Comments gyaron has made

Packaging options

Dear Joel,

Thank you for the great piece on packaging and alerting me to the OED report!

Thought I'd share my packaging story with Grist·  I have started a internet-based office supply company in Vancouver, British Columbia that specializes in environmentally-friendly office products.  We provide free delivery to our customers in the Lower Mainland area.  I had originally experimented with returnable plastic containers, but realizes that my customers did not necessarily purchase on a regular basis, so sometimes I wouldn't get a container back for months.  In a meeting with one of my suppliers, they indicated to me that they are required to produce customized boxes for their customer orders and they often produce more boxes than are necessary. So, we have created a relationship where they provide me with their overage and I slap a sticker on the box that tells my customers the story of the box.  We're just reworking the sticker, but right now it reads like this:

"THIS IS NOT A NEW BOX!

Packaging generates a huge amount of waste. It also adds cost to you - the consumer.  

This packaging was either previously used or is excess packaging from another business that did not use it and would have recycled or disposed of it.

Please do your part and either reuse or recycle this packaging."

In addition, I also reuse the packaging that I get from my suppliers with the products I order.  There are so many win-wins in this:

• I save money on packaging by reusing others' packaging

• Packaging gets diverted and reused at least one more time

• My suppliers get their brand seen by my customers (often the boxes I get are branded)

• My customers get educated about reusing boxes

• My suppliers get educated about managing their waste stream

Gil Yaron

Founder & CEOOn How a business can pick the best packaging posted 3 years, 5 months ago 1 Response