Simeon Goldstein: Toy packaging is not child’s play

So the government wants to tackle toy packaging as part of a potential expansion to the Courtauld Commitment to non-foods.

Yesterday, environment secretary Caroline Spelman said packaging in the toy and entertainment industries frustrated her.

“While we don’t want damaged goods or anything which will compromise the safety of food, I do question how much packaging is necessary and how much is marketing,” she told a national newspaper.

Packaging’s honeymoon with the new government would appear to be over.

We’ve all had, at some point or another, the experience of unwrapping a present only to find we have to spend another frustrating hour trying to free the toy from the cage in which it’s packaged.

I can’t imagine there are many people who would disagree with moves to make the packaging more user-friendly.

And, yes, marketing is also an important part of the role that the packaging plays, but again there would be few arguments about packaging being reduced to the minimum level that ensures it is still fit for purpose.

But this issue came up in the context of the environment and waste and packaging for toys is only a small amount of the total packaging we use.

Besides which, it is important to remember that a lot of the toys in the UK have been manufactured in the Far East and, also, are not solely for the UK market but rather will end up in a number of different countries.

Apart from the fact that this means the packaging will have to protect the toy over a long journey, it also makes it very difficult for the British government to influence changes on its own.

A project to develop international standards for packaging is currently going on and is a good example of how industry can pull together on an important issue without the need for government intervention.

It’s a shame that the new government seems to be going for the populist issues rather than looking at the real needs of the environment. At least in newspaper interviews.

We must only hope that the review on waste policy that is due in September will bring some sense to the debate.

And for that, those who are involved in the entire packaging supply chain need the chance to provide their input.

Click here for today’s headlines from across the packaging industry

Popular Articles