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Changes to milk bottle design would be detrimental for elderly
Any change to the handled plastic milk bottle would be detrimental to its useability among the elderly and disabled, according to research by Nampak and Help the Aged.
The company carried out a study to understand how removing the handle from a milk bottle could be received by the older population, who are more prone to manual dexterity impairment and visual impairment.
The research used an existing plastic milk bottle and prototype designs without a handle for a two-week home trial.
The trials found that with the larger two pint bottle, there was increased resistance for a bottle without a handle, this is significant given that the retired age bracket accounts for 32% of the volume of two pint bottles purchased in the UK.
James Crick, business development director at Nampak, said: "With the packaging industry striving to improve the environmental credentials of packaging, there is a danger that the directions some packaging designs are taking could in fact render them unfit for purpose for important consumer users.
"The focus to date has been too heavily geared towards reducing the weight of packaging. However, as this research has clearly demonstrated, the small weight reductions gained by removing the handle would clearly alienate not just an important sector of the market, but a growing sector of the market given the population's longer life expectancy," he added.
Trials found resistance to a bottle without a handle
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Comments
Design Diva - 17 September 2008
Useability is often overlooked in favour of cost or the environment. As our population ages, the elderly and their needs should become a much bigger concern for packaging manufacturers. Well done Nampak for conducting this research - more of this is needed from others in the industry.
Albert Shuttleworth - 18 September 2008
How do the elderly pour cordial, soft drinks, bottles water, wines or spirits from a bottle? How do they pour domestic cleaners or bathroom products? None of these have handles....
We could take the view that given the research findings we should all rush out and add handles onto these products and we can then grow market share and profit.
There are always two sides. Why does one particular liquid need a handle and the rest do not?
Tell this to your grandchildren in 20/30 years....
I know we consumed the earths resources, but hey we had very 'easy to use' packaging. A bit extreme but you get the sentiment.
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