Older Daughter needed some 1/8-inch brass rod, which she uses as a "hinge" in making lidded tankards. This rod comes in various diameters and is three feet in length. It's hard to find locally, so she thought she'd try ordering some online and see if the product meets her standards.
So she got on Lowe's and ordered a sampling of two rods. I'm sorry this photo came out blurry, but it lets you see the diameter – 1/8-inch across.
Here's the full three-foot length of a rod. Skinny, no?
To her surprise and dismay, the rod was delivered in an enormous box packed with enormous amounts of air-filled plastic padding (to pad a non-breakable brass rod!). Even worse, all that packaging was for one rod; of the two sample rods she ordered, they had to back-order one of them. (You can see the rod laid across the box.)
The next day she received the single back-ordered brass rod, more sensibly packaged in a flattened box with no plastic wrap.
That is so much packaging for just two skinny pieces of brass rod.
She says she's going to have to figure out something else, because this degree of ridiculous waste is unacceptable.....
I've seen that a lot over the last year or so with Amazon also. The only thing I can think of is that it's packaged in larger boxes so the packages don't get lost as easily.
ReplyDeleteThe cardboard is compostable or burnable. The plastic bubbles can be reused when shipping something from you to someone else. No waste at all. I don't see the problem.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteYes, and the cardboard could also be used in garden beds as weed suppression. I know the tankard business only does wholesale, but I assume even that packaging needs some padding, right? All could be reused, and if ordered in bulk you’ll probably get less packaging per rod.
DeleteThe problem is a huge percentage of consumers just throw everything away, the thought of recycling or reusing doesn't even cross their minds so again more crap in the landfills.
ReplyDeletePackaging... Where I work there are SEVERAL DOZEN of those robotic coffee machines. The ones where you punch in the kind of coffee you want; latte, espresso, or whatever, and the thing grinds the beans and makes it for you on the spot. The "packaging" here, aside from the sourcing of materials and construction of the machines, along with the shipping to the site, is the the 24/7 run time of the machine, as it sits there, day, night, weekday, and weekend, waiting for someone to push those buttons for their precious latte. These are the same people who wouldn't THINK of driving ANYTHING but a Tesla, who work at a company that is CONSTANTLY patting itself on the back for being "green..." The hypocrisy is ASTOUNDING!
ReplyDelete...A-a-and for the record, I bring my coffee from home, which was made in a stovetop percolator that's probably forty years old... But us older folks... We destroyed the world...
Would it be possible for your daughter to "carpool" the boxes by ordering several of the rods at once? It's not perfect, but it's better than one box per rod...
Boxes are recyclable. WM takes the plastic air wraps, deflate them first to save room, in the same large container that accepts the plastic bags. Even with that, it's a ridiculous amount of packing.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, is the item acceptable for her purpose?
ReplyDeleteSecondly, these two samples may have been shipped separately because they are unlike. Or, as is so often the case nowadays, they may be getting shipped from some third party. That way Lowe's doesn't have to maintain inventory.
I think before basing the whole decision on just how the samples arrived could be a mistake in use of time and maybe money. They were clearly packed by different people.
You need to speak with a customer service rep. If the items were acceptable just ask about how bulk shipments are packaged.
Googling this item turned up Many rods, but I did see that one rod advertised singly at Lowe's.
I would also look to see if there is a third party on the packaging label, and if so, call them. It would probably cost less to order from them than Lowe's as a middleman.
I wish OD good luck!
I once ordered a large cutting mat from Amazon. It came in a box that was about 4 ft x 4 ft x 3 inches. I was amazed that they hadn't rolled it up.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people being hired for these packaging jobs the last few years are young and inexperienced. They also don't have a lot of time to ponder the best way to pack this or that. They are probably are being evaluated by production.
DeleteWe have become much more dependent on delivery services the last few years.
"They also don't have a lot of time to ponder the best way to pack this or that. They are probably are being evaluated by production." True, this. Quantity over quality, is today's mantra. It pleases me no end that Older Daughter expects and demands the opposite. (Note to self: I just gotta order me one of them there tankards sometime soon.)
DeleteIt's packed that way to prevent the rods from ripping out of the box.
ReplyDeleteCompanies are learning they need to over package in order to prevent damage claims. I hardly used to see a damaged package, sadly it is common now.
ReplyDelete