Choice goes on pack attack

Consumer advocacy group Choice has become the latest organisation to join the attack against wrap rage with the launch of Pack Attack, a campaign to put pressure on manufacturers to adopt packaging that doesn’t require knives, scissors or super-human strength to access the product.

The new campaign follows a survey carried out late last by year by Readers Digest that surveyed 500 people in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia on packaging problems. The survey found that 64 per cent of respondents had injured themselves on packaging, suffering deep cuts, broken or chipped teeth, bruises or broken nails.

Choice said its campaign had been launched in response to the pervasiveness of frustrating, impenetrable and potentially dangerous packaging.

“Many items are now so wrapped up that some consumers simply cannot open them," said Angela McDougall, Choice spokeswoman..

“Trying to bust out an electrical item sealed in a hard plastic container or twist open a vacuum-sealed glass jar is not only prompting ‘wrap rage’ but also leaving some people injured.”

The campaign calls on consumers to send in their photos and descriptions of examples of bad packaging. Choice will then make a complaint on their behalf to the Australian Packaging Covenant (APC) and report back on responses from manufacturers.

“While packaging accessibility can affect us all, it is a particular problem for those suffering from arthritis, poor eyesight, and reduced hand strength, as well as some older people,” McDougall said.

She said serial offenders included clamshell packaging, glass jars fastened too tight and toys that are over-wrapped in layers of packaging materials and a mix of sharp wires, cable ties, plastic spikes and sticky tape.