Hello chaps,

I just read another post about CRC using excessive packaging. have a read of this:

http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/packaging/office-world-fined-for-using-too-much-packaging

why not post your packaging horror stories here and lets see if we can encourage mail order companies to be a little more efficient.

😀

My assumption is that some companies use oversize packaging to reduce delivery pilfering.

encourage mail order companies to be a little more efficient.

I’m in two minds on this. For CRC using a standard size box for all small orders makes them efficient as they can have an automated packing machine.

For the post office they give CRC a price for ‘parcel up to’ a certain size because it means that they can just wave through pallet loads of stuff rather than inspect each item, so it makes them more efficient.

CRC’s uses cardboard boxes which are easily recycled rather than bubble wrap lined jiffy bags which can’t be.

Given that the weight of a large virtually empty cardboard box isn;t that much different than a smaller one the CO2 emmissions from transporting it aren;t that different but due to uniformity of size they may stack better and thus take up less overall space than a load of jiffy bags with air in between them so the transport costs are reduced making them more efficient.

Having said all that I did go a bit 😯 when Wiggle delivered my bars;

Agree with wwaswas that, over-all, it’s probably preferable with uniform packets, but was also a little shocked when I got this is the post the other week:

2013-11-05 14.13.14 by warpcow, on Flickr

I am a packer/picker, not for the cycle sector mind 😉

At our place, its all down to speed and accuracy, we have to pack anything from 2000-8000 lines a day.

With 80 staff on each shift, split 50/50 packing/picking its manic for my 8 hour shift.

Lost count the number of times I have bought a coffee at the start of the shift and not had time to finish it, lol

wwaswas, one of the reasons I see items packed like that, is cut off times, chances are they have to work to a fixed postal deadline to ship items, so if the packer has 25 items to pack and has 30min to cut off, they might have a line manager on their ass (common) to clear the delivery. So if the correct sized box runs out, they don’t have time to collect fresh stock, so they oversize the box.

Yes its wrong, but getting the stock out on time and correct is king.

[edit] LOL, just had a text from my work, my shift is starting 3hrs early, they are expecting 40 pallets out today…..

😯 @ ski.
rather they used more packaging and the item arrived in one piece than not enough and stuff arrives smashed up. you’d be amazed the number of packages i’ve received that might contain anything from £10k to £100ks worth of kit, packed insufficiently in a flimsy box.

Hey wwaswas,

Nice picture there. A perfect example. You say you are in two minds, might I make a couple of comments here to add to the discussion?

The weight difference between an item packed in a small box and one packed in a large box is similar. I agree with this, but I do not agree that the CO2 emissions related to transport will be the same.

The larger box takes up more space, which reduces the capacity of the truck or van. This means that fewer items can be carried. You will have the co2 emissions of moving the truck weight divided by the nuber of articles in side (assuming that each weigh the same).

Also, recycling requires energy. To recycle unnecessary waste means that you are using unnecessary energy. This also adds the the impact of the transport. so recycling a bigger box costs more to the environment than a small box.

Warpcow, that was a nice example 😆

Another mail order worker here.

We have packets(Jiffy Bags) and 2 sizes of boxes. This is the most efficient way of us shipping out items fast. We have hundreds of items at different sizes and weights to have suitable packaging for all would cost a fortune and cause havoc through the packing stations.

Its not the most C02 friendly i agree but considering how fast consumers want their products, speed is more important than being friendly to the environment.