How Sustainable is Your Vendor?

[Piero]

I'd like to put more pressure on shipping vendors to use less packaging and more sustainable materials in their packaging - like packing peanuts made from cellulose and not styrofoam.

Noticed that many of our reef vendors are using environmentally destructive(and unneccesary) shipping materials.

Just got some packages from a number of vendors, and I was happy with some of their shipping practices/materials, and dissapointed with others:

THUMBS UP:
Reeffanatic, MarineDepot - no overpackaging, and cellulose-based packing peanuts! these i can just pour into the kitchen sink. once they get wet, they just dissolve. harmless to the environment!

THUMBS DOWN:
Precision Marine, Euroreef - these vendors used too much packaging, and used styrofoam that is NOT biodegradable.
I realize the fragile nature of some of these items dicatates careful packaging, but i was dissapointed with the amount of toxic materials used.

[Mnemic]

This is actualy some good information, and reef tanks are very much environments that we strive to keep alive. We really should be as consumers conscience about these things as well.

Glad you posted who is good about these things, and who is not.


-Paul

[cyberchef]

Just out of curiosity, how would you feel if you recieved a package that leaked or got wet and all of the nice cellulose packing material was liquid goo???

[Brooke]

It depends if you are talking livestock or dry goods....big difference in my book. I think the cellulose peanuts are great for drygoods. I prefer the styrofoam lined box for livestock. We save the boxes and use them to transport livestock to club meetings, etc. Another vendor I know uses small little styro coolers in a cardboard box. These are also reusable for non-reef related outings.

Just my .02-
Brooke

[biomekanic]

I would infer from Piero's original post that he was talking dry goods, in which case I completely agree with him. Wasn't there a company at one time trying to use popcorn as a packing material?

[Doug1]

Popcorn was once upon a time a common packing for a lot of stuff, but I guess econimics won out, as did convenience I would have no problem recieving my new super duper HellaSkimmer 9000 shipped in shredded , recycled paper if it was packed well.
I too have a large collection of various sized styro shipping boxes that aI accumulated over time. They are used on occasion for other things and I try to spread them around among people trading frags

As an aside, i would suggest emailing or calling the companies who's packing practices you take issue with. If you can offer do able alternatives delivered intelligently, they may take notice. OK that may be easily misread, I mean if you point out the nature of the packing and suggest alternatives, they may listen, esp if many people request it.
On the other hand, they may use the methods they do to keep costs down, so it may be a trade off

[JennM]

Originally posted by Doug1
I would have no problem recieving my new super duper HellaSkimmer 9000 shipped in shredded , recycled paper if it was packed well.

OK where was the spew alert on that post??? I spit my tea all over my monitor

Where did you get your HellaSkimmer 9000, because I wanna stock those puppies

Still snickering....thanks for the funny.

Jenn

[MyReef]

I appreciate the views on packing, but as a vendor it is difficult to please everyone with packaging. If you package too well, it is considered overkill. If you don't pack enough, then there is the chance something will get broken and it will have to be sent out again and the customer will complain about that. Packing materials are not cheap. On average it costs about $8-10 to package that super duper skimmer in such good fashion that UPS or FedEx won't destry it even if they drop it.

I had one customer complain once because I didn't use static free packing p-nuts.

I go through an enormous amount of packing p-nuts in a week, but until I find something that I can trust as much and can get inexpensively....that is what will be used. There are other things to do with packing material than throw them away...reuse them for Christmas packaging or next time you send someone a package in the mail. If we recycle amongst ourselves, then that is helping....as little as it may seem.

I am looking into some auto packaging foam that will form to the shape of the item, but those are not cheap as well.....

Any other alternatives out there? I would be more than happy to look at them.

[reefcam]

Don't throw the p-nuts away... take them to Mail Box Etc. They will them for free. If they are close, leave it on their front door. Or give it to your kid and he will spread it all over your house.

Or if the vendors can use the corn flavor ones, I'll add some salt and eat them while watching a movie.

[(B)reef Encounter]

As a business owner in the packing and shipping industry, I can directly relate to what everyone is saying. Packing materials are very expensive. Most Mail Boxes Etc., Postal Annex, Etc., etc. will galdly take thes items off your hands and reuse them.

Talking to the suppliers won't do much good. The shipping companies (UPS, FedEx, Etc.) dictate what type of materials to use to meet their requirements for shipping. If you use an unapproved packing material, in the event of a damage claim IT WILL BE DENIED. Until the industry finds a better packing material, recycling will be the most environmentally impacting method available.Sorry I'll get off my soap box now.

[Rick O]

I've received many packages that were severly damaged on the outside. Fortunately the contents were packed well and were not damaged. I'm thankful for the extra efforts that most vendors will go through to properly protect the contents. I think recycling the packing materials is the way to go rather than use something that may not do the job.

[Doug1]

Jenn, I like that, Spew Alert
Any graphics people that can do emoticons, we need that one!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for all he input folks. I also deal with a lot of shipping at work and its true secure packaging drives up the cost to ship. The recycling suggestions are good
If 10% of the styro peanuts where giving to a shipper it would save that much in resources. At work we reieve alot of shipped freight and we definatly reuse as much bubble wrap, peanuts, paper and boxes as possible

[shalori]

ok, dont laugh, but last christmas we were getting alot of packages (hubby was doing some major computer ordering). i kept getting these boxes full of peanuts, and not wanting to chuck them, i broke out the sewing machine and made a beanbag chair for my daughter for christmas using the peanuts as filler. so there's one idea

[uurt]

Awesome idea Shalori.
I know that we have a couple boxes that have been rcvd over time. We have also reused, thats y we kept it. Comes in very handy at christmas