Simeon Goldstein: Here’s packaging I used earlier

I have, however, without the slightest shadow of a doubt, used a Fairy Liquid bottle as a substitute water pistol. So, I suspect, have a lot people who will read this blog entry.

It’s funny how the decision to bring the iconic white plastic bottle for Fairy Liquid out of retirement has caused such a groundswell of emotion and reminiscing of happy childhood days when you didn’t even care what Fairy Liquid was for, let alone if it was overpackaged or had a carbon footprint.

(At PN Towers, we also joined in the reminiscing and found ourselves humming along to that all too familiar tune. All together now…. “Hands that do dishes can feel soft as your face…”)

Ahem.

The fact that so many people have been thinking about the good old days – I can’t imagine many will actually have thought about doing the washing-up – is testament to an iconic pack format that sticks in the memory.

But it is also an example of packaging reuse at its best.

When we talk about ‘reusable packaging’, I often get the impression that the phrase means it has to be used for the same purpose. And yes there is an element of that, as shown by Kenco’s coffee pouches, which I assume will be used to fill a jar at home. And then there are the current trials for fabric conditioner at Asda.

But, the fact is, packaging can be reused in many ways. How many of us have old jars at home full of knick-knacks, or sweet tins full of biscuits? Or reuse a plastic bag to carry our sandwiches to work or our gym kit?

And, yes, there is still the potential recycling later – assuming the facilities are in place.

For me, though, one of the most interesting things about reminiscing over Fairy is that you see how society has moved on. The role played by Nanette Newman in the brand’s 1980s TV ads was essentially that of a housewife who cooked for her family (and did the washing-up afterwards) presumably every day.

That is no longer the case and our eating habits have changed enormously in the 50 years since Fairy came onto the market.

As anybody in the industry will tell you, it is advances in packaging that have helped that change, and yet despite that it is still demonised by a significant element of the general public.

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