Festive packaging woes result in accidents for thousands and thousands within the UK

A new study has found that almost half of Brits have used scissors or knives to help them open packaging – with minor cuts, scratches and bruises some of the injuries sustained

An estimated 12 million adults have suffered injuries during the festive season due to challenging packaging. According to the study of 2,000 adults 47% have resorted to using scissors or knives out of desperation to get into packaging, resulting in self-inflicted injuries.

Minor cuts, scratches and bruises were among the most common injuries reported – over a quarter of those who had issues ended up in A&E.

Lydia Butler, a packaging specialist from DS Smith, which commissioned the study, commented: “Christmas is a time for joy, not frustration, nobody wants to spend Christmas wrestling with tricky packaging and possibly injuring themselves in the process.”

The poll found that three-quarters of adults get frustrated when opening packaging, highlighting how it spoils their festive mood. As a result, 10% avoid purchasing certain products as gifts because they know the packaging will be too difficult to open.

Pippa Stacey, an award-winning writer with a chronic illness affecting her movements, shared: “I enjoy Christmas time, but too often when online shopping, parcels arrive that are hard or sometimes even impossible for me to open.”

“It’s exasperating when I know from my own business that it doesn’t have to be this way. I want to see more firms utilising the existing solutions to make packaging accessible for all.”

READ MORE: Royal Mail warning as Brits have hours left for final second class post date before Christmas loomsREAD MORE: ‘Impossible’ Christmas brainteaser challenges you to spot Rudolph among the puddings

Nine out of ten believe packaging should be easy to open, especially for those with dexterity issues, according to figures from OnePoll.com.

Nearly half occasionally experience hand weakness or pain due to arthritis, an injury, or carpal tunnel syndrome. And out of these, 30% say they regularly require help to open packaging.

Of those who have damaged items while attempting to open them at Christmas, 34% were subsequently unable to present the product as a gift.

However, 14% of those who have had difficulty opening packaging have simply returned an item after purchasing it because they couldn’t access it.

Almost a third (32%) find the overuse of packaging especially annoying during the festive season.

A spokesperson for packaging company DS Smith commented: “For individuals with limited hand mobility, hard-to-open packaging can pose a significant obstacle to independence – these struggles are often ignored but are very real.”

“We believe more can be done to adopt an inclusive approach to packaging design. Packaging needs to be suitable for everyone regardless of age, health condition, or ability level.”

READ MORE: Aldi to open 30 new UK stores in 2025 as part of major £650m expansion plans