overpackaging..argh!

[babyonboard]

worst....

• vtech toys..in an unopenable plastic package, with plastic 'ties' to hold it in place , a cardboard sleeve, then in a box..
  

• easter eggs - too much 'show' and too little content..
  

• coconut from sainsburys, vacuum packed, then put in a plastic tray, wrapped in clingfilm, with a fat label on it!

[chestnutty]

Can't believe the coconut one! Most places just sell them loose.

[sharklet]

You know what really bugs me - Yeo Valley Yoghurts. WHY do they need the big cardboard wrapper around them. Its such a waste. Drives me mad!

[ComeOVeneer]

Couldn't agree more. I despair at the amount of non recyclable waste that goes into my bin each week. We are pretty good here for recycling as we have to or get fined. But they don't take cardboard or plastic?????

[JackieNo]

We've now got a bin just for cardboard and garden waste. It only gets emptied every other week, but it's really cut down on the amount of stuff we have to throw away. We did have to pay the council for it, though

[sharklet]

We take our plastic to a place which does recycle it every now and then - but we don't make a special trip otherwise it defies the point.

My cardboard gets recycled by DD in her many art projects and also get shredded up for the worms. They love it!

[ComeOVeneer]

When we move (which hopefully will be by September I am going to get a composter so that will reduce some of the quantity. We also visit the recycling centre periodically. We have a fantastic one locally that does the works - clothes, shoes, car oil and batteries, wood electrical items, garden waste etc etc.

[moondog]

Do what I do.
When you buy stuff,remove the packaging at the check out/counter,smile and say
'Can you get rid of this for me please?' before placing said item in string bag you have brought with you.

That sends out the message.

[ComeOVeneer]

OH I also have several large canvas bags which I us for the shopping rather than plastic bags, which I bought in america as over there we were charged for every plastic bag used.

[Furball]

I don't understand why cucumbers are shrinkwrapped. Also why organic fruit and veg come with cardboard trays and usual fruit and veg come eith plastic trays?

[bumbleweed]

We bought a memory card for the digi camera - it was about a centimetre square, but came in a large plastic double sided rectangle the size of a place-mat which you could only get into with scissors. WTF is that about??

Because you cant write fuji-film blah blah blah buy our wonderful project look look look here on the surface area actually required to 'wrap' the product.

Bloody annoying.

[sharklet]

Thats a good idea moondog except surely then the recyclable bits of your waste get stuck in landfill by the shop. Isn't it more wasteful to do that?

[moondog]

Maybe sharklet,but it rams home the point that the packaging is unnecessary.
Was an article in paper about this recently..author had seen a woman leave Comet with a tv,unpack it in the car park and drive off with it,leaving packaging there.

[sharklet]

I don't agree I'm afraidf. It only shows the shop assistant thats its not neccessary. Not the manufacturers who create the packaging for thie products. Now if you send them all the excess maybe it will be noticed.

[sharklet]

The comet thing I see the point - however she's just flytipping not proving a point.

[Martini]

Pringles mini packs - more packing than pringles. Good experience recently with ELC dolls house accessories - no plastic in the packaging at all - all cardboard.

[BadHair]

Curtains and shirts that come with an acre of cardboard and 300 plastic pins, then wrapped in thick plastic.

I bought a Little Tykes rocking crocodile garden toy from Toys R Us last year. It's just one solid toy, no assembly required, no bits or anything, just a one piece big toy. So why did it come in a humungous cardboard box? That was stapled together? I had to unwrap the bloody thing to get it in the boot - the cardboard box added an extra foot to it - so I dumped it in the foyer of TRU. Have to say that my fingers were firmly crossed that I wouldn't have to return it for any reason, but I just couldn't have got it home with the box intact.

Stupid, stupid, stupid to put so much packaging on.

[expatinscotland]

Well, a GREAT tip I gleaned from years of backpacking (and makes a great gift for the outdoors-inclined: those egg trays that are paper. Yeah, well, take them and cut them into individual cups. Fill them w/lint from your dryer. Pour over melted paraffin. Allow to harden.

Voila, excellent for placing under wood to get fire going where kindling is sparse!

:)

My packaging pet peeve is ALL polystyrene.

That stuff is just created by Satan and its production should be banned worldwide.