Packaging Etcetera Podcast
Podcast Description
The Packaging Etcetera Podcast is by and large a forum for discussing events and trends in the packaging industry. While packaging is the focus, Etcetera is a reference to an occasional wild card - maybe something serious and career focused, or something scientific or maybe even something fun and playful.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers around various themes related to packaging, including industry innovations such as the Fiber Revolution, career insights from experienced professionals, and personal journeys into packaging careers. Episode examples encompass discussions like Rethinking Packaging, featuring leaders in the field, and personal narratives reflecting on the unpredicted paths individuals have taken towards packaging engineering.
The Packaging Etcetera Podcast is by and large a forum for discussing events and trends in the packaging industry. While packaging is the focus, Etcetera is a reference to an occasional wild card – maybe something serious and career focused, or something scientific or maybe even something fun and playful.
What happens when someone refuses to accept ”that's how it's always been done” as an answer? Rocky Batzel's story proves that persistence against overwhelming skepticism can transform lives.
When Rocky's grandmother complained about struggling to open her prescription bottles, he noticed a problem hiding in plain sight: medication packaging hadn't meaningfully changed since 1974. Traditional child-resistant closures require two hands, significant strength, and dexterity – making them nearly impossible for millions of Americans to use independently. As an ex-medical student with no background in manufacturing or packaging, Rocky seemed unlikely to disrupt this established industry.
The solution Rocky developed – Snapslide – replaces twisting motions with an intuitive sliding mechanism that requires just one hand to operate. The cap never detaches, eliminating dropped or misplaced caps while providing an audible ”snap” that confirms secure closure. By removing threads entirely, the design reduces plastic usage by 27% while maintaining full child-resistance.
Rocky's journey exemplifies the realities of innovation: multiple iterations, consumer testing with different populations, and unexpected setbacks (including a factory fire that destroyed his first $50,000 mold). Rather than giving up, he refined his design to accommodate industry constraints – where pennies matter more than dollars, and change is resisted unless absolutely necessary.
At disability expos, users frequently describe Snapslide as ”life-changing,” restoring independence to people who previously required assistance for the simple act of accessing medication. This human impact earned Snapslide recognition from the Plastics Industry Association with their Sustainability Award – the first for a non-publicly traded company in five years.
Subscribe to hear more stories about packaging innovations that solve real human problems and the perseverance required to bring them to market in an industry resistant to change.
Disclaimer
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