Comments on: Gross Negligence

By: Robert Cadena

Robert Cadena — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:03:34 +0000

I just got this package in the mail and it reminded me of your post. So here’s my experience with incredibly wasteful packaging:

http://www.machine501.com/blog/2008/06/04/unbelievable-packaging-waste-from-babies-r-us/

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:18:06 +0000

My sister recently ordered two rings from Macys online. She ordered them together.

They came in two separate shipping boxes that could hold 3 cans of soup each. Inside each was a ton of packing paper and a very small little ziplock style bag that held the ring. They could have just packaged them both together in a recycle friendly padded envelope. They weren’t even expensive rings.. Like $20 each.

The negligence is not just related to computer accessories

Stephanie

By: shacker

shacker — Sun, 11 May 2008 00:54:53 +0000

Les – You don’t know my boss :) Hard to explain. Of course he was 90% joking… but wanted to see if he’d notice, just calling his bluff.

By: Les

Les — Sat, 10 May 2008 16:19:46 +0000

Why would your boss have a problem with you blogging about this?

By: Steven G. Harms

Steven G. Harms — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:42:06 +0000

Scott,

The problem exists in pretty much all computer hardware. In both servers as well as heavy-grade networking equipment you get items in different packaging at different times.

The problem is due to Just-In-Time inventory and economies of scale.

In the interest of not having much inventory on hand, and facing the spectre of an inventory write down ( thus hurting the stock ) a la 2001, the company selling you the server doesn’t actually keep components in a warehouse. i.e. they simply couldn’t assemble everything in 1 box because they don’t have it! As such there’s no opportunity for consolidation in packaging because this distributed swarm of actions never consolidates.

So what happens is that they send the order to their various suppliers. They know you need a Widget, a Thingy, and a two power cords. So they send the order to the suppliers to send the thingy, the widget, etc. to one Mr. Hacker at such and such address.

So, let’s assume that provides a sub-component, you want to order as small a variety of boxes as possible so that you can work out bigger bulk-er deals with your provider. So there they are with all those boxes – and the smallest box is considerably larger than the envelope size you suggested.

So you get that Mr. Hacker’s order needs 2 or ‘ludovic’ needs 20 of power cord or what have you: you have the small unit of box and an unskilled workforce who understands “Each order, each unit, one box, retrieve label, put label on, put in chute”

And thus you have this packaging overkill you describe.

By: Ludovic

Ludovic — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:38:44 +0000

Well say a startup – actually @ joost we did that a few times.

I also did it when working @ banks.

By: shacker

shacker — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:45:35 +0000

@Ludovic: Yow – Where do you work where you’re ordering 20 or 30 servers at a time?

By: Ludovic

Ludovic — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:34:21 +0000

Wait until you get a box of Sun hard drives – they are packed like the cables – but everyone of them comes with a 4 page manual. Same thing for servers when you order 20 or 30 of the same kind – you get 30/40 DVD’s + manual. A good point worth raising somewhere (the manufacturer will agree as it does not need to deliver 1-1 things, if he sells 30 boxes and only needs to make one manula he wins.)