Why can’t I open this pesky packet?!

The tough transparent covering on many small items allows the customer and retailer see the goods, helping to avoid mistakes. It makes it possible for shops to attach security tags to high value items and makes it more difficult for shoplifters to remove the contents. It also provides good protection, which means that there is less need for additional packaging, an important factor now that so many products are sent by post etc.

Scissors or a sharp retractable knife make it easy to open the packaging at home. I once spent ten minutes trying to get an SD card out of a packet when I wanted to check that a new camera worked properly before taking it home, so I can understand the problem. Still, I think the advantages outweigh this disadvantage, and anyone with arthritic fingers could probably get help from a shop assistant.

Children’s toys are often an absolute nightmare to open – plastic casing, metal ties, tape and a double layered cardboard box all for a toy that is designed not to break. My top tip is to remove all packaging from toys before wrapping and giving them as gifts. This is vitally important in preventing children (and parents) from having tantrums while trying desperately to open them. But before removing any packaging, it is worth checking that the recipient doesn’t already have the toy!

I always have scissors and a knife handy as I receive packages several times a week. In fact I actually have a knife and scissors in every room as I need to combat lots of sachets and packages for my dogs too. DVD plastic coverings can be very frustrating.

I usually find with blister packs that by the time I have released the contents I have destroyed the instructions printed on the back.

CDs and DVDs can often be opened with a biro – some sealed packages have a self stick flap which is easily opened. What gets me are the Ebay senders who use about two yards (or for the metric users amongst you two metres) of Cellotape to cover the envelope. But scissors or sharp knife is very effective.

Which scissors? 😉

Great idea. Thank you … and thank you for the spelling. : )

Seals on plastic milk bottles. Sainsbury’s use a foil seal with a small tab: this tab often becomes trapped by the cap and is ripped off when the cap is removed, leaving the tab stuck to the inside of the cap, and the difficulty of removing the rest of the seal without resorting to a knife or scissors. Tesco and Co-op use a seal with a semi-circular plastic flap full width across the seal, which is more robust and much easier to remove. I wrote to Sainsbury’s and to Waitrose about this a few months ago. I don’t know whether this may have influenced the decision by Waitrose to change from the foil seal to the ‘Tesco’ type a few weeks later. Perhaps coincidence, perhaps they do listen?

Just try opening a Connon replacement printer ink cartridge? Impossible without a very sharp tool.