Sorry for the blurry pics. Just came back from Walmart where I found two package variants :

Deluxe Cybertron Prime
Deluxe Lockdown

This variant has no twist ties holding the figure in the package. Instead there is a overlaying plastic layer holding the figure into the package.

This may or may not be newsworthy, but for variant seekers it may be.

 

Wow. The figures look even sharper in package without the twist ties. I like.

Is Hasbro moving away from twist ties? I wonder what came first when they started production, the overlaying trays or the twist ties.

 

The Lockdown I picked up in Ohio for Botcon had the overlaying plastic on it, and there were several other Animated toys that had the same thing.

I didn't think nothing of it other than "Oh good, no twist ties!"

 

i don't think lockdown has twist ties anyway, does he? there was already a surprisingly low number of twisties on TFA figures. except that battle begins two pack, ridiculous...

 

I bought BBBee, Prowl, Opt and Lockdown from an Ebay seller from Ohio I think (MISC). Except for Prowl, which came with one twist tie, the other three came with the plastic layer holding the figure (BBBee too).

 

Hopefully this means no more twist ties of doom in the future.

 

Down With The Twist Ties!!!!

 

No more twist ties? Fantastic news.

 

A world without twist ties? Dare I dream?!?

 

Grimlock has to be the worst in Animated so far with twisties...

 

I hope they are moving away from twisties.

 

Please do the same for boxed figures, please do the same for boxed figures, please do the same for boxed figures...

 

Great news, lets hope this marks the beginning of the end for twisties.

 

Yay! Maybe I can reserve the use of my nailclippers for, well, just clipping my nails.

 

That would be awesome ! I hate twistie ties!

 

I have the worst time with twist ties that have the ends folded back under the twists. Next figure I open I need to remember to use the nail clippers.

Odd though that some would leave the factory without them.... maybe they'll slowly get away from them. I think if they use 2 layers of plastic that works just as well.

 

I guess I'm in the minority when it comes to twist-ties verse more plastic. I'd have to imagine there's more plastic in the extra plastic shell than the handful of twist-ties. Plus twist-ties are reusable or easily snipped with a pair of wire cutters.

Can't Hasbro be more green about their packaging?

 

I would argue that small plastic overlay uses much less plastic than the twist ties themselves. I would imagine is just added to the plastic backing template, and cut from that.

The Twist ties have to be manufactured by extruding the plastic around the wire core, and then curing. This process has a carbon foot print.

Unless a manufacturing engineer can chime in on this, there can be no valid complaints about which method is more green. Look at the big picture here, how much of the package is actually used by the toy. How much packaging does the largest deluxe require? How much of the package is just used for marketing the toy on the pegs?

Not to mention that Hasbro probably had to buy the Twist ties, and engineer the best method to secure them.

I am guessing this is a nice cost savings for Hasbro.

 

i sure hope they do stop using twist ties those things are annoying whenever you have a new TF and you want to play with it and you just forgot one little twist tie leader optimus prime is a good example