So my last post got me to thinking about Tupperware®. I love Tupperware® and have many pieces I bought years ago from a party I had. I even have a couple of very old pieces from my grandmas, back from the late 1940s and 1950s. After World War II, Earl Tupper modified his factory machines to mold raw polyethylene (developed for weapons use) into food containers – using a paint can as inspiration for the tight-fitting lids. Originally, Tupperware® was made in the Massachusetts’ plastics industrial complex.
I emailed them last week, using the “Contact Us” link on their website, inquiring about where their products are manufactured. Several emails went back and forth, and I must admit they were very prompt with their responses. I was told that Tupperware® products are made all over the world – Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Portugal, France, Belgium, Greece, India, China, Korea, Japan and United States.
I was assured of their continued history of high quality and design and “all Tupperware® products meet all applicable laws and regulations for product safety in each country they are made.” I’m not sure what that means exactly. Do they mean that all countries manufacture products that meet all U.S. laws and regulations regarding health safety, or are they different in different countries? Pretty sure it was stated that way on their website, too.
Though their home office is in Orlando, Florida, their Customer Care Center is located in Mexico City. You know I asked, and I asked because I could tell from the way the email was composed. Again – that shit just pisses me off, though they were – again – prompt and most informative and polite. But their English writing skills weren’t great. Kind of scares me when big corporations don’t find good clear concise written communication important.
A Google search turned up a WP blog that stated “the Tupperware® factory in the United States is located in Hemmingway, South Carolina.” Debra Todd Jordan, a Tupperware® consultant, went on to say, “Each plant makes the items that are indigenous to their region.” So, if that’s correct, I can get on board with that – if nothing else saves on shipping and props up the economies using the products. Unfortunately, how those corporate taxes are handled I probably would not agree with.
Anyway, since I didn’t have my fingers in enough pies this week, I had to research this 😉 I am a glutton for punishment lately. Just thought I’d share what I found out. I haven’t bought any lately, but read in my research that now they are not marked with where they are made, just the Tupperware® mark. Where our medicines come from is next on my agenda – after . . .
Still working NaNoWriMo . . . still behind, but continuing to work it. I may not meet my goal, but damn it, I will be further along in this story than I have been. I posted a couple of snippets from the novel on my other blog, in the event you are interested in this type of reading. It is very different from this blog – that’s why I have more than one, my interests are varied, random, eclectic for sure. My novel is fiction, with a little romance thrown in, more a story of life and how it plays out sometimes. There’s a lot of dialog. If you check it out, please leave me some feedback. I value and respect all of your opinions as writers in general. Having said that – don’t make me cry now 😉
All of a sudden I have a bunch of people wanting apple butter and this week blackberries are on sale for 88-cents a six-ounce container, so I have a few orders I have to fill this week. Doesn’t make much money, but brings in a little cash and I enjoy doing it. (Though my hands aren’t as good as they used to be and when you make this shit – if you’re doing it right, you’re gonna get burned LOL – seriously! Looking forward to that blackberry jam, though!!)
Listening to this right now – I find this to be good writing music sometimes, depending on my mood . . . plus it’s raining and the wind’s kicking, and the windchimes are singing – n~i~c~e.
Also, trying to keep up with y’all, slowly but surely 😉 I’m definitely becoming a binge reader, seemly stalking sites 🙂
Just some things I was thinking about ☮☮☮
[POSTSCRIPT – OH NO, the video I linked to has been removed . . . that’s never happened to me before. I hope I didnt just get added to some LIST somewhere, ya know what I mean 😉 I’m going to look for another link, but in case I don’t find one, the music was the soundtrack to the movie “Rush” from 1992, mostly instrumentals by Eric Clapton. Soulful, contemplative music for sure!]
Just something I was thinking about . . . 
This was very interesting Sadie, by the way I think I put that idea on your head….
Really? They where already around by the 1940´s and I thought they were modern. This was actually a very interesting post about those ugly but useful tupperware´s.
Now, I´ll be checking on the “snipets” of nanowrimo,what an ugly acronym by the way, sounds like a kid´s toy. Hope the guy gets with the girl. Don´t make me suffer come on…….. (: I think I just posted a sad yellow freaky face……
Nice post.
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Thanks Charly! You did inspire me to do some research when you mentioned Tupperware in one of your comments 🙂 I posted 4 parts of my fiction story on the other blog . . . no where near finished , but way further than I was to begin with. The story is no longer mostly in my head 😉 Read it when you get a chance & give me some more feedback!
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I´ll read it when I can, it is quite hectic right now….to say the least.
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Cool Post Sadie. My next question is … what will you do withe the Tupperware info once you get it? How will it change your buying patterns? It’s pretty obvious that tupperware is hiding something – likely outsoucing production to 3rd world countries – in order to appear more politically correct (their vagueness in the production info is indicative of an attempt to hide something) – no major company that can afford to hire top quality communicators, would have info that vague unless it was deliberate. Now if it was a Mom and Pop website that drove the selling of homemade pies, i would likely say the vagueness was accidental. Not so for Tupperware.
Well said, as usual Sadie.
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Thanks Paul! It was so well made, I haven’t had to buy any for a couple decades. Not sure what I would do if I needed to replace any. I can tell you that before I buy 95+% of things I buy, I look at where they are made. I have passed up many items I really wanted BUT didn’t need due to being made elsewhere. Had those items been made here, I would’ve purchased them & even paid a little more.
They probably are hiding something – seems like all the big corporations do (notice I didn’t make an actual generalization there 😉 – how incredibly sad. And exactly why I will never be a rich woman (financially that is)! Like most, I tell a little white lie now & again when it seems the most appropriate – but on the whole, I am more honest than I should be. Hate lying and disingenuousness . . .
Looking forward to your next post!
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I thought it was interesting that the Tupperware consultant wrote back and said that Tupperware “makes the items that are indigenous to their region.” Interesting use of the word “indigenous,” which means “originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native.” So the Tupperware plants make items that are native to their regions? That originate in their regions? I didn’t know that Tupperware was native to any particular region of the globe.
Good luck with your NaNoWriMo novel and with your apple butter.
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Yeah, I thought it was interesting, too. I wasn’t trying to knock Tupperware either – I truly love the products I have of theirs. I just want the companies I do business with (and those I don’t) to be honest about what they are doing, treat their workforce as “capital” only in the sense that they matter as human beings and the reason the company is able to perform/produce/profit/whatever, that they are good neighbors and stewards of the community (I have a pretty personal blog post in my head for that one), and that they carry their own weight like the rest of us eliminating many if not all of the special tax breaks & incentives that just make the corporate execs richer – or revamping the current system considerably.That’s all . . .
Shit I don’t ask for much, huh 😉
NaNoWriMo, though I didn’t meet my 50,000 words, was successful in my opinion – great exercise which resulted in a lot of good stuff – I think, though the jury may still be out on that one. But I had fun just the same & enjoyed the challenge!
The apple butter side gig has been doing pretty well considering until this year I always made it & just gave it away. Had never thought about selling it. I’ve had requests and made raspberry jam and blackberry jam. I keep getting requests for my fig strawberry preserves – but my fig tree is now bare limbs until spring and strawberries aren’t in season 🙂 I only make what’s on sale, otherwise not really worth my time and way too cost-prohibitive.
Once my husband or I (hopefully both!) get back to work, maybe I’ll have to think up some sort of a contest on here with the winners getting an apple butter. What do you think??? My husband is a phenomenal artist and I write fairly well, but we keep laughing that maybe our avenue to financial independence is this damn apple butter and jam – like in “Baby Boom” LOL!!!
Thanks for the well wishes encouragement!
[WOW – didn’t mean that to be sooo long . . . take that as a compliment Doobs ❤ ]
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Sure the Tupperware® spokespeople and literature seems purposefully slippery to me, Sadie. They’re wording things ambiguously, hoping that consumers give them the benefit of the slope. But I think every hill tilts in the direction of more money in their till. My assumptions are that the products are made under the laws of the country of manufacture, not the U.S. as some sort of umbrella, and that they choose to make the containers and lids in the factories where the bottom line will be cheapest, always. That’s their definition of indigenous, most likely. Plastic doesn’t grow on trees, last I looked. Great post. Good luck on the pharmaceutical world investigation.
I am going to check out your fiction blog, my serial blog reading friend. I tend to go the same route. 🙂
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Thanks Mark – so honored you checked out my NaNoWriMo stuff and gave me feedback!! Very appreciated ❤ I know it's not for everyone & though my husband reads my other blog, actually follows it now, I don't really share the other one with him.He's not too much into my poems and romance, though he is incredibly encouraging and believes I can write a good novel, be it romance, comedy, or non-fiction. SO any male perspective is much needed – I have plenty of girlfriends, not counting my blog buds that give me female perspective on the story. Male perspective is fresh ☮
I am fixing to start my research on the pharmaceutical manufacturing – as soon as I am no longer taking them for this bronchitis, ear infection and sore throat – yeah got the crud ;-(
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Ah, yes, do not investigate until after they have rid you of the cred, Sadie. Good idea, that.
And regarding your novel blog, I find your characters so vivid and real. I am glad to provide you the male perspective on the storytelling you otherwise lack. markbialczak@gmail.com is my email. Feel free to send me chapters or pages. I’d read and pass judgment honestly. 🙂
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Thanks so much Mark – for the read, the encouragement, the constructive criticism and the male perspective! It is much appreciated 🙂 I will definitely do that. I’ll try and send a few more pages in the next day or so.
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Reblogged this on IdealisticRebel's Daily View of Favorites.
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Thanks so much for the reblog, Barbara!! Much appreciated ☮
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Oh,… apple butter! My mom used to make it when I was a kid. Used apples from the tree in our backyard. Haven’t had it since, but it sure brings back memories!
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Hi WS! I told Doobster above that . . .
“Once my husband or I (hopefully both!) get back to work, maybe I’ll have to think up some sort of a contest on here with the winners getting an apple butter. What do you think???”
My grandma taught me how to make it, & I tweaked her recipe just a tad, to make it even better ❤
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I thought I left a comment earlier.
I remember Tupperware parties, didnt know the stuff was still around. Bet if they are an international company, they don’t pay any U.S. taxes. Heck, even if they were a U.S. company, they would get complete tax breaks.
Your apple butter and berry jam sounds delicious, I’m sure you could sell all that can make. !
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Hi DSS! Missing your posts, really planning on catching up by the end of the weekend 🙂 I mentioned to Doobs & WS above, maybe once we get back to work around here, I’ll have some contest where I give some of it away. What do you think?? It costs a lot to ship because it’s so heavy. I made 6 8-oz jars of raspberry jam for a family member who was using it as filling in the wedding cakes she made and sold and it costs $30 to mail it one state away . . . ridiculous!
I have sold about $600 worth in the last month and a half maybe – not bad since I need Christmas money for my grandbabies ❤
[And they are delicious, if I might say so myself 🙂 )
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That sounds like a grand idea, a jam contest! 😀 You must have your own rashberry bushes. You and Your grandbabies have a delicious Xmas! 🙂
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No – I just look for good produce on sale 🙂 I wish I did have raspberry bushes – because I have been getting a lot of requests for that – could make me a little money for sure!!
And thanks, John – I know we will – it’s a given with grandbabies!! You and your family, too!!
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well decades ago – I had the orange lunch box from Tupperware – with the wrap around handles – and we still have a few of the tumblers we received as wedding gifts – and now I am not sure how good the modern Tupperware is – but I know back in the day they were such a good quality (even though who knows how the plastic formulas have changed over the years) – and well I found it interesting to read your research – and interesting to type this while enjoying a bit of the music you provided (smoooooooth) –
have a great day and later I am going to pop on over to your other blog – 🙂
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Hi Yvette! I know – in the old days, unless you lost it or melted it, the stuff lasted forever! Really glad you enjoyed the music, too! One of my favorites. If you get time, I would love for you to hop on over to W&D and give me some feedback – please 🙂 They look long, but hopefully read quick . . .
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