Why are there ethical, efficient ketchup containers widely available, but efficient mustard containers are rarely seen? I have a large container of ketchup that is transparent and designed to lay top down. Why don’t they do the same for mustard?
If ketchup containers are ethical, are you suggesting that mustard containers are unethical and if so, what does it mean for condiment packaging to be ethical or not? And this column by Cecil Adams might address some of your questions.
Ketchup is ketchup and mustard is mustard and never the twain shall meet.
I’ve seen that stocked maybe two places, but maybe it’s just where I live. Why don’t the mustard companies do that?
Anticipating this line of query, I was going to edit to change it to “ethically-designed”.
If Heinz makes mustard, then is Heinz not a mustard company?
Not to quibble or anything, but I’m still not clear on what ethics have to do with condiment packaging. BTW, did you read Cecil’s column? It might answer your question.
I see plenty of mustard containers designed like the one in the link. Gulden’s mustard has a flat top and is designed to be stored opening side down, so are a lot of other mustards in my area. Could it be regional?
Likewise, top-down mustard containers are about as popular as top-down ketchup bottles around here.
I even have a top-down relish squeeze bottle, which is a horrible, horrible idea.
Beaver Brand, the best commercial mustard in the universe, are all designed top down as well, and lots of mayo comes packaged that way, too.
If it really bothers you, you could always wash out your next empty ketchup bottle and put mustard in it. I don’t think there’s a law against it like there is about those mattress tags. 
I don’t know… that might be unethical!
Now I have no idea what you could possibly mean. Did the design team of the mustard bottle kill a few people along the way and figure out that the short, stout design of the mustard bottle would help them hide the bodies and conceal their crime? If so, that is indeed an unethically-designed bottle.
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How would the mustard bottle help conceal dead bodies?
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If not concealing dead bodies, how could the stout shape help cover their tracks?
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If the unethical behavior is not related to murder, what is it related to and how does the design of mustard bottles help them in any way?
I eagerly await your answers.
If you don’t see Mahaloth post again on the Dope, assume I’ve been killed and somehow concealed in mustard bottles.
The OP may mean “ergonomically” not “ethically”. That doesn’t quite make sense either, but it does make a little more sense.
Speaking of ethical condiment containers… Does the ability to recycle the container lean to an ethical position? Ketchup containers are one of the relatively few plastic bottles that are worthless for recycling. The is due to the co-extruded materials used in the bottle. Apparently the outer material is incompatible with ketchup and the inner material can’t work without the outer material. This is why the squeeze ketchup bottle spent way too many years under development - remember shoving the knife into the glass Heinz bottle or pounding on the inverted bottle trying to get the ketchup out?
They are ethically designed containers. The upside down containers are set up to allow you to easily get all the product out of the container. This is apposed to containers that make it hard to get the last little bit of product out forcing you to buy more than you need.
The only context I could see “ethical” being used in the design is if it’s intentionally designed to trick people regarding the contents. A tall container will look like it holds more than a squat container unless you stop and do a little math or read labels - neither of which most people bother with.
But… since mustard and ketchup are not substitutes for each other, I think that issue would only matter if we’re comparing one ketchup bottle to another (i.e. brand X sells a tall ketchup bottle at .15/oz and brand Y's shorter bottle is at .10/oz, but most people actually believe X is the better price because they’re tricked by shape).
I also have to think that much of the packaging differences between ketchup and mustard has to do with tradition. It’s like why hot dogs and buns are sold in different units - because they’re manufactured by different people and consumers have adopted (or, at least, tolerated) different packaging.
I thought it was perhaps aesthetically pleasing. It kind of sounds like “ethic”.
All of my mustard comes in transparent plastic squeeze bottles. They have small lids, but that’s no barrier to turning them upside down in the fridge. In fact, it can make it easier to fit them into a crowded fridge door.