It’s an issue that’s been challenging the packaging industry for decades and, as formats and shapes evolve – and the population gets older – it’s not going to go away any time soon. For manufacturers it’s a tricky balancing act: they’re faced with making the product easier to open while also ensuring that it’s protected. And there are some markets, such as pharmaceutical, where designers have to make the packaging childproof. But it’s a dilemma that many are tackling, with some very innovative results.

Tackling openability for the elderly is worth serious money for brands. Last year, people over 65 spent more than £100bn on products and, as Age UK’s Gettinby notes, they have a lot of spending power. But figures from the charity suggest they also have a lot of frustrations.

Nearly half of over-65s struggle to take lids or caps off products, such as plastic milk bottles or jars. The UK survey found that 48% put this down to the packaging while 54% had difficulty reading the instructions on food products because the print is too small. These figures should serve as another warning sign to the packaging industry that more can still be done.

“We have an ageing population,” says Stephen Wilkins, secretary for the Child Safe Packaging Group. “Our capabilities diminish as we get older. This includes loss of sight but also fingertip strength and fingertip friction.”

Legislation

Wilkins is an authority on the subject of openability who tests packs on a range of generations. For children, packaging is the last line of defence to prevent them from getting into products that could cause harm. Legislation means that packs have to adhere to the ISO 8317 child resistant standard. For a pack to pass, 200 children aged between 42 to 51 months are given the product and, in two periods of five minutes, are challenged to open it. If 80% fail to open the pack then it’s passed.

For adults, a new European technical specification has just been launched. The document gives guidance on how to evaluate whether a particular design of packaging can be considered easy to open by the large majority of consumers, including the elderly (see box).

The specification is voluntary but Wilkins believes that it will have benefits not only for consumers to be able to open packs more easily, but also for both manufacturers and brands. “It will be adopted by those who want to show their corporate social responsibility or gain a competitive advantage,” he adds.

According to Tetra Pak UK and Ireland portfolio manager Mike Jarvis, there are very few European guidelines relating to packaging openability. It’s partly due to the number of different formats with so many different shapes and sizes having to fulfil a raft of requirements in their own category.

“Package functionality continues to be driven by consumer preference,” he says. “This is something brand owners are particularly aware of when prioritising their packaging needs in order to drive their overall competitiveness in the market.”

Tetra Pak also does its homework on testing the market. Jarvis explains that time is devoted to understanding the physical consumer needs. “From a wider functionality perspective, any new package or closure is subject to thorough market research to assess the level of consumer preference versus what is currently on the market,” he says. “This is done at product concept stage and prior to any market launch.”

RPC Halstead, part of the multinational plastic packaging firm RPC Group, also puts its products through its paces and has linked up with Wilkins on many occasions to ensure that the closures division meets its relevant targets for consumers of various ages. Phil Goodwins, sales and marketing director at the site, says it’s an independent way to ensure that the products come up to scratch. If a pack fails then it’s back to the drawing board although this doesn’t necessarily mean a major revamp. “Depending on the product, there are dimension changes we can make quite quickly,” he adds.

Simon Wildash, head of marketing at tear tape manufacturer Payne, believes that a pack with good openability can only help a brand. In some cases an easy to open mechanism is a marketing opportunity. “You can physically put a message there with more brand information, product extensions or carrying promotions,” he says. “For example, we printed a variable code on one, driving consumers to a website.”

Wildash spoke at the Age UK seminar, highlighting areas where the sector has made improvements. He points out that while this issue affects consumers of all ages, making packs more “senior friendly” is pressing considering this is an ageing nation.

“They need to be able to access the pack and, if so, this can provide more goodwill towards the brand,” he adds. One example he cites is food brand owner United Biscuits. The brand wanted to improve accessibility to its Cheddar brand and a horseshoe tape product was designed.

Payne is one of several packaging manufacturers striving to make improvements through innovations. RPC Halstead has just unveiled its ‘Big Tab’ closure, targeting products such as sauce or milk bottles. Traditionally the product is protected by a foil seal incorporating a tri-tab design to allow consumers to peel off the seal. The problem, according to RPC Halstead, is that consumers require some dexterity to remove it – something older generations often don’t have.

The Big Tab (pictured left) does away with the tri-tab approach and incorporates a large appendage to the foil, which is tucked under the cap during assembly. RPC Halstead’s Goodwins believes that this approach will pay dividends. “It does incorporate a bit more foil but it gives great benefits to the consumer,” he says. “It’s an evolution of other formats.”

But designers and manufacturers are spinning plates to keep the environmental lobby happy, through lightweighting, ensuring that the packaging protects the products and making sure it’s easy to open. “The industry walks a tightrope,” admits Payne’s Wildash.

RPC Halstead’s Goodwins notes that sometimes the “belt and braces” approach is best and the design needs to protect the product as much as possible. That has to be balanced though.

“You have to reduce the risk that someone might actually take a knife to open the product and may damage that product or injure themselves,” adds Wildash.

There is a need to make sure that packaging is accessible for adults of all ages. And if the industry can get it right for the elderly, then many others will benefit.

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The new technical specification explained

Published by BSI British Standards last month, DD CEN TS 15945 Packaging – Ease of opening – Criteria and test methods for evaluating consumer packaging, is the first specification on openability to originate in Europe. For the first time, it enables non-specialist packaging to be subjected to standardised panel testing to find out just how easy it is to open.

TS 15945 is a draft development technical specification, not a standard. This means that during its finite life of three years it may be used, tested and validated after which it will either lapse or be re-published as a European Standard.

In the face of our ageing population, standards writers have for some years been conscious of the requirement for packaging to combine its task of protection of its contents with the ability to be opened easily by elderly people. Now all packaging may be tested by panels of adults aged 65-80 evenly spread and 70% female. This is designed to replicate the population as a whole and those most likely to be dealing with consumer packaging.

The specification sets out a three part test: effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction. First, panel members are asked to open the pack and are given five minutes to do so – that’s the effectiveness test. In the efficiency test they must open the pack in one minute. Finally, they indicate their level of satisfaction with the pack by reference to a ‘smiley face’ scale.

There is no ‘pass or fail’ as the specification is a continuous improvement tool. Similarly the panel size is variable from 20 to 100 members. This will enable users, from manufacturers and retailers to charities, to try the specification economically and with the minimum of fuss.

Finally, the specification is voluntary and users will adopt it through good corporate social responsibility or to gain competitive advantage. They will not be forced to do so by regulations.