One online shopper called out a company for baffling paper waste sent to them in the mail.
What's happening?
The Reddit user took to the r/EgregiousPackaging forum to vent about a package they received in the mail from Dutch company VanDijk. It included two letters and an internal envelope. And the customer apparently didn't even get the information they needed.
"All of this to tell us an ONLINE CODE will be provided by a different party," they lamented in the post. Online translations of the letter indicate that the subscription would be delivered at \school.
"So this is why they call it a paper trail," one commenter remarked.
"It isn't even a 'normal' envelope, either. It's one of those triple-walled, extra rigid ones. To protect a second, smaller envelope," another added.
Why is packaging waste concerning?
The post calls attention to the needless waste created by junk mail. According to data from the Center for the Development of Recycling at San José State University, cited by The Washington Post, a typical person in the U.S. receives about 41 pounds of junk mail every year. The Sierra Club says that producing this much paper requires cutting down 80-100 million trees annually.
In addition to junk mail, online orders often contain excessive packaging and waste. Such policies are not only bad for the planet but often are not cost-effective either. Plus, this practice passes off waste disposal to consumers, who must recycle or throw away extra mail or packaging materials.
Is VanDijk doing anything about this?
The company, which — according to PitchBook — sells school supplies including textbooks, calculators, backpacks, media accessories, and digital books, does appear to have eco initiatives. Ironically, it appears that the paper waste in question was mailed in a Do Good Bag Air envelope, which is considered a sustainable packaging option.
What's being done about sustainable packaging more broadly?
A number of companies are devoted to creating more environmentally friendly shipping products. For instance, biodegradable packing peanuts are now an option for shippers, as are compostable mailing bags.
Though many consumers still complain about excessive packaging from Amazon, the delivery giant has committed to adopting more sustainable policies. On its website, it states that it has avoided 80,500 metric tons of single-use plastic packaging since 2020. Some initiatives Amazon is trying out include bio-based delivery bags in Spain and reusable packaging in several European countries.
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Definitely 👍 Other big companies such as Walmart are also touting more eco-friendly shipping policies. In 2023, the retailer announced it was transitioning to paper bag mailers, for instance.
Consumers can make a difference when it comes to waste by taking action to cut down on unsolicited junk mail.
To reduce plastic waste, consider solutions including metal razors, reusable water bottles, shampoo bars, dissolvable dishwasher and laundry pods, and nonplastic sandwich bags.
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