Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

eBay Box: Green Team

eBay's Green Team recently announced a new pilot program promoting the use of a specially designed reusable shipping box called the eBay Box.

The new boxes are made from 100% recycled FSC-certified corrugated cardboard according to the company.  They were made available to participants at eBay On Location in San Jose and a limited number of users who had signed up to be part of their Green Team and opted to participate in the pilot.

eBay is offering incentives to sellers and buyers to encourage use of the new eBay Box. 

Its not entirely clear how eBay members who signed up to be part of the Green Team received notification to participate in the pilot program.  I've been an eBay member since 1998 and signed up with the Green Team a while back and haven't received any notification regarding the program.

Encouraging the reuse of shipping materials is without question a positive thing and if this new colorful box helps some eBay users recognize the importance of reusing materials then I am all for it. 

As a seller myself for many years I've been reusing shipping materials for as long as I can remember.  Also having bought a fair number of things on eBay over the years I can say many eBay members actively reuse shipping and packing materials.

Green packaging expert and SISG contributor Dennis Salazar posted a very interesting piece on thew new eBay Box on his blog Inside Sustainable Packaging.  Dennis talks about the merits as well as some of the short comings of the new box in terms of sustainability - its well worth checking out.

When I have more information from eBay Green Team on the pilot program I'll post it here on SISG.

 

Amazon Frustration Free Packaging Continues to Grow; Consumers Embrace It

Amazon.com has been working the last two years on growing its Frustration Free packaging option for products sold on their website.  The program which by all accounts appears to be a success for Amazon and its customers offers consumers the option of buying products with minimal packaging. 

Frustration Free packaging not only makes it easier to open products purchased (eliminating the use of dreaded plastic clamshell packaging) but also significantly reduces packaging waste.  The program has been heralded by consumers and environmentalists alike for its positive impact.

A recent piece in the New York Times highlighted the fact some major companies who sell products on Amazon like Philips, Polaroid, Procter & Gamble, Logitech and others all offer products in Frustration Free packaging.  Of course Amazon's own e-reader Kindle comes in Frustration Free packaging as well.

Recently Duracell introduced a 28 pack of AA batteries sold in a Frustration Free plain cardboard box - the response from Amazon consumers was amazingly positive.

The piece in the Times highlights the challenges faced by Amazon and product manufacturers in continuing to grow Frustration Free packaging.  Of the millions of products currently sold on Amazon only about 600 are available in Frustration Free packaging.

Manufacturers who make products available in the Frustration Free packaging are faced with tough decisions regarding their packaging.  Its expensive to offer products in multiple types of packaging so it would be beneficial to manufacturers if other online retailers were interested in the new packaging as well.

Interestingly product manufacturers who sell on Amazon are finding other large online retailers like Target and Walmart not overly enthusiastic about carrying products in the Frustration Free packaging.  Each company pointed out to the Times that they have their own programs or methods for reducing waste.

The whole Frustration Free packaging issue drives at the heart of the problems with retail packaging today and the systems that are in place to produce the packaging.  Most retailers have physical store front locations where they sell products to consumers in the traditional sense.  Retailers in these situations prefer clear plastic packaging like clamshells because they are difficult to tamper with and allow the consumer to see the product on the shelves.

Consumers are in the middle.  Most will say they despise the clamshell style packaging popular at big box retaiilers and discount clubs across the country.  However most consider packaging just a part of the retail buying experience and something beyond their control. 

We'll see how Frustration-Free packaging continues to develop.  As more and more major product manufactuers continue to receive accolades from consumers you'll start to see this type of packaging expand.

READ MORE ABOUT AMAZON FRUSTRATION-FREE PACKAGING ON SISG

• Amazon Packaging Feedback Site  11/09
• Amazon Frustration Free Packaging Makes a Difference
  
• Amazon Frustation Free Packaging 11/08

Full Circle Home Products Combine Sustainablity and Design

Full Circle has some exciting household products which use green materials and combine them with modern industrial design to create both functional and sustainable items for consumers.

I've tried a number of dish brushes over the years and many of them I don't like either because of the design or the materials used.  Often these products are made entirely from plastic and are designed to be disposable.  That isn't very green.

Along comes the Laid Back brush from Full Circle.  The first thing I noticed was the design and ergonomics of the wooden handle.  The angle is ideal for cleaning dishes.  The handle is made out of bamboo which has been triple coated using vegetable-based oils to protect it from water.  The interesting thing about the Laid Back brush is the part with the bristles is designed to be removable allowing consumers to replace the bristle head after it wears.  This makes the brush different from many others on the market in that it isn't designed to be disposable.

The removable head is made from the plant-based plastic Bonterra and the bristles are also plant-based.  So when the bristles wear you remove and replace the head, not the whole brush..

Full Circle also makes a number of other products which like the Laid Back brush combine elements of modern design with green components.

One of their other products i'm particularly fond of is the stick 'em magnet kitchen towel.  This super absorbent towel is made from bamboo and organic cotton and has a magnet inside so it sticks to a refrigerator or other metal surface.

Full Circle's products are available online at retailers like GreenFeet and others even Amazon.