Small changes you would like manufactures to make

[SamBeckett]

I dont mean thing like less salt / sugar / fat in foods or a complete rethink of a design just little things that would make them better / easier to use.
For me it is ;
Cheese I wish it was produced in square blocks so that one or two slices would be enough to fill a round of bread instead of about eight narrow slices. Some supermarkets sell their own in larger blocks but they tend to be the size of a house brick and not strong enough taste for my liking .

Clam shell packing , just NO , stop using it its to bloody hard to open and we don't need more plastic in this world .

Resealable packing , not the zip-lock type but the ones that have sticky tags that are meant to keep to keep the pack closed - they just don't work , yes I know I can decant stuff into containers or buy them clippy things but they could also put more sticky stuff on the tag.

What would you like to see changed ?

Cadbury's: just change the fucking recipe back to what it used to be!

And Terry's chocolate orange.

@BuzzShitbagBobbly , more pots means more plastic , buy this instead,
www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/296360788?sc_cmp=ppcGHS+-+Grocery+-+Repeat+&+DSPX+%7C+Shopping+GSC+%7C+Actives+%26+DS+%7C+All+Products+%2B+Tesco+BrandR+%26+DS:+F%26D:+Fresh+Food:+Fresh+Food+-+DTSPRODUCT_GROUP296360788*&ds_rl=1116019&ds_rl=1116016&ds_rl=1116019&gclid=CjwKCAjwmtDpBRAQEiwAC6lm458T489No7hyXAcCrgjYeLaZENfJvhIXJtCe-0MC9BuGh7WPGTFBIBoC0CMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds .
And This
www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/258759778?sc_cmp=ppcGHS+-+Grocery+-+Repeat+&+DSPX+%7C+Shopping+GSC+%7C+Actives+%26+DS+%7C+Top+Offers+%2B+Tesco+BrandR+%26+DS:+F%26D:+Free+From:+Frozen+Food+-+Top+OffersPRODUCT_GROUP258759778*&ds_rl=1116016&ds_rl=1116016&gclid=CjwKCAjwmtDpBRAQEiwAC6lm4_PQLS81odWo-O9i0XMXag_j325CK8qurndseOVUtgLLiExKbUOaBBoCJTgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds.
Yes there is still plastic but it is a lot less and the yogurt tubs are great for storing left overs in .

Christ they are long links ! can manufactures figure how to make them shorter

No plastic in my shower gel balls - I envisage them like tiny gum sized jelly baby-esque balls, that dissolve into shower gel.

Ring pulls on all cans! Tin openers just don't last and trying to open tinned tuna is so messy.

This would be quite a big change but anyway...

In the Netherlands and lots of Europe, you can return glass bottles, cans and jars to a self-service machine in the supermarket, and it gives you money back (not much, like 5-15 cents per item).

What this means is that:

1. Everyone recycles - good for planet. It really works, sometimes you buy glass bottles of beer etc that have clearly been round a few times.
2. Kids love recycling because feeding things into the machine and getting money is fun - easy way to dole out pocket money and foster love of planet.
3. Homeless people pick up recyclable litter on the street, so they get some money, AND there is less litter about.

I can't believe it would be so hard to implement here.

Saw today that Iceland have several plastic free products and advertise them as such (so boxed cheesecake with no plastic wrap or tray)

Along with their palm oil free products they seem to be one of the few supermarkets listening and caring!

Extra buttons/ buttons closer together across the bust.

Jesus I hate the gaps!

I think they should be responsible for their own waste. Nappy manufactures should have to organise collection and compost them, it is possible but nobody wants to pay /organise
The true cost is not reflected in our goods. The external costs, ie disposal, is born by the tax payer. Costs should include disposal

A little niche but try to avoid wheat low down on the ingredients list. I mean when there is a meal with no wheat except a tiny bit in some soy sauce which is an ingredient in the meal. Gluten free soy sauce is only very marginally more expensive.

Vests, tops etc in smaller sizes should adjust the neck to make it higher. Loads of size 8 etc vest or sleeveless tops, or even normal tshirts, have really low-cut necklines that look ridiculous on petite ppl.

Dyson cordless vac - you need to hold the on button in while you use it. Awful design, there should be an actual switch like most other vacuums!

Rotary washing lines with a brake, so you can lock it as you peg out washing and then release it to rotate with the wind

The ones i had growing up in Australia (Hills Hoist) locked when wound down to the lowest point. You'd hang your washing then wind it up to a higher height where it can turn with the breeze

Paper bags for all loose produce. Atleast it can be recycled.

Some sort of solution for those little peelable seals on top of sauce bottles (ketchup etc). They are paper/foil and are a pain to peel off. Elderly relatives have problems with them. Also, pretty sure they can't be recycled.

Plants in those polystyrene packs e.g. 6 - 8 petunias ready to pop into pots. Should be in coconut husk packaging or something...

Tins of paint and those stupid metal rims where you have to prise it open with a screwdriver. Just gets all misshapen and difficult to reseal.

So many more...but these annoy me everytime I used them!

I hate the amount of packaging at supermarkets ....yes @soola how does that work logistically as would love to give it back, do you take your own to box to put the food into and a pair of scissors to cut it all out. I really would like your tips for this.

I agree with fresh produce being in paper bags like the old greengrocer style.

Why are mobile phone charging cables so flipping short?
Notebooks/ diaries rarely come with an elastic loop to keep a pen. So either you have the book but cant find a pen or have the pen but can't find the book.
Bath sealant that doesn't go black.
Baby dummies that have a tiny bit that glows in the dark so you can find it easily without having to turn the light on- would be a godsend.
Same for Lego bricks, that glows in the dark so you you can navigate your way across the minefield without turning the light on or maiming yourself when you stand on them.
Tv remote that shows how much life is left in the batteries.

Wrap tops or dresses that don't reveal your whole bra front

Foyles sell stick-in pen loops.

Oh god agree with so many of these!

Cadbury's: just change the fucking recipe back to what it used to be! oh my god yes! Murder trying to find decent tasting choc that doesn't cost a fortune these days!

Paper/card packaging for mushrooms - not only because of the green thing but because they don't bloody last in plastic! They sweat and go off far quicker than necessary (which actually adds to another green issue - food waste), I find the same with cheese sometimes too.

Stop with the RIDICULOUS dates on EVERYTHING - pickles, jams, marmalades and similar last for bloody ages they don't need dates on them at all really. The dates on many items are too cautious. I'd say we also need a public education campaign (funded by manufacturers - or maybe make them inc in their advertising?) on best before vs use by dates - caused no end of arguments in my house as dd is paranoid about food poisoning and as a typical teen won't listen to mum! Drives me bonkers when she throws perfectly good food out because it has today's date as a best before date (I do keep trying to get this through to her!)

Packaging generally - yes please to less plastic and more glass/paper/foil.

Yes yes to decent pockets on women's clothes AND hoods. I'm in Scotland in an area where it pretty much rains constantly, but it's also usually pretty windy so umbrellas are pointless. My 2nd winter here NONE of the local clothes shops had ANY coats with a usable hood - most had no hoods at all! The hoods there were was that awful "baggy" design too loose to stay up on anyone's head, my hands were so sore that year from being exposed to cold and wet trying to keep the damn hood up! The following year I went to the city (quite a trek) and spent hours tracking down a coat with a sensible hood!

PhDone - I've lived in the Netherlands and totally agree. It's actually only very recently certainly here in Scotland that getting money back for glass bottle returns stopped, why they stopped it I don't know, ridiculous. A few shops are starting to bring this back in, with the modern machines you are talking about but it's very slow going.

"Extra buttons/ buttons closer together across the bust.

Jesus I hate the gaps!" Actually I'd go a step further, clothes manufacturers should be designing women's buttoned clothing to allow for larger women to be bustier or even for petite women with large busts - include bust size on the info. I'm quite busty and the gap thing is infuriating.

@EmeraldIsle81 MAM used to do glow in the dark dummies, dont know if they still do. Our 5 year old had some, they were great!

Agree with all PPs re plastic packaging. Especially for veg, veg prefers to be in paper doesn't it? I find it goes off too quick if left in plastic packaging.

@EmeraldIsle81 MAM do glow in the dark dummies!

Sorry, crosspost with @KipperTheFrog - yes, they do still do them!

Less packaging. I don’t want the faff of dealing with it.

My nomination is for:

Smaller portions of grocery items available please!

It's only dd and I at home, I'm veggie and she isn't but because of pack sizes many products I have to buy more than I need and then throw away what can't be used when it goes off. I don't want to be only having tinned/packet stuff it's not healthy. And before people say "freeze it" sometimes that's not practical or possible or changes how a food tastes. Plus I only have a small freezer as tiny kitchen!

Eg

bread - we never use more than half a loaf a week. I tried freezing but dd likes to use for packed lunches which is tricky and I must admit I agree with her frozen bread toasted is fine but pretty rank just defrosted to eat.

Milk - can't always get 1 pint portions, we both like different milks and we neither of us can get through a 2 Pinter in a couple of days.

Fruit - many supermarkets seem to have stopped making it possible to buy small portions of certain fruits eg grapes and berries. Again dd and I don't like the same things and so no way we're going to get through eg a full lb of white grapes which only dd likes before they turn without it having a laxative effect!

I've discussed this with people in real life and those with small families like ours or who live alone have agreed. It's very hard to find portion sizes that suit our needs and it's getting harder!

Technically it's possible by eg getting small loaves from independent baker but that's often TWICE the price of a standard loaf from supermarket so as I'm also on a tight budget of course I'm going to buy the larger loaf, use what I need to and throw it out when it's going off!

"Why are mobile phone charging cables so flipping short?" You can get long ones I get mine on Amazon - they also have reinforced coverings at either end where they tend to wear.

"Baby dummies that have a tiny bit that glows in the dark so you can find it easily without having to turn the light on- would be a godsend." When dd was little I got glow in the dark dummies (whole dummy) from mothercare, don't know if they still do them?

https://www.mothercare.com/search/?q=Glowing+dummies

Seems they do! Loads on Amazon too, I also used dummy clips and "tagged" dds cot with the damn things so I could always find one. She didn't use them for long but when teething they were a godsend!

"Tv remote that shows how much life is left in the batteries." Genius idea!

Dd is past this stage but I'm sure those of you with school age children will cry "yes" - stop using bloody hundreds of wire "ties" and teeny thin elastic bands to package kids toys!! Drove me demented when dd was that stage. Fucking Mattel fuck off with basically tying barbie up like she's some kind of sick bondage/hostage! So damn fiddly, can't recycle and fucked up many a Hoover if you drop one and can't bloody find it!

You can get glow in the dark dummies. They are good. Ds has them briefly and one fell down the cot I was very confused a few months later when I saw something glowing.

I agree less plastic and more sustainable packaging. A shop near me has jusg started to sell washing up liquid etc where you can go and fill up a container so I'm excited about that!

I would also like manufacturers stopping gender division of toys and clothes. There does not need to be a pink garage and a yellow garage and a pink hoover and a blue hoover with accompanying boy/girl picture.