Commentary SPRAYTechnology & Marketing Ava Caridad, Editor When I was in school, the 1982 murders of seven people in the Chicago When is there just enough packaging? area were big news. The victims were poisoned after taking Tylenol pain-relief medicine capsules that had been laced with potassium cyanide. The incidents led to reforms in the packaging of over-the-counter substances and to federal anti-tampering laws. I’m old enough to remember the rather skimpy (sometimes even disturbingly lax) packaging of yesteryear. Lids could be easily popped or unscrewed in the drugstore or supermarket so we could judge if we liked the smell of a cough syrup or caustic cleaner before we paid for it. Toothpaste sometimes wasn’t in a box, but stacked awkwardly on shelves in just their tubes, and you could unscrew those lids too, and give the toothpaste a taste. In the interest of public safety, and also to deter shoplifting in some cases, packaging became more cumbersome and more complex, to the point where consumers now can purchase the “Package Shark” to cut through and retrieve products from their protective packaging. Have we gone too far? Maybe. A report in www.worldpackagingnews.com noted that packaging accounts for 30-35% of the waste stream and consumers are demanding less packaging and packaging that serves a secondary purpose or can that minimal packaging is the top preference of consumers, with recyclable and environmentally friendly packaging next on the list. So, while consumers like their products to come in packages that are safe, attractive, functional, convenient, ergonomic and environmentally sound, they just don’t want too much of it. The pendulum has swung from minimalist to excessive and is now starting to centralize on safe, practical solutions. One such example appears in this issue, with Unilever’s launch of deodorant in “compressed” cans. The same amount of product, in a much smaller can, offers a multitude of benefits. Check it out on p. 19. 6 Spray March 2013 Cynthia Hundley Publisher chundley@spraytm.com Michael L. SanGiovanni Executive Editor msangiovanni@spraytm.com Ava Caridad Editor acaridad@spraytm.com Montfort A. Johnsen Technical Editor montyjohnsen@att.net Susan Carver Vice President, Administration scarver@spraytm.com Doug Bacile National Sales Manager dbacile@spraytm.com Joy Cunningham Reader Service Coordinator readerservice@spraytm.com Circulation circulation@spraytm.com Member: CAPCO Volume 23, No.3 March 2013 Copyright 2013 by Industry Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part may be reprinted without written permission from the Publisher. Spray Technology & Marketing (ISSN No. 1055-2340) is published monthly by Industry Publications, Inc. Address all correspondence for editorial, advertising and circulation departments to: 3621 Hill Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054 Phone: 973-331-9545 • Fax: 973-331-9547 Subscription inquiries: circulation@spraytm.com Internet: www.spraytm.com Periodical postage paid at Parsippany, NJ and at additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Spray Technology & Marketing, 3621 Hill Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054. Subscription rates: U.S. 1-year $50.00; Canada & Mexico 1-year $60.00. Airmail Rates to foreign countries: $130.00/yr. Single copies of current issues: $12.00. Directory Issue (Buyers Guide) $27.00 (includes shipping). Missing issues: Claims for missing issues must be made within three months of the date of the issue. Printed in the U.S.A. Industry Publications, Inc. also publishes Indoor Comfort Marketing The opinions expressed in this publication are not intended to be, nor should they be interpreted as, a replacement for professional, legal advice. be recycled or reused, indicated the report. According to statistics from The Natural Marketing Institute’s annual U.S. LOHAS Consumer Trends Study, approximately 75% of U.S. shoppers believe many consumer products are over-packaged, and this over-packaging will cause about 25% of them to look elsewhere for products. The study also reported Editor Not enough packaging Too much packaging New Website! Spray Technology has a new website—www.spraytm.com. Also note our new email addresses at right. We hope you enjoy this issue,
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