GORDON LIGHTFOOT | Culture
NO RESPECT
A plastic Sistema container belonging to a Wellington man was once again tossed aggressively into a kitchen cupboard yesterday, joining the rest of the mismatched collection.
Thirty-one-year-old Callum Fraser had just finished transferring leftover spaghetti bolognese into the container before giving it a quick rinse. Moments later, the innocent food vessel was launched with little ceremony into a dark, overcrowded cupboard in the bottom corner of the kitchen.
Witnesses described the noise as “the usual plastic avalanche” as the container collided with its stablemates. The cupboard door was immediately slammed shut to contain the chaos.
“It’s tough as nails, mate,” Fraser explained. “These things can handle anything. I don’t stack them neatly because what’s the point? They’re not glassware. They’re Sistema.”
The containers, known nationwide for their rugged durability and easy-locking lids, have become a fixture in Kiwi kitchens. Ironically, this strength has earned them little respect.
“If you know it won’t break, you just hurl it in there,” Fraser admitted. “I think I’ve been treating them rough for years and not one has cracked. Lids go missing, sure, but the tubs themselves are indestructible.”
Flatmate Rachel agreed, saying the cupboard had effectively become a free-for-all. “It’s survival of the fittest in there. Nothing’s colour-coded, nothing stacks properly, but no one cares. They just chuck them in and slam the door before the pile falls back out.”
Experts estimate that the average Kiwi household has at least one Sistema container that is old enough to have seen the Helen Clark government, but still works perfectly fine.
Fraser has no plans to change his system of violent storage. “Every time I open the cupboard and hear the rattle, I know they’re still in there, still alive. That’s good enough for me.”
More to come.
