Product Focus: New bulk Rit containers
So, Rit dye.
You'll find a lot of differing opinions on Rit and other union dyestuffs in the theatre industry--some folks love them, others hate them, and everything in between. Whether you are positively or negatively inclined toward such dyes, the fact is, in many theatre dyeshops across the country, you find a stock of Rit and/or Dylon and/or Tinfix, and you need to be familiar with using them to the best of their abilities because it might be all you've got in a pinch. As such, we stock the whole Rit range and the first thing we discuss in my dye class is union dyes.
In addition to the small packets of powder and bottles of concentrate that you can buy in grocery stores and fabric shops, Rit sells larger quantities to industry through their Professional Line in 1-lb. and 5-lb. jars of powder, and 5-gallon pails of liquid concentrate. My aim here isn't to discuss the merits and faults of union dyes; it's to solicit opinions on Rit's new packaging of their industrial powder dyes from those who use them. I don't use this blog as a platform for rants or whining, so please don't infer that tone or subtext from this post; I'll cop to being personally dissatisfied with the new packaging, but what i really want to hear is how others feel about it. Is it just me? Is there some advantage to the new packaging that's escaping me? Is there some justification for the change i don't know about? Etc.
Let's look at the range of Rit powder packaging and compare.
If you stock the Rit line in your shop (or have worked in one that does) you'll find these containers familiar:
The short, stocky container on the right was Rit's packaging on bulk powder for years and years. The last time I restocked my inventory, the slightly different cylindrical container on the left was what i received my dyes packaged in.
I was excited at this change in packaging because it made good sense--the old containers weren't easily stackable with their bases much wider than their lids, and it made it harder to scoop larger quantities with the narrower mouth. The cylinders were stackable and made dye extraction easier. Yay! Good job, Rit, with the improvement in packaging! As you can see, i have shelving set up to accomodate my Rit inventory, and i was looking forward to fitting more of the narrower, taller containers on each shelf as the old ones got used up and replaced with the new ones.
So, imagine my surprise and disappointment when my most recent order came and I opened a box to find these:
Pardon my deployment of a French acronym, but WTF is this?
Well, of course it's clear what it is. It's a jug, of the type that normally dispenses liquid laundry detergent.
It is not stackable, it is not easily stored in great quantity, and it certainly is NOT something you can scoop measured amounts out of at all. Pouring powdered dyestuff out of a jug is problematic for a number of reasons--increased agitation of the powder makes more of it airborne when you dispense it, it's difficult to control the quantity of powder dispensed, and you do more hefting of the container's weight than one you can scoop from in a sedentary position. This packaging now requires users to be more vigilant with the use of particulate respirators and scouring of their workspace, less able to easily achieve repeatable results, and more ergonomically challenged in the course of its use. Where's the upside?
In order for me to use these in anything like an efficient fashion, i will have to pour them out into my old containers, and keep careful track of the labeling (since OSHA frowns on transferring materials out of their original packaging into different containers, and a lot of proper-labeling rigamarole is involved when you do store things in alternate containers from those in which they're sold). Not cool.
I wrote to the company last week explaining the problem with these containers for my uses and asking about an explanation for the change in packaging, but have yet to receive any reply. I'm a bit surprised by that--we're not a big account by any stretch of the imagination, but having been on top of the Rit inventory for several different theatres in my career, i've always had prompt, good communication with the sales reps and customer service folk in the past.
One possible justification i thought of for their change to this type of packaging is if they are santized, repurposed, recycled packages that Rit is now using as part of some type of greening campaign. In which case, i applaud the effort but not the result, and am still not digging this jug action, nope, no way no-how.
So, tell me your thoughts! Do you like these jug bottles for bulk Rit? Are they advantageous to your dyeing methods? Or are you, like me, dismayed and already missing the old brown canisters?
At least for now the powder in 1-lb. containers is still the small cylinders, so if you don't buy in 5-lb bulk, you're still getting sensibly-packaged product.
(Also, I want to clarify that i'm not looking for feedback about the quality of Rit itself, or suggestions of alternate dyes. We stock other types of dyes as well--fiber reactives, acid and disperse dyes. I have to keep the Rit line in my inventory as part of our range of dyestuffs.)
ETA 9/30/08: jaguarx13 had the excellent suggestion of a letter-writing campaign. Should you wish to participate, the contact information for the company is here:
Rit Dye/Phoenix Brands LLC
300 Atlantic Street, 11th floor
Stamford, CT 06901
203-975-0319
866-794-0800
I suggest a traditional paper letter, as I've still received no response--not even an autoresponse--to email.
You'll find a lot of differing opinions on Rit and other union dyestuffs in the theatre industry--some folks love them, others hate them, and everything in between. Whether you are positively or negatively inclined toward such dyes, the fact is, in many theatre dyeshops across the country, you find a stock of Rit and/or Dylon and/or Tinfix, and you need to be familiar with using them to the best of their abilities because it might be all you've got in a pinch. As such, we stock the whole Rit range and the first thing we discuss in my dye class is union dyes.
In addition to the small packets of powder and bottles of concentrate that you can buy in grocery stores and fabric shops, Rit sells larger quantities to industry through their Professional Line in 1-lb. and 5-lb. jars of powder, and 5-gallon pails of liquid concentrate. My aim here isn't to discuss the merits and faults of union dyes; it's to solicit opinions on Rit's new packaging of their industrial powder dyes from those who use them. I don't use this blog as a platform for rants or whining, so please don't infer that tone or subtext from this post; I'll cop to being personally dissatisfied with the new packaging, but what i really want to hear is how others feel about it. Is it just me? Is there some advantage to the new packaging that's escaping me? Is there some justification for the change i don't know about? Etc.
Let's look at the range of Rit powder packaging and compare.
If you stock the Rit line in your shop (or have worked in one that does) you'll find these containers familiar:
The short, stocky container on the right was Rit's packaging on bulk powder for years and years. The last time I restocked my inventory, the slightly different cylindrical container on the left was what i received my dyes packaged in.
I was excited at this change in packaging because it made good sense--the old containers weren't easily stackable with their bases much wider than their lids, and it made it harder to scoop larger quantities with the narrower mouth. The cylinders were stackable and made dye extraction easier. Yay! Good job, Rit, with the improvement in packaging! As you can see, i have shelving set up to accomodate my Rit inventory, and i was looking forward to fitting more of the narrower, taller containers on each shelf as the old ones got used up and replaced with the new ones.
So, imagine my surprise and disappointment when my most recent order came and I opened a box to find these:
Pardon my deployment of a French acronym, but WTF is this?
Well, of course it's clear what it is. It's a jug, of the type that normally dispenses liquid laundry detergent.
It is not stackable, it is not easily stored in great quantity, and it certainly is NOT something you can scoop measured amounts out of at all. Pouring powdered dyestuff out of a jug is problematic for a number of reasons--increased agitation of the powder makes more of it airborne when you dispense it, it's difficult to control the quantity of powder dispensed, and you do more hefting of the container's weight than one you can scoop from in a sedentary position. This packaging now requires users to be more vigilant with the use of particulate respirators and scouring of their workspace, less able to easily achieve repeatable results, and more ergonomically challenged in the course of its use. Where's the upside?
In order for me to use these in anything like an efficient fashion, i will have to pour them out into my old containers, and keep careful track of the labeling (since OSHA frowns on transferring materials out of their original packaging into different containers, and a lot of proper-labeling rigamarole is involved when you do store things in alternate containers from those in which they're sold). Not cool.
I wrote to the company last week explaining the problem with these containers for my uses and asking about an explanation for the change in packaging, but have yet to receive any reply. I'm a bit surprised by that--we're not a big account by any stretch of the imagination, but having been on top of the Rit inventory for several different theatres in my career, i've always had prompt, good communication with the sales reps and customer service folk in the past.
One possible justification i thought of for their change to this type of packaging is if they are santized, repurposed, recycled packages that Rit is now using as part of some type of greening campaign. In which case, i applaud the effort but not the result, and am still not digging this jug action, nope, no way no-how.
So, tell me your thoughts! Do you like these jug bottles for bulk Rit? Are they advantageous to your dyeing methods? Or are you, like me, dismayed and already missing the old brown canisters?
At least for now the powder in 1-lb. containers is still the small cylinders, so if you don't buy in 5-lb bulk, you're still getting sensibly-packaged product.
(Also, I want to clarify that i'm not looking for feedback about the quality of Rit itself, or suggestions of alternate dyes. We stock other types of dyes as well--fiber reactives, acid and disperse dyes. I have to keep the Rit line in my inventory as part of our range of dyestuffs.)
ETA 9/30/08: jaguarx13 had the excellent suggestion of a letter-writing campaign. Should you wish to participate, the contact information for the company is here:
Rit Dye/Phoenix Brands LLC
300 Atlantic Street, 11th floor
Stamford, CT 06901
203-975-0319
866-794-0800
I suggest a traditional paper letter, as I've still received no response--not even an autoresponse--to email.