Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast Labubu - the rise and risks of blind box packaging
Sep 25, 2025
Dive into the booming world of blind box packaging, where surprise collectibles lead to overconsumption and psychological traps like FOMO. Explore the environmental impact of packaging waste and whether yoghurt pots are recyclable. Discover the market's explosive growth, key players, and the dark side of scarcity tactics driving inflated prices. Plus, learn about unique consumer behaviors like barcode hacks to avoid duplicates. The hosts also touch on potential mental health risks linked to this quirky trend.
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Blind Boxes Function Like Gambling
- Blind boxes create gambling-like dynamics through rarity, FOMO and unfinished-task effects.
- These psychological drivers make consumers buy more, not less, after disappointment.
Unfinished Collections Fuel Repeat Buying
- The Zygianic effect makes unfinished collections obsessively memorable and drives repeat purchases.
- Combined with loss aversion and FOMO, it amplifies overconsumption in blind-box markets.
How Consumers Beat Lego's Blind Packs
- Lego collectors and fans hacked blind packaging via barcodes, feel-guides, weight checks and QR codes.
- Consumers kept inventing ways to identify figures so companies repeatedly changed packaging to preserve mystery.
