What is this crap?
I hate buying stuff. I especially hate buying stuff related to my computer because, without fail, the stuff I want is wrapped up in all sorts of crap: paper, cardboard, paperboard, and/or plastic. For years I have considered starting a campaign reminiscent of Ban the Box, but have done nothing.
Until now. The final straw was my recent mail-order purchase of Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 3.0 from Amazon.com. Below are two photos; the first is everything that came in the mail, and the second is what I actually need—the CD-ROM.
The details
The software CD is inexplicably shipped in a plastic DVD box. A Metallica CD contains more useful information—and is much smaller—than this plastic box. The DVD box fits into a complex cardboard arrangement, along with the useless "getting started" manual and some promotional brochures. This whole mess slides into the pretty paperboard box that you would see on a store shelf. As I understand it, software is packaged like this in order to maximize a product's exposure in the retail environment. This strategy is used for many products, from cereal to cordless screwdrivers.
The packaging waste would have been bad enough if I had purchased this product in a store. But because I ordered it through the mail from Amazon.com, the pretty box was attached to a flat piece of cardboard with shrink wrap, then sent to me in a cardboard shipping box with a couple more brochures. The flat piece of cardboard and shrink wrap keep the pretty box centered in the larger box, creating a protective air space around the pretty box, which protects the cardboard arrangement, which cradles the DVD case and the software disc nestled inside. (Meanwhile, zillions of AOL discs have been mailed, undamaged, in simple paperboard envelopes. Not that I'm defending that practice.)
The dimensions of the CD are about 120 millimeters in diameter and 1 millimeter in thickness, for a volume of 11.3 cubic centimeters. The mass is about 28 grams (I had to look this up, because I don't have a scale). Adobe's box is 242 by 198 by 53 millimeters, for a volume of 2540 cubic centimeters. I don't know its mass, but I would guess it's about 75% of the overall package. Amazon's box is 318 by 237 by 64 millimeters, for a volume of 4823 cubic centimeters. The shipping label says 2 pounds, or about 900 grams.
Conclusions
In this example, the volumetric ratio of useful product to package size is 0.44% in the case of Adobe's packaging, and 0.23% when considering the whole box from Amazon. The mass ratio of useful product to overall packaging is about 3%. This is an outrageous waste of materials, warehouse space, retail space, and transportation resources. Many areas do not have recycling programs to handle the variety of packing materials used here, but it is silly to argue about inadequate recycling for materials that should not have been used in the first place.
I suggest that this and any software CD could be mailed in a simple paperboard sleeve, or something more like a music CD case. The "getting started" manual could easily be condensed to fit on or in this small package. If the smaller package presents a concern about theft, half of the serial number (used by the rightful owner to install the software) could be mailed separately on a postcard. Alternately, some companies like Symantec allow customers to download software directly, thus doing away with the CD altogether. This appears to be the way of the future, but many people will still want to buy a tangible item. As for the brick-and-mortar retail environment, there is no reason why each product could not have an informative, attractive display, while the product itself is packaged simply and stored behind the counter or in a locked case for security.
What to do
- Write a note to Amazon. Urge them to consider the environmental and financial costs of their packaging, and ask them to pressure their suppliers (such as Adobe) to do the same.
- Write to any other companies that you order from if you feel that they use wasteful packaging.
- Make a stink at the store! Wasteful packaging isn't limited to mail order; just look around in any office supply store, hardware store, etc. Don't be a jerk to the clerk, but find a manager and see how far you can get with your complaint about the infuriating blister-pack around the USB cable you want to buy. The goal is to get their company to pressure suppliers to use better packaging. This can be fun, and communicating a calm and clear argument to a stranger is excellent assertiveness training.
- Of course, the techniques listed above will only work if lots of people do them. Email this page's URL to your friends, and/or add a link to your own site if you have one.
- Email me your suggestions or stories.