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Amazon and plastic packaging

jameson_uk

Member
Joined
10 Jun 2016
Messages
879
Location
Birmingham
Seems Amazon are moving from cardboard boxes to plastic lined envelopes like this
e6c38853ba133ec432081ebaf51c8411.jpg


I see there are some arguments that they are better for the environment in some ways as they are lighter and smaller which means less transport but I suspect the is almost entirely a financial move. This is all well and good for Amazon but I am being left with a load of envelopes I feel reluctant to bin.

Amazon says (https://www.amazon.co.uk/amsc) that they aren't widely recycled (which I guess in practice means that aren't at all) but just wondering what to do with them.
 
:(
I'm sure you could Re - Use them;)
Sell your excess plants...and re-cycle the Amazon large envelope!
At least its used twice.
hoggie
I will re-use where I can but it seems to be a one item, one envelope thing so I already building up quite a pile :(. I got a CD inside one of these big (probably bigger than A4) envelopes which I cannot see how it uses less space than the DVD sized card boxes they used to use....

Must admit I am tempted to drop them off at the big Amazon distribution centre which is fairly close but the fuel to get there and the fact I know they would just put them straight in the bin kind of defeats the purpose...
 
Only chance is a
Shame Amazon Campaign ;)


Take photos of your collection
Especially photos of the over sized shipping envelopes for small items
Contact local media over the issue
Send them out to every Amazon contact you can find (Amazon does prefer the “We Care” pretence)
 
just wondering what to do with them.
In Australia we have something called RedCycle.
Very few people use it because you have to take your soft plastic to the supermarket and put it in a bin with a small opening; ie you have to push it in. I wear gloves..... ;)
 
China suppliers are already using plastic bags for years instead of cardboard box.. Than the product is wrapped in additional soft foam material..
In some cases its great in other it aint at all.. It seems to disrupt the postage service in our country quite a bit..

We thought we had a common rule, that is.. If it doesn't fit the letter box it must be considered a package and should obviously be treated as such. Nowadays a lot is send in plastic bags and the postal company in my country at least gets bonkers over it and don't know what it is anymore. Hence it aint a letter and it aint a box?

Than they give the bag to the letter mail deliverer and he finds out it doesn't fit my doors mailbox.. Than if possible they try to force it in anyway if it seems to fit a bit but not quite. Often damaging it in the process of squizing it in. Than next problem, the letter man doesn't carry "Not at Home labels - We try again next day".. Often resulting in orders getting lost..

Postal service is privatized a few decades ago and the longer it takes it seems the more idiots are adopted to come and work as postman/woman what ever.

Than in some cases also the product vendors seems to be an idiot as well.. For example i ordered some glasware a while back.. It arrived wraped in foam in a plastic bag.
Same story it didn't fit the letter box by 1mm. The idiot postman squized it in and i had to pull it out with force at the other end. Resulting in a crack in the glass.

It seems some common sense gets lost when things are tried to be changed for the better and make things worse. :rolleyes: Change means people have to start thinking again, and for te most people stuck in tradition thinking seems to hurt a lot..
 
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We thought we had a common rule, that is.. If it doesn't fit the letter box it must be considered a package and should obviously be treated as such. Nowadays a lot is send in plastic bags and the postal company in my country at least gets bonkers over it and don't know what it is anymore. Hence it aint a letter and it aint a box?

In the UK, we have letters which can be up to 24cmx16.5cmx0.5cm 100g, large letters up to 35.3cm x25cm x2.5cm x 750g and after that it's a parcel. Large letters are designed to fit through the letter box. Quite often I've ordered plants on ebay etc. and they'll remove the pots and put the in a cardboard box that's specifically designed to fit the large letter requirements - looks like a really slim pizza box.
 
In the UK, we have letters which can be up to 24cmx16.5cmx0.5cm 100g, large letters up to 35.3cm x25cm x2.5cm x 750g and after that it's a parcel. Large letters are designed to fit through the letter box. Quite often I've ordered plants on ebay etc. and they'll remove the pots and put the in a cardboard box that's specifically designed to fit the large letter requirements - looks like a really slim pizza box.

You hit the nail on the head.. That's likely where the confusement hits in.. A 2 dimensional Carboard parcel dimensions are quite easy to determine.. Depending on the contents a plastic bag can be rather 3 dimensional.. OMG they are getting completely puzzled and lost now!?... Don't know what it is anymore.. :rolleyes:
 
You hit the nail on the head.. That's likely where the confusement hits in.. A 2 dimensional Carboard parcel dimensions are quite easy to determine.. Depending on the contents a plastic bag can be rather 3 dimensional.. OMG they are getting completely puzzled and lost now!?... Don't know what it is anymore.. :rolleyes:

There is a sizing template with a slot in at the postoffice - if you can successfully wedge your 'letter' through it, you are good ;) They sent cardboard templates out to businesses when they first changed the rules too.
 
In my region they don't seem to get that or simply not care about it.. It happens a lot at my door.. The letter postman delivering something that should be considered a parcell because it simply doesn't fit.

And i once called and asked and complained and the service employee tried to use the excuse "It was stamped like a letter".. As if they know how and need to care about the China post stamp regulations and rates. If it doesn't fit it should be treated as a parcel.. No matter the foreign stamp. It was just a stuppid excuse to again save money on their behalf.

They know the Ali and Ebay byers protection. Not recieved is refund.. So if it gets lost they are off the hook.. And care less.. And it happens a lot in comparance. Since i'm a fivit DIYer and order a lot of smalll goodies, o ver the years i personaly count at least 7 parcels not recieved and all from Asia via Ali or Ebay. :) And than not counting the damaged ones.
 
Customers need to adapt as well. We need parcel mailboxes fitted. I don't think it's completely the fault of the mailman.

Changing world needs adaptations by all of us; Not just the retailers.

For example;
https://www.boldmfg.com/products/the-stratford-parcel-mailbox-18-texas-local-pickup
OT: Can you believe the price on that thing? I'd pay $375 but not 10x more as they are asking.

Does it come with a electronic code lock and a tazzer? Because if not i sure somebody will put some extra parcels in to prank you.. :rolleyes:
 
Changing world needs adaptations by all of us; Not just the retailers.

Actualy comming to think of it.. It is all of us that created it for a change.. :)

Back in the day we had to search 10 houseblocks for a public payphone when away from home.. Internet? Never heard about. If you needed 1 screw you could go the a small hardware store in town and buy 1 screw.

Than the internet came, yuppies saw the convenience "No more extra rent, no more employees, no extra power bill, just me my pc and garage as storage and the post office.. Yippie, easy money from the couch!. Than the big shopping malls came looking, With a lot but little of everything, only whats common, demand determined by survey polls.

They pushed away all small retailers, they couldn't any longer compete with the price war.

You're missing one screw?.. You're screwed.. Go to the shopping mall hardware department and you can buy a plastic box with 25 pieces and hence you only need 1. Order one over the internet they can send you a 5penny screw with 5 pound postal and packing charges. Hence you buy a 25 piece box ¼ that price.

All this for what initialy was seen as convenience, order from the couch, ore a one way trip to the big malll, no more running around.. Easy money for all, the sky is the limit. Simply with the saying that's life jump on the opportunity we have to change and "One's bread is the others death".

30 decades later with uncountable 70 metre high trash piles reaching towards the sky, plastic nano particles in your daily milk.. We realise we need a change.. Change something again we shouldn't have changed in the first place.. And the economics can't allow for it the change it back the way it was.. The world is collectively stuck in convenience and making easy money..The todays generation willl laugh in your face with a big crazy WHY? If you offer them a small store to retail their goods.

I realy mis those days. With the small retailers with large product ranges stacked to the wall in little assortment boxes.. Able to buy only what you need and bring it home in a small paper bag.

I actualy have such an issue right now, i need to fix a leaking kitchen shower. It's missing a 4x6mm O-ring.. I don't know where to get 1 without driving 30 miles.
Can order it over the internet.. € 0.7 for the o-ring and €2.50 shipping. :banghead:

But i guess i'm just a sentimental old fashion fart crying and ranting about back in the day everything was beter.. :( :)
 
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In Australia we have something called RedCycle.
Very few people use it because you have to take your soft plastic to the supermarket and put it in a bin with a small opening; ie you have to push it in. I wear gloves..... ;)
I was wondering if they could be recycled. Anyone know if these can go in the plastic bag recycling at supermarkets here in the UK?
 
There was a article on it on BBC today: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49423152

"Amazon said its SmartPac envelopes are recyclable and that it is "working to improve" its packaging options". [...] SmartPac mailers are kerbside recyclable in some cities, and in all store drop-off locations."

Which in reality probably means most of the council collections won't take it, but it sounds like plastic mailing bags can probably go in the supermarket bag recycling.
 
Only chance is a
Shame Amazon Campaign ;)


Take photos of your collection
Especially photos of the over sized shipping envelopes for small items
Contact local media over the issue
Send them out to every Amazon contact you can find (Amazon does prefer the “We Care” pretence)

Looks like someone got there first https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-49423152
 
There was a article on it on BBC today: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49423152

"Amazon said its SmartPac envelopes are recyclable and that it is "working to improve" its packaging options". [...] SmartPac mailers are kerbside recyclable in some cities, and in all store drop-off locations."

Which in reality probably means most of the council collections won't take it, but it sounds like plastic mailing bags can probably go in the supermarket bag recycling.
You got there first just not sure why I didn't see this before posting ....

This is part of the confusion though. SmartPac envelopes might be recyclable but what are they.... https://www.amazon.co.uk/amsc only has cardboard / paper and then plastic bags and bubble lined plastic bags. A quick Google didn't actually show up any results for Amazon SmartPac other than this news article.

Amazon also say to they can be recycled where plastic film is accepted yet the website it links to doesn't have an option for plastic film...
 
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