Excess packaging is an ongoing issue plaguing consumers across the country. Some companies have pledged to use less, saving resources — but other providers are packaging and shipping their products in more wasteful ways than ever before. One frustrated buyer recently posted an example on r/LoopEarplugs.
What's happening?
The original poster had recently ordered three products from Loop. "Was pretty surprised that my parcel hadn't been posted through the letterbox while at work the last couple days," they said in the post, "and now I know why!"
Their photo shows three tiny Loop boxes, each just a few inches wide and less than an inch thick. They're inside a much larger box for shipping — one that could comfortably hold hundreds of the small products.
"Incredible level of overkill on the size of the box," the original poster said. "Why does a company that sells such small products even have boxes this big?!"
"Looks like they might have just reused a box that they already had," a commenter said. "I've never seen this happen with an order."
Why is excessive packaging important?
When companies package their products in huge boxes, those items take up lots of space in a shipping container or mail truck, increasing the number of loads transported and the pollution from all those trucks and trains traveling across the country. Then, when consumers receive them, they're left with an unnecessary amount of waste that will just rot in a landfill.
The impact of just one box is small. But multiply it by thousands of companies sending thousands of packages every day, and it adds up to a huge amount of unnecessary pollution. This is just one of many examples of companies' not packing products responsibly.
Is Loop doing anything to be more sustainable?
Loop earplugs are marketed as an eco-friendly alternative to disposable earplugs. They're washable and reusable, cutting down on waste, so in that way, they're better for the planet.
As one commenter pointed out, the huge box seems to go against that mission. "Maybe email them just to point out that it's neither environmentally friendly nor convenient when it prevents them being posted through your letterbox," the Redditor said.
🗣️ When you think about a product's packaging, which of these factors is more important to you?
🔘 The way it looks 😍
🔘 The information it provides 🧐
🔘 The waste it produces 🗑️
🔘 I don't think about packaging at all 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
However, most other commenters said they had received their own orders in small shipping envelopes, so it may be that this box was the exception rather than the rule.
What can I do to cut down on waste?
Buying local products rather than ones that have been shipped across the globe can help cut down on pollution from shipping. You can also choose reusable products over disposable plastic ones to reduce waste or buy items secondhand to reduce the overall need for manufacturing.
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