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April's
Articles for Giftware News:
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Packaging not
a pretty picture.
The Week of September 24, 2007
This is a call to arms for everybody in the gift industry to think
about your impact your carbon footprint on the planet. We make
nice stuff, and we want to delivery it in good condition to our
customer but my goodness disposing of it in an environmentally
friendly way is a major problem!
Anybody who has seen the back door of a retail establishment can
attest to overflowing trash cans of unnecessary packaging. Plastic
bags used to protect goods in transit are unused once they are
unpacked, shipping cartons get the heave-ho and plastic strapping
a real nasty in the shipping chain is almost as bad as the
plastic six-pack bottle holders that plague beaches around the
world.
Form-fitted Styrofoam for glass breakables, though great for shipping,
is an ultimate discard in the life of a product. Plastic zippered
bags look great in a shop, but are an immediate discard in the
home.
This is a challenge personally and professionally. How can we
immediately make changes to reduce our damage and, in the long
term, develop materials that are eco-friendly and non-impactful
to the environment?
Some suggestions, and in no particular order and I welcome yours
too we need all the help that we can get!
We can re-use our own shopping bags when shopping.
"One less bag" Jeremy Braude of Now Designs says. If we use
one less plastic bag every day we can make a difference of millions
of plastic bags annually.
We can re-use cartons for shipping as long as your goods can
stay in the box and reach the destination, used cartons are the
way to go.
We can source and demand biodegradable packing materials. There
are biodegradable peanuts, machines that shred cardboard into
packing materials and for packing, cartons from India used to
be wrapped in thin cotton muslin without plastic strapping can
we return to that?
We can prepack size runs or assortments not to up orders, but
to save packaging impact.
Re-pack in smaller lots for smaller clients with a small packing
surcharge.
Pack in thin cloth bags they can be a gift to the client or
reused and are, in any case, biodegradable.
We can up-charge for additional packaging.
We can rebate for less packaging loose bulk goods should come
with a packing credit.
We can use more renewable materials cottons, wood, coconut husks,
jute, natural fibers, wood pulp can somebody source these for
the industry?
Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, blister packs [these have to be
the worst], plastic tags let's search for alternatives and demand
them from vendors, and share the source for the good of the world.
I hear that China has a biodegradable plastic bag made from corn
starch more opaque, but protects just as well.
We can have a company water cooler instead of individual water
bottles the mountain of water bottles accumulated on pristine
hillsides around the world is shameful. And we in North America
can drink from the tap!
Personal stuff:
Paper towels I live without them, you can too. Rags are very
much available and do as good a job while being reusable and washable.
[I stick mine in the dishwasher when I run the dishes through
works, and it is right beside the sink.]
And what's wrong with an old-fashioned mop and broom that lasts
for a number of years rather than Swifter cloths that you throw
out after using?
Dryer sheets you can buy two dryer balls and put those in your
dryer and never have to buy a fabric softener sheet again.
Too clean! Excuse me, why are we washing our towels every day
wiping off a clean body with a clean towel shouldn't cause the
heavy towels to need washing so frequently. Lengthen your wash
schedule to once weekly so that you save water and soap and dryer
time for these heavy items.
Hair I like to be clean too, but do we really need to put soap
in our hair every day and have a 10-minute shower? Daily showers
can be shortened to 3 minutes, and your long showers become a
treat to enjoy every three days. Shampoo half as much as you do
now you save water, soap and the fuel it costs to heat the water.
And don't forget the energy used up by a blow dryer when you are
washing your hair so frequently.
Food containers the worst. Food arrives in good shape but
what about all of those take out containers? This is tricky
I would love to hear suggestions on how to beat this problem.
Let's take on the challenge and see if our industry can make a
difference in its carbon footprint.
Your ideas are welcome and needed!
April Cornell
Burlington, Vermont the 'Green' Mountain State |
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