Packaging & Recyling

[Viney]

Something that gets on my tits, is the ammount of packaging that comes with things nowadays. Working in the print industry, this is very relevent. The otehr day a part was ordered for one of our machines. Now it wasnt that fragile, and it was the size of a hard drive. The box it came in with foam packaging etc etc was about the size of a small microwave! Silly.

So the point. All things come in shiney coloured boxes etc, when/if these boxes go for recyling, they have to use all manner of chemicals and bleaches to 'whiten' the stock for use as raw pulp. So the question is, if eveyday items came in plain 'raw' brown boxes would you buy it over a similar product in a pretty box?

Another thing. When i buy meat form a supermarket (Distinct lack of butchers near where i live) its cheaper to buy the 'Plastic trayed' meat than that from the instore butcher..whats that all about?

Discuss

I ordered something stupid from Dabs, it was tiny (possibly a DVD drive). A colossal box arrived filled with those air pockets as padding, the drive itself taped to one of the corners!

I don't care about the packaging, once I've got the item I just dispose of it.

i keep most of it and reuse it when sending stuff out

[anna]

V.. I would love to pay less for good meat from butchers rather then buy the plastic coated rubbish ones.

In the supermarkets here they pack everything in plastic bags with about four items to each bag it drives me mad. At least now they are getting used to the mad english women with canvas bags!

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by metalangel

I ordered something stupid from Dabs, it was tiny (possibly a DVD drive). A colossal box arrived filled with those air pockets as padding, the drive itself taped to one of the corners!

I don't care about the packaging, once I've got the item I just dispose of it.

But that packaging can't be recycled and ends up in land fill, which we have little space left for and is really harming the environment. You may even end up having to pay to just dispose of it one day, more than you already do that is.

No, I'm not a recycling warrior, we have crap recycling here anyway, but I try to do what I can.

I totally get where you're coming from Viney. I am fed up to the back teeth of the distinct lack of responsibility from manufacturers. Christmas is the worst, all toys and gifts put into plastic trays, tied together with plastic ties and stapled to the "inside" box before being put into the "outside" box. Firstly, someone always manages to get a cut or stab from something in the packaging and secondly....where are we supposed to put it all while waiting for the tip to open again???

It's just irresponsible, daft and unecessary. When I volunteered for PDSA, we'd recycle the plastic bags people would bring in by using them to stuff the bags and boots we displayed and we'd use the clothes we couldn't sell, wash them, take all the zips/buttons off and sell bags of the rags for cleaning!

[dirtydog]

I'm not overly fussed about something coming in a pretty box, a "raw" box would suit me fine it'll only end up in the recycling bin or used for sending stuff out.

I recently bought some new sennheiser earphones from Amazon, there was an eco option, which was cheaper. So I decided to buy them.

Turned up in plain brown cardboard with a simple sticker on it. Also the insides of the box holding the product in place was also brown cardboard and was layered with different shapes cut out in each layer to match the product profile and keep it secure.

All of course made from recycled material.

Opened package, removed product & put the packaging straight into the recycling bin - much nicer.

[Viney]

Originally Posted by krhall

I recently bought some new sennheiser earphones from Amazon, there was an eco option, which was cheaper. So I decided to buy them.

Turned up in plain brown cardboard with a simple sticker on it. Also the insides of the box holding the product in place was also brown cardboard and was layered with different shapes cut out in each layer to match the product profile and keep it secure.

All of course made from recycled material.

Opened package, removed product & put the packaging straight into the recycling bin - much nicer.

See, thats good. Why an eco option though, why not sell them like that all the time.

My paper comes in boxes, admitidly, recycled carboard, but over printed white with colours etc. Why not plain brown boxes. Are the general public REALLY that hung up on the prettyessness of this stuff?

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by krhall

I recently bought some new sennheiser earphones from Amazon, there was an eco option, which was cheaper. So I decided to buy them.

Turned up in plain brown cardboard with a simple sticker on it. Also the insides of the box holding the product in place was also brown cardboard and was layered with different shapes cut out in each layer to match the product profile and keep it secure.

All of course made from recycled material.

Opened package, removed product & put the packaging straight into the recycling bin - much nicer.

And as it's cheaper, it's obviously easier and cheaper for them, why not just do it across the board and set the industry standard???

IT firms are getting better though. Most servers have minimal packaging now. Pc's have recovery partitions instead of install media and the majority of consumable and replacement items for copiers come in brown boxes with printing on them, with no polystyrene in them.