wouldn't OPEN and tenaciously clung together. I'm massively stressed out to start with, what with Tom still being away from home seven weeks into the saga of the broken ankle, and I woke up this morning at 3:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. I've got a lot to do today but fortunately none of it (except maybe driving over to see Tom) takes a functional brain.

The Battle of the Trash Bag was just so unnecessarily frustrating at a time when I have the least coping skills available.

I vented my frustration at Facebook (and literally pounded the keyboard doing it) then went back to the bag and SHOOK IT until the opening separated and I could get the trash up to the head of the driveway for pickup.

Arghhhh!

BTW, they make a cute little retractible blade tool for opening CD cello wrap -- I have two of them. I just never seem to have one with me when I need to get the wrapping off a CD. What's far worse, though, is that wraparound label that's supposed to make it harder to steal. Hard to get a fingernail under it and then it tears and one piece refuses to budge -- that's the one that keeps the jewel case closed tight...

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 01 May 12 - 09:43 AM

I ask for caps that are not childproof cap at the pharmacy, and I get them.

Walgreen's uses caps which are childproof one way, but can be turned upside down, put back on the bottle and are not childproof.

Childproof caps have prevented about 300 deaths a year since they were instituted. To save 300 little kids, I will cope with balky lids somehow.

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 01 May 12 - 06:30 AM

How very kind of you Steve to post your suggestion, I'll look out for something similar. I always keep 'easy' lids and closures, because often things are standard sizes. I have a good one for my bleach containers. My husband takes off the press-and-twist thing and I put on the easy lid. Even using pliers to get stuff open isn't possible for me as I can't manipulate them. My good friend does voluntary work for AgeUK, and she knows of lots of aids and gadgets, so maybe next time I'm sitting in her kitchen munching on her chocolate clairs, I'll ask her for some suggestions!

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 01 May 12 - 01:28 AM

Joe F -

They do make "slitters" that will cut the cello off CDs just by sliding it along the edge of the box, and they actually work pretty well for getting a rip started. The problem is that the sellers think that most buyers are "primitive creatures" who wouldn't understand the concept of "tools" so they're somewhat difficult to find.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 01 May 12 - 01:25 AM

Only on Mudcat!

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 01 May 12 - 01:22 AM

But I've found that if you have trouble getting the child-proof cap off ...

When they first made child-proof caps mandatory, most pharmacies offered the option of requesting non-child-proof caps if you asked for it. I don't know of one now that bothers having anything else to give you.

There are a variety of such caps in use, but with the most common kind a pair of pliers can "peel back" the rim that holds the outer cap on, and once the outer piece is removed they're no longe child-proof. Once you've "fixed" a set, you can discard the cap that comes with a new bottle and swap the "modified" cap onto it, so you only have to face the curse once per bottle.

With some of the "inner caps" there may be some slightly rough edges, but you've got a pair of pliers to open them with (which you can't use to open them with the outer cap on them). Or you can get fancy and smooth up a set. If you have trouble with the modification you should be able to find a friend to make you a set of "modified" caps, if you have a friend bright enough to figure out the fix.

This approach works best if your pharmacy uses the same sized bottles for all their prescriptions, or at least only a few sizes, but that's a fairly common practice. The most common "deviant" containers are ones you get for small orders of "one-time" medications. With those, sometimes you just have to "break something" to make them easier to get into.

(I keep enough "surgically altered" caps on hand to replace the #@$!% c-p ones when a new drug shipment arrives.)

John

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: Joe_F
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 08:52 PM

In contrast with promotion (which is all about insulting & harrassing the customer), in packaging there do seem to be two attitudes in conflict. A great deal of packaging seems to embody the notion that the customer is just one more pest that the product has to be protected from; but there are other designers who actually put themselves in the customer's place & make (at least) gestures in the direction of convenience.

The Avia brand of cheap wine used to put a tab on the plastic seal so that you could remove it without using a knife. It ceased to do so, but now Sutter Home does it, and Sutter Home gets my money.

How is one *supposed* to get the cellophane off CD boxes?

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 07:54 PM

You desperately need one of these: http://www.lakeland.co.uk/21760/iSlice?src=gpsol&gclid=CKPisM_h3a8CFaYJtAod5nWbDQ

You would not believe how useful this gizmo is. No more struggling with anything shrink-wrapped in plastic. And it's a fridge magnet!

There was a letter in our local paper this week, bemoaning the fact that we can send men to the moon but we can't cover ready meals with film that comes off in one piece. Grrr....

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 05:16 PM

Oh don't get me started on blessed childproof caps!! I've ended up leaving the wretched lid off altogether from my tablets & vitamin pills. There should be a choice in the shop. Those who have no children in the house should be able to buy ordinary, normal tops. My poor old hands are just not capable of pressing and twisting, it's all I can do to put my bra on, never mind all that palaver!!

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: Don Firth
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 04:28 PM

Four sticks of dynamite and a crowbar!

Problem is, I'm usually afraid that I'm going to damage whatever it is in the process of liberating it from the plastic packaging. They oughta use that stuff for car fenders!

But I've found that if you have trouble getting the child-proof cap off a bottle of pills, get a six-year-old to show you how to do it.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: maeve
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 04:17 PM

Further discussion of "paraffin" here.

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: Bettynh
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 03:23 PM

LOL, Eliza, in the USA paraffin comes in blocks, and fits in a bag nicely! My mother used to seal jelly with it.

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: Bert
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 03:06 PM

I think that we should retaliate by packaging our money the same way when we buy the stuff.

Imagine the checkout lines if it took them ten minutes to open every dollar.

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 03:06 PM

You're right gnu. It's only reasonable to see what you're getting before you pay. If only the packaging firms had my hands to contend with, they'd stop using these impenetrable plastic cases and three layers of polythene etc. My poor husband ends up opening them for me.

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: gnu
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 02:57 PM

When I got to Crappy Tire, ah, Chinese Tire, ah, Canadian Tire and I cant see what I am buying, I waltz over to the hand tool section and use snips or whatever to open it up. A young lad saw me doing this one day and asked what I was doing. I said, "Not buying a pig in a poke." He had NO clue of what I was saying. He told me I'd have to buy it before opening it. I said, "You had better get the manager here right away." and I proceeded to open it.

I have had more than one clerk say I couldn't open a package before buying the item. I ignore them. If it's an item with a safety seal, I take to the checkout and open it there before I buy it. Pisses them off but I don't care.

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 12:50 PM

Obviously, the paraffin was poured into your own jerry can!

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 12:49 PM

I have arthritis in my hands, and these stupid and unnecessary packages are torture for me to open. Why wrap things once, then seal them yet again in a second layer? I stab them viciously with a sharp knife, it gets rid of the anger! When I was a girl (here we go...!) practically NOTHING was wrapped, you bought everything loose, even sugar was decanted into a cone of blue paper. Spuds, vegetables, bread, paraffin, nails, meat, you name it, you got it bare and put it in your shopping bag wrapped in newspaper if necessary. Sigh...

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 12:35 PM

One of my major irritations along this line is HP's packaging of printer inks. They use a 7.6 ounce package of non-recyclable (by my service) plastic, roughly 14" x 9.9" x 3" to pack a 1 cu in cartridge that's about 3/4 of an ounce, and that requires compound lever aviation metal snips (or a hacksaw) to get open. (I have, a couple of times, flopped one of them on the table saw to get into the package.)

Then inside the package is the little slip of paper bragging about their "environmentally friendly cartridge recycling program."

I bought a new pair of tin snips to keep by my desk just for opening ink packages - - - but I haven't been able to get them out of their package as yet.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: frogprince
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 12:08 PM

Much as the stuff can irritate me, there are degrees to the irritation. With a good share of things, you can at least see what you're getting in the package. But every so often you find something totally sealed up, and you just can't see it or handle it well enough to tell if it's exactly what you need or not.

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: EBarnacle
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 08:15 AM

Especially with small stuff, they are trying to prevent theft by making it difficult to get at contents.

Subject: RE: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: Midchuck
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 08:15 AM

I agree completely. It's the G** D*** f***ing truth, G** f*** it!

You hear about the little boy in elementary school in Georgia, whose teacher was explaining the parts of speech? Asked the kid to name four pronouns. Kid had no idea, and in panic, exclaimed: "Who, me? Shee-it!"

P.

Subject: BS: Plastic Packaging...Sheeit!
From: saulgoldie
Date: 30 Apr 12 - 07:16 AM

This stuff is on so many things anymore. Food, CDs, flash drives. You can't open it without using some sort of tool. And the very stiff packaging on many small items including flash drives can give you a cut needing stitches if you are not very careful opening them! Sheeit!

Saul