Clamshell Packaging

February 19, 2020

You know the kind of packaging I’m talking about. The kind that houses the leafy greens and blueberries you pick up at the market, to the kind that imprisons a razor in an impenetrable fortress. Generally impossible to open without some sort of tool (think machete) and the kind that has sent thousands to seek medical attention trying to open.

It is the worst design ever, and we can thank Thomas Jake Lunsford for patenting it in 1978 as a “Separable Packaging and Display System.”

The idea is solid. You have packaging that made it easy to see the product, could be hung free-standing or stacked and offered a sort of anti-theft protection. It withstands shaking, crushing and dropping. I just don’t think Mr. Lunsford’s original idea was heat sealed making it virtually impossible to open (YouTube Larry David “Wrap Rage” and you’ll get the idea).

But wait, there’s good news! Clamshell packaging is RECYCLABLE!

So, whether it’s packaging your deli goods, your fresh greens, or a pair of scissors, once you get it open, make sure it is clean of any food product, take off any stickers you can, and put it in your recycle bin.

That will make me happy as a clam!

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