The Perfect Gift : : Clamshell Plastic Package Opener Tool

I finally found the perfect tool to open hard plastic packaging safely!

I absolutely hate the heavy clamshell packaging that seems to encapsulate everything these days. It's not just difficult and frustrating, but dangerous as well. Once I finally am able to somehow break into the package, I often get cut on the jagged-edged, razor-sharp heavy plastic left behind. This is especially dangerous for children and the fragile elderly. It's beyond frustrating and impossible for anyone with arthritis.

The good news is that some retailers are listening and attacking this problem with new (shouldn't that be old?) frustration-free packaging. The bad news is that they have a long way to go to really solve the problem.

In the meantime, there are tips and solutions to help you break through that packing bubble in a safe way.

I discovered this tool last Christmas and quickly went back for 20 of them to give as stocking gifts. The Plastic Surgeon makes it quick and easy to get through that plastic. But you still need to be careful when using it, and you still need to stay clear of any sharp plastic edges left behind.

HOW IT WORKS

The Plastic Surgeon has a very sharp point that is protected with a plastic safety cover. It's sort of like a giant seam ripper, for those of you who sew. You use it by raising the safety cover of the tool with your index finger, and inserting the sharp point to puncture the clamshell/blister/bubble. Then you just push the blade through the plastic to cleanly cut a path around the base of the bubble. This way you completely free the product from the packaging. I was amazed at how well it did the job, and I found many more uses for the tool as well.

Wrap rage, also called package rage, is a phrase coined to describe the anger and frustration people experience when confronted with hard-to-remove packaging, particularly heat sealed plastic blister packs and clamshells. Consumers suffer thousands of injuries per year, including cuts and sprains, from trying to open these packages and from a variety of unsafe tools recruited to do the job.

Technology is being invented to make these systems easier to open, such as the one pictured here. The downside is that they're even more expensive. Why make an already expensive package even more expensive? Dump the unsafe and frustrating packaging, go back to uncomplicated packaging, and find other ways to display items at risk for heightened shoplifting. How can this hard plastic packaging be good for the environment, anyway?

Part of Amazon's Green initiative

Amazon.com has teamed up with Fisher-Price, Mattel and others to offer some best-selling items in Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging, a recyclable, easy-to-open alternative to traditional packaging. A Frustration-Free Package comes without excess packaging materials such as wire ties, hard plastic "clamshell" casings, and plastic bindings. It's designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging during shipping. The Frustration-Free Packaging on these items saves on 4-color printing and minimizes the use of PVC windows, blister packs, fasteners, and 4-color inserts. Bonus!! These items ship in their own boxes, without the need for an additional shipping box.

Articles with suggestions, rants about clamshell packaging

There's already been some debate about Amazon's new packaging. (Raging of a different kind. :-) Some don't like that you can't see the toy on the outside of the box; some are willing to give up anything just to make it easier to get the toy out of the box.

What's more important - the look or the ease of opening?

8 GB and 16 GB sizes also available with frustration-free packaging.