Getting into some of the new plastic clamshell packaging is nigh on to impossible! I recently made a purchase that I literally could not open; it finally took a pair of pruning shears to cut through the plastic... Yes, such packaging prevents pilferage from store shelves, however customers are reacting to the impossibility of reaching their purchase with "wrap rage" - the newest modern day syndrome.

Wrap rage - heightened levels of anger, frustration and violence resulting from the inability to open hard-to-remove packaging. (Thanks, Wikipedia!)

Amazon's new packaging initiative - while ostensibly launched to reduce "wrap rage" - is really about sensible packaging. Amazon is "working with leading manufacturers to deliver products inside smaller, easy-to-open, recyclable cardboard boxes with less packaging material (and no frustrating plastic clamshells or wire ties)." Read Jeff Bezos' letter to learn more... OK, so this IS a promotion, but take a look at the Great Unwrap Race - been there, done that! It's about time someone figured out that all that "protective" packaging is just too much! Check out Amazon's environmental initiatives to save energy and fuel; there are a number of actions that could be implemented in any operation.

• Lexington, KY - annual reduction of over 450,000 kilowatt-hours of power usage for one facility; that's enough electricity to power 33 homes in Kentucky for an entire year.
• Hebron/Campbellsville, KY, and Allentown, PA - distribution centers now accept double-stacked pallets; each truck can carry twice as much cargo, resulting in an overall savings of $2 million a year on fuel and additional carrier costs.
• Bad Hersfeld, Germany - turn on the 2,400 fluorescent lights only when associates are working; an annual reduction of over 10,000 kilowatt-hours of power usage in the facility.
• Lots more around the world...

Your challenge - to help your customers find ways to enclose their products in "user friendly" green packaging.