An astonishing 12 million adults have reportedly suffered injuries during the festive season due to challenging packaging.
A poll of 2,000 adults highlighted that a staggering 74% grapple with frustration when attempting to open packages, while 64% confess that it puts a damper on their Christmas spirit.
Consequently, two hours may be spent by 64% of individuals struggling with foil seals and trying to access plastic or cardboard boxes sealed with an overzealous amount of tape.
Alarmingly, 26% have acknowledged damaging items amidst their struggles, with 47% resorting to scissors or knives out of sheer desperation, leading to self-inflicted injuries such as cuts, scratches, and bruises.
DS Smith’s packaging specialist Lydia Butler commented: “Christmas is a time for joy, not frustration, nobody wants to spend Christmas wrestling with tricky packaging and possibly injuring themselves in the process.”
She also noted that “Hard to open packaging is affecting millions of people with frustrations and injuries.”
The study further revealed that 27% who encountered issues have even found themselves in A&E due to injuries while opening packaging.
Notably, 10% shy away from purchasing particular products owing to the anticipated ordeal of opening them, and almost a third are exasperated by excessive packaging during the festive season.
Among those who have destroyed items they were attempting to unwrap at Christmas, 34% were left unable to present the product as a gift.
Award-winning author Pippa Stacey, who has a chronic illness that impacts her mobility, shared: “I enjoy Christmas time, but too often when online shopping, parcels arrive that are hard or sometimes even impossible for me to open.”
She added, “It’s frustrating when I know from my own business that it doesn’t have to be that way. I want to see more companies using the solutions that already exist to make packaging inclusive for everyone.”
A staggering 88% of consumers are advocating for packaging that’s a breeze to open, emphasising consideration for individuals with dexterity challenges, reveals data from OnePoll.com.
The study highlighted that nearly half (45%) experience occasional hand weakness or discomfort due to conditions like arthritis (25%), injuries (19%), or carpal tunnel syndrome (11%), and out of this group, 30% frequently require help to unpack items.
A spokesperson from packaging giant DS Smith said: “For people with more limited hand mobility, packaging that’s difficult to open can be a significant barrier to independence – these struggles are often overlooked but are very real.”
They continued, “We think more can be done to take an inclusive approach to designing packaging,” urging, “Packaging needs to be suitable for everyone – no matter your age, health condition or level of ability.”
