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.
Ok, I guess that’s the answer then. :/
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.
Ive always thought organic produce on a Styrofoam plate wrapped in plastic was a bit ironic
Is that a thing? I guess I don’t see styrofoam much anymore for containers.
It can be a signal for caring and cleanliness. I know I’ve experienced restaurants in China where they deliver the dishes and cutlery you will be eating off of in shrinkwrap to signal they are clean, plus provide you a bowl to “rinse” the dishes in tea to make sure they are hygenic. Always thought that was really strange.
To keep the covid in 😅/s