I know what I hate and I’m sure that you do too but what about packaging?  I’m not just talking about cardboard and polystyrene here but all the various types of packaging and accessories.  So, what is there to hate?

1. Shrink wrapping…convenient and useful for keeping foodstuffs fresh but an absolute menace to open.  The trick is to make a small incision into the wrap letting the air in and thus releasing the product.

2. Cardboard and polystyrene…the staple (pardon the pun) materials for packing, too much of it, flat, corrugated et al. Large slabs of poly are ok but don’t you just hate those little balls that get all over the place?

3. Hard pressed plastic…usually containing torches, batteries, smoke detectors, that kind of thing and a real challenge to pull apart.  Be careful not to lacerate your hands on any sharp plastic edges.

4. The large bronze coloured staples (not a pun this time)…these nasty little blighters are used to seal cardboard boxes containing heavier products, tv, radio etc and require a stong implement to prize them out.  Again, be careful of cutting your hands or getting one in the eye.

5. The plastic tie offs…usually used to secure a toy, for example against a picture backdrop.  There can be quite a few of these and untwisting them can be extremely irritating and time consuming.

6. The heat/press sealed bag…you know the type, like a popcorn bag but occasionaly you get one that is a lot tougher to pull apart, a bag of dried pasta, say.  This can result in a sudden tearing of the bag scattering the product over a large area.

7. The condiment sachet…beware of this one, a small flat foil packet containing, mayo, ketchup, bbq sauce or salad cream which can result in splatter damage if opened carelessly and a hefty dry cleaning bill.

8. The wooden crate…nailed down and best left to the professionals.

9. Waxed cartons…usually containing milk, juices and soups and easy to destroy the intended spout resulting in the liquid going sideways when pouring.

10. The biscuit pack…a cylindrical stack of biscuits wrapped in grease proof paper, difficult to open, there should be a small red tab to start your tear but difficult to find.  Result, first two biscuits broken into pieces and crumbs all over the place.

11. The DVD wrap…similarly used for console games as well, this is an irritating one.  It should be simple to open cleanly but it isn’t.  Getting that thin cellophane wrap off the DVD can make a grown man cry!

12. The microwave popcorn bag…you bring them out of the microwave after they’ve popped their last and then you pull open the bag and scald yourself, right?

13. The stock cube foil…getting that foil of an Oxo or Knorr stock cube doesn’t come cleanly, usually end up with twenty small pieces of foil to be found later in your food.

14. The Pringle tube…satisfying design but a nail ripper to remove the plastic lid.

15. The medecine bottle safety seal…do I press down and turn or squeeze inwards and turn to open?  Minutes of frustration can ensue with this one.

There we have it, just a few examples of tricky packaging.  If you’ve got other examples then please post your own or add them to the comments box below this article.  If you enjoyed reading it then please take a look at the others in my I Hate… series.  Thanks..