Clamshell Packaging is Moving On

I am sure that we have all bought items at a store that are completely engulfed in plastic, more commonly known as a clamshell package.  These are the ones that are almost impossible to open unless you have heavy duty scissors, razor sharp knives to cut through the plastic, or a blow torch to melt it.  Try opening it by hand and you will just get frustrated, hurt, or you might even damage the item inside.  Well, there is good news.  Manufacturers are moving away from the clamshell packaging, not necessarily because of consumer complaints like, "Why do I need a knife to get my knife out of the package?", but because of rising oil prices which has a direct impact on the cost of producing all that plastic which goes into the packaging.  The packaging, set aside from the difficulty of opening it, is incredibly wasteful, uses up valuable shelf space in stores, and most does not get recycled.  So you see, rising oil prices are not always a bad thing.  They may drain our pockets at the gas pump, but they are a direct incentive for companies to move away from plastics and come up with new and innovative ways to package items at stores.  Many retailers already, not even taking into account the clamshell, have made dedicated efforts to reduce the amount of plastic in their packaging.  Many are now using more cardboard and paper products in place of plastic, which, even if they make it to the landfill instead of getting recycled, can actually biodegrade much quicker and with less harm to the environment. 

So what is the new packaging going to look like that will replace the clamshell?  Well, in a lot of smaller items like Swiss Army Knives and such, it will be the blister pack.  This packaging still contains some plastic, but a considerably less amount than in previous packaging.  The blister pack is essentially two reinforced pieces of cardboard with a little plastic bubble in the middle that confroms to the item being sold.  The cardboard is harder to tear than normal, yet still able to opened with much more ease than the damn clamshell.  In addition to reducing the amount of plastic being used in the packaging, it also adds increased security value for stores selling items with this packaging.  This is because the magnetic security strip can be wedged in between the two strips of cardboard where it is not noticeable to the consumer whereas it used to be glued on to the clamshell packaging making it easier to rip off.  I know, for most honest consumers out there, who gives a damn about the magnetic strip unless the cashier forgets to slide it over their deactivating device and it goes off as we leave the store.  The best part though, especially from an environmental standpoint is the reduction in plastic.  I may be chastised for saying this, but if I knew that higher oil prices would lead to companies pushing for a reduction in plastic, I would have hoped for higher oil prices sooner. 

This is the type of innovation we need in this day and age, new solutions being found to reduce the amount of plastic in our every day lives and to reduce the amount that will eventually end up in the landfill.  We have already seen plastic bottles being reduced in thickness to keep plastic use to a minimum, now we need to look at every other way in which we use plastic, which there are many and see how we can either reduce or eliminate it.  Our society has become so overly dependent on plastic that if we were to eliminate it completely from our lives all at once, we really wouldn't be able to survive.  Plastics are a part of our phones, cars, garbage cans, storage containers, and a plethora of other items.  There needs to be a transition however if we are to sustain a growing population and ensure that our landfills don't get larger and larger.  Also, by reducing plastics in our lives, we can have a positive impact on wildlife around the world that yearly gets affected by plastics in the environment, either getting tangled in them, swallowing them, or simply from getting covered in the oil that is used to make the plastics we rely on.  Today, just to see how much plastic we really use, as you go throughout your day, think about every item you come in contact with a see if has plastic as part of its case or function.  I think that both you and I will be amazed out how much we rely on this oil based product to make it through the day.