Industry Trends: The Case for Better Packaging

While it may not be something we tend to think about every day, there is a need for packaging to evolve in order to better serve consumers. A large portion of our population here in the U.S. lives with some type of disability or may have physical limitations such as arthritis or carpal tunnel. This means that completing a simple task – such as opening a stubborn jar of sauce to cook a meal – is actually a daily struggle for most consumers.

Physical limitations or not – think about how many times you’ve struggled to open a jar of pickles, pasta sauce, or other favorite food and thought to yourself, “how come there isn’t an easier way to do this?”

Since its inception, the EEASY Lid has been built around inclusivity to alleviate these issues for everyone.

Before developing the EEASY Lid, Dawn Real (a friend of our co-founder, Pete Stodd) underwent treatment for cancer where she immediately struggled to complete everyday tasks, including opening packaging like vacuum sealed jars. Knowing that Pete was a packaging pioneer in the beer and beverage industry, Dawn approached him and asked why no one had invented a jar lid that was easy to open for people like her.

Pete, Jim, and the rest of our team here at CCT spent the next eight years developing the EEASY Lid, ensuring our packaging was accessible to everyone – no matter age, gender, or physical capability.

While the EEASY Lid has been a hit and proven successful amongst consumers, we’ve been shocked to find just how many people struggle to open jar lids – even outside of being disabled or having a physical limitation.

As we mentioned in our previous blog post around the North Cliff study we had conducted, the study results revealed that nearly 50 percent of consumers struggle to open traditional jars – and not just the elderly population. Consumers in the study ranged from 25-74 years old, showing this is a universal problem for people of all ages. The study targeted 80 people – both male and female – and asked a series of questions to determine the level of difficulty they experience opening traditional jars compared to the EEASY Lid.

While we aim for all consumers to have an enjoyable experience, the EEASY Lid serves as proof for the case against better packaging. If more companies can accommodate the majority of the population with disabilities or physical limitations, they can open themselves up to a much larger market while providing a better quality of life