Pump packs are the work of the devil. Not only are they a waste of metal and plastic, when it’s finished there’s always a load of product at the bottom that gets chucked out along with the bottle ‘coz it’s just too much hassle to try and tap it through the (often skinny) bottleneck. Don’t you hate that spluttering noise when the stuff runs out, the deliberately* short straw is no longer immersed in liquid, and it’s just sucking up air like some kind of demented fish gasping for breath?
The companies that make these products flog “refill packs” supposedly to address the problem of packaging waste, but of course all they’re doing is selling more product. Another bugbear of mine is when they make the bottles out of opaque plastic so that you can’t even see how much is is left (and how much is going to waste!)
Pump packs are also entirely useless in showers, where there is rarely a solid surface at a decent height to allow you to apply the pressure needed to operate the pump. The amount that you get is also entirely determined by the pumping mechanism’s ability (or lack of ability). Hands particularly dirty and you need a lot of soap? Sorry mate, keep pumping.
Gargh! Do you see why I’m annoyed by pump packs?
I reckon that for liquids of sufficient viscosity – which is pretty much everything that’s currently available in pump packs – soaps, gels, etc. – the “upside down” bottles, or the ones with the flip-top lids (like the picture on the left) should be standard.
For those of you out there that like pump packs, please help me to understand why…
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* Well, I can’t prove anything really, but take a look at your nearest pump pack and see if it gets anywhere near to touching the bottom…
I’m a pump pack fan b/c of its sheer convenience. With flip-tops or upside-down bottles, you have to actually pick up the bottle and fiddle with the lid to get anything out. With pumps, turn on the tap, one pump and presto – you’re halfway to clean hands. With regular soap bars, you get soap scum on the basin plus the water-softened soap underside which I hate.
I have no problem refilling the pump bottles either – it’s very straightforward and not at all difficult. If you like the convenience but are bothered by the short straw, just buy a decent pump bottle at any homeware store where the straw goes all the way down to the bottom. It’s possible – I’m sure I’ve seen them around.
To counter your pump-packaging rage, check out this clever packaging contraption (in-built instant ramen strainer): http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://images.pingmag.jp/images/title/thoughtful-design.jpg&imgrefurl=http://pingmag.jp/2008/09/25/thoughtful-design/&usg=__KmjonI0LQbJHPbOtHuwsr3UsyfU=&h=346&w=470&sz=185&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=bjZ1y2V89UyKzM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dconvenient%2Bpackaging%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26tbs%3Disch:1
LOL – the things the Japanese do for ramen (see: http://timeto.getenjoyment.net/time/ramen-fan/)
OK, I’ll concede one-handed operation, but still stand by the upside-down requirement, like what they have stuck on the wall in public bathrooms.
I love pump packs, but I prefer the foaming pump packs. They’re the ones where you pump once and foamy stuff comes out instead of the thick liquid inside. I bought a few foamy pumper hand washes from Aldi and they’re brilliant! And because they are very watery, you don’t get the sludgy stuff left at the bottom. To refill is simple. Buy a refill bottle of whatever you like, put in one teaspoon in the foamy pumper, fill the rest with water, give it a good shake and bingo! More foamy goodness that does the job with huge economical savings because one 750 ml refill will probably last you at least a year. I do that with shampoos and any other soapy, detergenty type item as well. So no more throwing away bottles with stuff left in the bottom. You could also cut the bottles open when they’re “finished” and scoop any leftovers into the foamy pumper too. I wish we had stores like they do overseas where you can buy stuff in bulk and bring your own containers. That would be amazing.