I live in Europe but sometimes shop at Asian supermarkets here. One of the things I notice with almost everything I buy there is that plastic packaging feels a lot thicker than that on European products. Is there a rational reason for this? Are plastics simply cheaper? Or do people worry more that products might spoil? Are these different types of plastics?
Speculating: I think its a form of marketing. In the US and in Europe, people don’t care too much about the thickness of the plastics but in Japan and some other asian countries, thick plastic wrapping is a sign of good quality.
This is it.
I’ve previously lived in Japan and there is always so much wrapping!
A large amount of packaging creates a perception of quality, as if a lot of care has been taken in the product, and culturally that sells well.
Kinda ironic as another thing you see everywhere in Japan is ‘eco’ this and ‘green’ that, they are very big on the perception of “saving the environment” and yet everything is covered in so much unnecessary plastic.
It’s also a form of security. If its a small item a large plastic package makes it more difficult to shoplift, tamper, or use before purchasing. It also adds an additional level of protection during shipping.
I don’t really think Japan has a worse issue than basically most other European and american companies. I’d be surprised if Japan has a higher shoplifting rate than the countries in the Americas to where individualized plastic wrapping is actually a deterrent. Maybe security theater i guess.
I sometimes wonder why anything is wrapped in plastic at all. So many products are wrapped in plastic for seemingly no other reason than to indicate that it’s unopened.
If it’s edible, plastic help with preserving the food a bit longer. If it’s wet or moist, the plastic will prevent the product from making a big mess.
You could use paper or cardboard too, and that would be good for the environment but bad for everything else. You could use metal or glass containers too, but that’s really expensive and inconvenient. Plastic is the most appealing option as far as manufacturing, shipping, storage and sales are concerned.
In order to change that, you would need to vote for politicians who make plastic more expensive for the companies.
Mostly plastic is used because it’s cheap and convenient, but paper alternatives are completely feasible.
