Now that I'm a homeowner with my/our own kitchen, I've begun accumulating my own collection of Tupperware. A few partitioned kiddie plates here, some leftover holders there. I actually want to buy the spaghetti dispenser I see on the cart at the local mall.
Why is this stuff still so popular? Why do our parents hold onto it like grim death and refuse to part with it except to allow us to inherit them? Why, one simple reason, of course:
It's guaranteed indestructible.
Babies can throw the plates on the kitchen floor without fear of breakage. Children can drop the cups on the counter and they bounce off. You can take them to picnics without worry. You can microwave it without melting, freeze it without cracking. It's cheaper than Pyrex and won't shatter when you drop it. And if it ever does crack or melt or tear, no matter how old it is, you can take it to a representative and get it replaced. Really.
Of course, it's not as attractive as glass or pottery or china. It's only plastic, after all. But if you have the kind of kitchen or household where things get dropped, knocked, bumped, tossed, moved, jostled, or elbowed on a regular basis -- in other words, if you have children -- this stuff is wonderful to have around.