h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Why do coctail sticks always come in containers that inevitably fall apart and scatter the sticks everywhere when all you want is one...

The afore-mentioned 'exploding containers' have been especially designed in order that after using the set amount of cocktail-sticks you require on that occasion, the rest are then thrown away (as this is generally far easier that finding a second, more suitable container). This inevitably leads to an increase of sales and therefore keeps the cocktail-stick industry in business... obviously!

Of course if you only want one cocktail-stick at any given point, then the profit margins of the manufacturers rise dramatically!