This is an archive article published on April 19, 2023

Opinion Express View on Tupperware’s woes: The company may not last long, but it has meant containers and more

For women engaged in domestic work, the mostly spill-proof, easy-to-transport containers were part of a slew of products that made unrecognised labour a little less taxing.

Tupperware's financial woes may mean the company will not last long. But over the years, it has meant containers and more

In a still newly-liberalised country, Tupperware was an indulgence. But over time, the resilient — yet plain – steel dabbas lost out to the lightweight imports.

By: Editorial

April 19, 2023 07:30 AM IST First published on: Apr 19, 2023 at 06:45 AM IST

The Tupperware brand — synonymous with tiffin boxes, storage containers, office lunch dabbas and essentially plastic food containers – may be going out of business, unless a cash influx comes to its rescue. It entered the Indian market in 1996, at a time when most households were still wary of using plastic containers. But it was soon able to build a relationship with its users: Mothers and caregivers fretted over lost Tupperware tiffin boxes, and many a ’90s kid had to bear their ire if they were careless. In a still newly-liberalised country, Tupperware was an indulgence. But over time, the resilient — yet plain – steel dabbas lost out to the lightweight imports.

For women engaged in domestic work, the mostly spill-proof, easy-to-transport containers were part of a slew of products — from mixies and vacuum cleaners, to washing machines — that made one of the most unrecognised kinds of labour a little less taxing. The mother-Tupperware love story lasted for decades. Refrigerators and kitchen shelves were lined with them. The dabbas ensured that the rajma or mutton curry being transported — be it for a school tiffin box or to the rishtedaar’s house — arrived leak-free. Promises were made of sending these boxes back promptly with even more goodies than what they arrived with. But while these containers fulfilled their promise, the rishtedaars frequently did not. Forgotten boxes lay in kitchens foreign to them — with the owner often lamenting the loss of yet another dabba. Resentments percolated and relationships deteriorated because of the unreturned boxes.

Tupperware’s financial woes may mean that the company will not last long. But the brand, over time and across India, became associated with convenience, food and its exchange — the essence of social bonds. Kids who were shouted at for losing their tiffin boxes will not forget this dictum in a hurry: Cherish your food, but cherish your food dabba more.