plastic packaging has fuelled many standup comedy routines and birthday party rants. however, soon it may be a matter of past. since many years, environmentalists were trying to compel businesses to avoid using wasteful clamshell packaging. finally, companies have started omitting the use of clamshell not only because the increasing pressure from environmentalist but also due to its costly nature. increasing oil prices might not seems so great when you&39re spending around 70 to fill up your gas tank, but there&39s a surprising perk it has ended the era of clamshell packaging. the new york times has reported that manufacturers are trying to use fewer petroleumbased materials, such as plastic. in the report, times has mentioned that, from its archer farms yogurts, target has removed the plastic lids. it has also redesigned packages for a few light bulbs to eliminate plastic. it has now started selling socks that are held together by paper bands instead of in plastic bags. the report further says walmart stores has pledged to reduce its packaging by minimum 5 percent between the span of 2008 to 2013. it has pushed suppliers to concentrate laundry detergent in order to sell it in smaller containers. it has reshaped the round hydrogen peroxide bottles into square ones to reduce the plastic use. still, the easiest thing to trim down cost is what these products come in. packages have two duties to perform. they need to deter shoplifters, and at the same time, provide adequate space for eyecatching graphics. until now, clamshells were considered the best way to do these things. however, a newer method has emerged to take its place. the company meadwestvaco closely attaches a plastic bubble around products. afterwards, sandwiches this sheet in between tamperevident pieces of cardboard which are treated with a laminate that averts tearing. last year, walmart started using this packaging, which is called as natralock. for expensive products like usb drives and cameras, it&39s becoming more popular than clamshells that use about 60 more plastic. we&39ll most likely see some clamshells on the market for few more years. however, since new packages are allowing more products to be kept on the store shelves in addition to being cheaper, clamshells are likely to become less common. perhaps coming generations will live in a world where exchanging gifts doesn&39t come with a great risk of selfinflicted scissor injuries. source of information httpjezebel.complasticpackaging
