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Published: December 26th 2013
We first noticed this phenomenon when a baked good we had ordered to go from Tibet Quality Bakery in Dharamshala was handed to us in a wrapper labeled Crystal Light. We wondered if this was some sort of advertising - perhaps Crystal Light, a low-calorie powder added to water to give it a fruity flavor, passed out free food packaging to shops, and advertised through their name on the packaging.
We saw this same packaging at various shops throughout the town. When we inspected it further, we saw that the packaging was printed so that it was set up for individual packets, to be cut from the larger sheet, the edges fused shut, and filled with the powder.
It was given to shops in larger sheets. Tibet Bakery gave us our brownies and nut bars in a piece of one of these sheets folded over and stapled together.
When we left Dharamshala, we began to see these wrapper sheets from other companies as well. One sheet we got in Shimla had printing for individual packets of Taco Bell green chilly sauce, each packet with its own pithy saying. They were actually pretty funny, especially right there all together
on a single sheet.
We saw an outdoor shop with one of these sheets on its front counter instead of a plastic tablecloth. This sheet had dozens of individual uncut Clif Bar wrappers. Walking down the street in Rishikesh, the shop appeared more than anything to be a Clif Bar advertisement - which is rather fitting, considering Rishikesh's access to outdoor sports like trekking, rafting and bungee jumping.
So our mystery for this week - why do these wrapper sheets exist? Are they reused leftovers from the factory? Innovative advertising in a major emerging market? Or something else altogether?
In Tanzania the most common wrapping material was old newspaper, which I've also seen in India. But why do these wrappers seem more prevalent? And where do they come from?
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
WHO'D HAVE THOUGHT
Such a spiritual place...home of the Dalai Lama...man of wisdom...man of mystery. Then two travellers unearth another mystery...sort of mystery that seems a tad unusual for such a place...food wrappers!!! Enlighten me please!!!