Most of us don’t give a whole lot of thought to the plastic food packaging that we use; we generally rip it open, dispose of it then carry on about our normal business. However, packaging suppliers are well aware of the many social issues that come into play when it comes to packaging. More information about this surprisingly intriguing topic is highlighted below.
The Elderly –
As people age, they often encounter difficulty in getting various food packages open. Arthritis is the major culprit behind this phenomenon, as is shaking and general weakness. Food suppliers want the elderly to be able to open their food with ease, but they can’t make packaging too easy to open, either. It’s a definite conundrum, but things have improved a great deal in recent years. Many times, elderly people who consistently struggle with opening their food packaging are in need of more assistance than they are currently receiving.
Children –
Food is, of course, safe to eat; unlike medicines and cleaning agents, it’s usually not an issue for a small child to open up food packaging and eat the contents within. Still, most parents would prefer it if their very young children are unable to get food unwrapped or otherwise opened, which is partly why most food packaging is at least a little but tricky to open. Also, strong packaging is necessary for many types of food, in order to keep it from going bad.
Theft –
Shopkeepers in Australia are all too familiar with the issue of theft. Every time an item of food is pilfered from a store, it is money right out of the owner’s pocket. Thieves often attempt to circumvent store security systems by slipping food out of its packaging; this is why packaging has to be reasonably hard to open. Most thieves won’t dare to struggle with a difficult-to-open package in the store, so many thefts are prevented.
Litter –
One of the most significant social issues surrounding food packaging is litter. It must be noted, however, that packaging suppliers aren’t the ones who strew litter about; consumers are responsible for properly disposing of their used packaging. Between recycling efforts and increasing awareness about saving the planet, litter due to packaging is likely to decrease as time goes by.
Serving Size –
Finally, large family units are becoming less common in Australia. Single=person households are on the rise in this country, which means that single-serving foods are becoming more necessary. The food packaging industry is increasingly staying on top of this trend in an effort to reduce food wastage. It is quite likely that we will see a greater range of single-serving foods on our local grocery store shelves as the time goes on.
A lot goes into designing and manufacturing plastic food packaging. Australian packaging suppliers such as Dabron Packaging have to take many different social issues into account when they produce these important products. From the very young to the very old, the packaging that is made must be usable by just about everyone.
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