A Costco shopper's frustration with an oversize cardboard holder for four lip glosses kicked off a debate over waste.
Some visitors to the r/Anticonsumption subreddit explained the rationale behind it, and others argued it wasn't as bad as it looked.
Here's what to know
After a picture of the item was shared, commenters said the backing reflected how warehouse clubs sell merchandise.
In their view, the package size was shaped by presentation and security concerns and not the small cosmetics product.
"This is to make it easier to display on pallets or bare shelves (like in warehouse clubs)," one commenter wrote. "It also is to reduce the five-finger discount."
Another user said: "In a world where people steal stuff? It's theft prevention."
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More background
Cardboard can look better than plastic but still carry environmental trade-offs.
"All Costco packaging for stuff like this is about the same dimensions," a poster responded. "It sucks, but at least it isn't plastic."
Another commenter noted that colorful coatings and printing can make recycling harder. Even if it was recyclable, other visitors noted that paper wasn't a perfect solution.
"Unrelated, but it's so wild on some level that paper is the eco-friendlier option now. We may not be saving all the trees, but at least we're trying to pollute less," they said.
That comment prompted a healthy discussion on paper waste and forests.
"Generally, the trees used in paper products like packaging, toilet paper, and paper towels are planted and grown for the purpose," someone else wrote. "Obviously less waste is better, but we're not losing old-growth forest for this."
Commenters noted Costco and other warehouse retailers package goods as pallet-ready products and so they are more difficult to slip into a pocket or bag.
Still, oversize packaging uses more raw materials than is necessary, takes up more space during shipping and on store shelves, and leaves consumers with more waste to deal with at home.
What's being done
The package is one example of how retail systems can normalize waste as part of doing business. Still, commenters said there were worse alternatives.
"Order it online and you can also get a big box filled with packing bubbles, wrapped in tape, and covered with multiple labels," one offered.
Consumers, meanwhile, can use such examples to compare how stores and brands package similar items. Choosing products with simple wrappings or opting for plastic-free alternatives for everyday products reduces the steady stream of waste that adds up over time.
Where can I learn more?
Excess plastic use is just one irritant for eco-minded consumers.
• Another Costco shopper photographed wasteful packaging and suspected theft concerns.
• Costco shoppers said a Gillette display had way too much plastic for simple merchandising.
• At a grocery store, produce arrived in useless packaging that stunned shoppers.
• Shoppers criticized common medicine sold in unnecessarily large plastic packaging.
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