The conversation was like a pleasant drive on a country road - it meandered here, stopped there and circled around. It was a most welcomed break to my day.

Anyway, one of our topics of discussion was zip-lock bags. Just press and seal, so they say.

Have you ever noticed how much over-packaging occurs? A bigger box containing a smaller box or bottle. Or a the small item that is stuck to a big piece of cardboard extolling the virtues of the item you are going to buy anyway. Shrink-wrapped products that would be the envy of those Egyptian mummifiers? Yes, I know that this is all to gain that valuable shelf-space, but surely the environment should have a say in this.

Back to my point. It seems to me that the one area where they could add a little more plastic is just above the zip-lock seal on the package. Have you noticed that this "handy" zip-lock is often anything but handy? By the time you cut off the sealed end, there's not much left between the zip and the end of the bag. Try grabbing that when you want to open it and your hands are swollen/weak/sore or all three. Don't tell my dentist, but I've had to use my teeth to grip the bag in order to open it.

But the trouble doesn't end there - when it's time to seal up the bag, good luck getting the male part into the female part - hey, they use that term in plumbing, so why not here. Then, if you've managed that, you need to squeeze it shut.

Yes, there is a way around this. Empty the contents into the some other bag or container. However, why do people who are already struggling to get through their day, have to do one more task? Just add more plastic between the zip and the top of the bag and make the zipper a little easier to use.

Manufacturers, take note! Please.

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