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Packaging

CHOICE takes you through the packaging tricks of the trade that manufacturers use to, well, trick you.

Are you going crazy, or did the size of your favourite chocolate bar just shrink? Maybe it's the sheer amount of packaging driving you mad? CHOICE covers all things packaging – from supermarket brands copying the look of well-known brands to the phenomenon known as "wrap rage" – so you'll know exactly when you're being stitched up.

Meet the packaging team

Articles

Buying in bulk and obesity Health experts warn that supersized bargains are supersizing our waistlines.

Breaking down plastic Biodegradable plastics sound like an ideal waste solution, but their environmental benefits may depend on where you live.

Australia Post to recycle plastic mail satchels 25 February 2016 | Australia Post announces recycling program - should more companies be taking responsibility for waste?

Wrap rage Sturdy packaging might protect your goods, but what happens when you can't even open it?

Food packaging tricks Big boxes and generous packets can often mask the shrinking size of products such as chips, muesli bars, vitamins and chocolate.

Excess packaging and online shopping When convenience costs the earth.

Five things you didn't know you could recycle From coffee pods to aerosol cans, there are more options than even when it comes to recycling.

Christmas recycling hacks Here's where to send all that festive frippery after Santa and the relatives have gone.

Woolies mix-up leads to kids accidentally eating dog food What happens when you see Scooby-Doo dog treats next to Tiny Teddies and Arnott's Shapes?

How to recycle plastic bags and wrappers They can't go in your regular recycling bin, so how can you prevent flexible plastics from ending up in landfill?

Five plastics you can ditch today With a struggling recycling market in Australia, these are the common, single-use plastic items you can ditch today.

Shrinking pack sizes 8 Jul 2015 | Food manufacturers like Smith's and Cadbury are offering less without reducing the price.

How to use quantity statements on packaging to save money 20 January 2015 | Quantity statements on the front of food packaging help consumers compare value for money.

Show 9 more articles

News

Aldi left red-faced by repackaged Coles deodorant 18 Jan 2017 | Removes product from store shelves

The packaging team

Yes, our packaging experts are the kind of people who study the wrappers of products on supermarket shelves. They may look a little obsessive, but that's because they take their responsibility to consumers seriously. They're also pretty great people – you could even say they're the whole package.