Do those words sound familiar to you? If not, those are directions on opening cartons, or more specifically milk and juice cartons. Most people know how to open cartons, so these words go unnoticed by most of the people. It is seen so often that it has become so commonplace that it is easy to ignore. It would be reading directions on how to do something that you've already dozens of times. Yet, what about those that don't know how to open a milk carton (such as children)? They learn by watching others, not by reading the directions.
The predecessor to the carton was glass. The carton replaced glass for several reasons, one major one being that cartons allow the contents to stay fresher for a longer period of time by allowing oxygen into the container while keeping light out. I'm sure other reasons were weight, cost of glass versus paper and, of course, durability.
These screw-on containers have been gaining in popularity in the past few years. I don't need any statistical survey to tell me this, just a look at the shelves at your supermarket, one can easily deduce this. The concept is that they keep the contents fresher since it is able to keep the closing tighter. I'm sure they have other benefits too, such that it would be more difficult to spill, and easier to open/close. Though these are growing in popularity, I don't like them as much as the original cartons.
Opening/closing cartons take less time than its screw-on counterparts. I know it's only a matter of a second, but it's still annoying. Additionally, the old cartons, it was easy getting every last drop out of the carton. Now, with this screw-on, it is much more difficult to get every last drop. Despite the picture depicted, I prefer "Lots of Pulp" orange Juice. Pulp builds up around the screw-on opening. Other than sticking my finger in it to get the pulp out (which I don't do), it's just pulp that will be lost. Lastly, when disposing these containers, the screw-on containers are much more difficult to flatten. Unlike the oldfashioned cartons, the screw-on have a small reinforced plastic sheet on the top of the carton, which makes it very difficult flatten. Another minus for these screw-ons.
All that bashing about the screw-on tops! My comments on the pros? Sure, they keep the contents fresher, but I usually consume them so fast, it would have been fresh no matter what anyways. As for the ease of opening it? Bah, anyone that can't open a normal carton must be weak. Perhaps the only exceptions are really small hands and maybe those with troubles with their hands (such as arthritis).
Though unrelated with cartons, this juice packaging quirk must be addressed. Other than its neat and shiny appearance, there is nothing "liquid cool" about this drink and packaging. How often has someone tried to insert a straw into this, and the straw pierces not only the "insert straw hole" but also the back of the packaging, thus creating a leak. That aside, it doesn't seem like it can hold that much liquid in it anyway. One gets a few sips out of it, and it's already gone.
CapriSun is usually marketed as the "cool" drink to elementary students, as this is often in school lunches. Its packaging is certainly different compared to the common juice box, and the metallic luster is always appealing. To push this "coolness" even further, the packaging usually depicts a tropical setting, often with a athlete in the background, such as surfing. The drink itself is nothing spetacular, but I suppose if I could get a small (and I mean very small) taste of the beach during recess, I would take it.
