Seven Over-Packaging Sins: Images That Drive Us Nuts!
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California 
on 12.29.08
Photo via Tom Bullock
One thing that is a constant thorn in the side of efficiency lovers is over-packaging. Using more cardboard, paper, plastic, space, and fossil fuels than necessary to get things from one place to another is an ubiquitous eco-sin. Here are seven instances--illustrated in a photo gallery--of when packaging has gone awry. Click through to see the images.
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This is such an old and common problem. So old and common I've been battling it (as I'm sure everyone else has) for years.
So I have two tips so we don't become part of the problem:
- When shipping items, use the smallest box possible and fill it with recycled popcorns
- Wrap presents in material you already have or something that can be useful. By material you already have, I mean something like newspaper you just read. One year, I wrapped all my presents in scads of newspaper topped with royal purple ribbons made out of recycled fibers. Very pretty. And as for something useful, I mean cookies in a reusable cookie jar, say, or wine in pretty bags the recepient can use to store items.
Little things, sure, but it is a start.
Cheers!
This is an issue I struggle with a lot. There is just too much extra packaging when you order online. Love the tips by almostveg though...
What bothers me as much as this overpackaging is the continued unnecessary use of styrofoam. Computers, monitors, and other large electronics have been the worst, in my experience.
I wish they could just shrinkwrap the item itself (ideally in bioplastic) to protect it from scratches, and then just use cardboard for the rest. Everything would be compostable or recyclable.
In addition to the ones already mentioned, my biggest irritation is the packaging used by my on-line pharmacy. They put 60 small tablets in a plastic bottle that could hold 1000. I know there are smalleer bottles available.
A plug for the Vitamin Shoppe. They use the right sized bottles for their brand products and ship them using starch peanuts that dissolve in water. More companies should follow their lead.
amazon is good at this. for christmas I our son a "D Rex" robot dino. It is in it's own box, then the manufacturer put it a box to ship to amazon then amazon put that in a box to ship to me. lots of cardboard.... just think how must money amazon would make (save) by not double boxing
When I got married, Williams-Sonoma sent me 3 silicon spatulas off my registry, each one individually wrapped in tons and tons of paper and all of them in a super huge box. Needless to say, I was livid...