🎁🎁It's Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day!🎁🎁

Albus_Scope

Welcome to Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day!

It's that time of year when we can all share a laugh at the sheer absurdity of receiving a tiny item in a box so large it could double as a fridge! Or perhaps you've had the pleasure of battling those annoying clamshell packs that often require a toolkit and a lot of patience to open. Bonus points if you don't cut yourself.

There are four key areas X4P focuses on each year.

A Spotlight on Excessive Packaging.
Today, we take a moment to marvel at those instances where packaging seems to have gone on a whimsical adventure, resulting in boxes that are more about style than substance. It's a gentle nudge to think about the environmental impact and accessibility of such extravagance.

The Wrath of Annoying Packaging.
Let’s not forget the packaging that tests our patience ans well as our dexterity. Heat-sealed clamshells, anyone? Yes, I know I keep going on about them, but these masterpieces of modern inconvenience can lead to what we affectionately call "wrap rage." Throw in a touch of arthritis and you'll never get inside to your carefully picked prize. Accessibility is very important when it comes to packaging.

Consumer Awareness.
This day serves as a friendly reminder to be mindful of the packaging we encounter and to consider more sustainable alternatives. Because, really, who needs a box the size of a small car for a pair of socks? Unless the socks are as big as a small car. Size really does matter here.

Manufacturer Awareness.
It's also a perfect opportunity for packaging manufacturers to showcase their innovative, easy-to-open, and environmentally friendly solutions. Perhaps one day, opening a package will be as simple as it should be. Let us get the outer layers open easily, so we can then spent another ten minutes trying to get the shrink wrap off of the actual item we ordered.

Examples of preposterous packaging might include:

Over-packaging; when small items such as batteries are delivered in containers suitable for larger items such as desktop computers. They usually require a lot of bubble wrap or loose fill to secure the contents.
Packaging with the wrong name on.
Needless packaging; when products are wrapped but don’t need to be.
Packaging with too much protection.
Packaging with unusual translations from different languages.

So over to you, what's the silliest packaging you've ever encountered?

💌🎁

Rosie_Scope

I'd never heard of this day before but I fully support it 😁

I also hate packaging that is so very tightly packed that when you try to put everything back into the box it came in it's like some kind of high-level IQ test. And you inevitably realise that you've left something out, so you have to start again from scratch.

Down with preposterous packaging!

durhamjaide2001

it's also light house day

I was at one today

Rosie_Scope

Oooh that looks beautiful @durhamjaide2001! Gorgeous blue skies!

durhamjaide2001

thank you

Mary_Scope

I remember I ordered a snow globe once and it was probably about 6 inches high but the box it come in was absolutely ginormous maybe about 2 foot length and 1 foot width…what a waste!!

Mary_Scope

Thats a great photo @durhamjaide2001, looks like postcard😍

durhamjaide2001

that's one of me stood nest to it

66Mustang

Nice pics @durhamjaide2001

Sorry to argue with the thread, which is good fun, but I think they probably use excessive packaging as insurance against stuff breaking

If they used small boxes and just one package in 100 breaks meaning the delivery driver has to do an extra journey to deliver a replacement it probably cancels out the CO2 from using 100 big boxes

I guess it's the age-old problem of "appearing to do the right thing to please the public" vs. "actually doing the right thing, but getting no recognition"