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Consumer Watch - 196

Packaging is getting bigger and bigger

I find myself taking huge quantities of paper goods and plastic containers from foodstuffs and other items every second or third day to be thrown out in the municipal containers. Unfortunately, plastic, paper and carton packaging nowadays seems to be getting bigger regardless of the size of the contents therein. I think the best example of this is morning cereals, such as cornflakes.

I also include all the transparent plastic bags that are being used for the fruit and vegetables and I do not throw them in with the general rubbish. I think the local authorities and the government should give more time and information to the public on this subject.

Trusting the well-known companies

I rang Bezeq Information recently to ask for a couple of phone numbers. One of them was the IDC College in Herzliya. I gave them also the full name of the college The Raphael Recanati International School and guess what, no number with Bezeq under either name. BUT when I rang ESRA's Herzliya office of course I got the phone number!

High anxiety over 38-floor building

I read in the newspaper that a new senior citizen residential building is planned somewhere between Ramat Gan and Givataim. What has made me wonder is that it is intended to be 38 floors high including all facilities. My first thought, after the Grenville fire catastrophe in the UK, was to wonder how well our own Fire Brigade's facilities are able to deal with such a high building where its inhabitants are all senior citizens.

Keep taking the tablets – but they look different

I have a problem when instead of the original medicine prescribed, I am given one of the generic medicines which have not only a different name but often a different shape and also a different color from the original medicine. If you have to prepare something like a week's quantity in a box with divisions for every day, then my suggestion is that you first make a list giving the current name, (and the previous name if necessary) color, size, shape and anything written on the tablet. Also if necessary divide the list between morning and evening.

On the same subject of pharmaceuticals, do you ever read the small print written on the box of a medicine, whether it be drops, cream or something to be swallowed? I notice lately that these last dates of usage seem to be getting shorter and shorter in time. I use drops for my nose at night and up till now one container lasted me almost a year. I now noticed that on the new package is written "Usage 3 months after date of opening"! So please take note, there appears to be changes even with medicines.

Off the record, I have been told by two different people in the medical world that a particular medicine which I had asked about had, despite what was written on the box, no expiry date.

If you have any consumer topics you'd like to share with us, send them to: Naomi Ariel,

ConsumerWatch, ESRA, PO Box 3132, Herzliya 4613002 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

with 'Consumer story' on the subject line. Please do not send lists from the Internet 

 

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Thursday, 28 March 2024

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