Wanna see something wasteful? Let's go to COSTCO.

[MindPilot]

I was thinking about the Ikea bag thread mostly because my usual Costco is right across the parking lot from Ikea.

I'm in Costco this morning and they have a lot of things in those plastic clamshell packages. I picked one up that appeared to be nothing more than a roll of stamps. I thought this is a bit over-packaged, but then I discovered it was empty! It's basically a coupon. In this hunk of plastic and cardboard about the size of a sheet of paper is a note to take it to the cashier who will exchange it for a roll of stamps. And that wasn't the only thing, there were movie ticket and gift cards packaged the same way.

Used to be they would just have a bin with some slips of paper that you took the cashier for items like that.

I'm thinking I should write to the customer service department or something, but I wanted to pass it through the DU vetting process first especially since Costco has always pretty much been on our side. What do you guys think?

[flyingfysh]

1. those "coupons" are reused a lot

If you want to buy an iPod, you get one of those clamshell packages and take it throught the checkout line. They take the package, get you the real item from the back room, and put your package back on the display. There's nothing wasteful about it.

[MindPilot]

6. D'oh! I have officially obtained morAn status.

It never occurred to me they might be re-used. :dunce:

In the words of the great Ms. Latilla, "never mind"

[wtmusic]

2. IMO your instincts are good

and with Costco a letter might actually mean something :thumbsup:

[DS1]

3. Hard to say

That type of packaging is infuriating enough, but in a reuse situation like this where it's never opened, it keeps the coupons from being torn, forgotten, smudged, enwetted :evilgrin: and things like that. This cuts down on having to reorder new coupons. Everything is about bottomline, as I'm sure you're aware.

[Ian David]

4. Our largest export to China is material to be re-cycled and turned into packaging...

for cheap consumer crap we buy from China.

It's not wasted.

It all goes to feed our trade deficit.

[tnlurker]

5. It is also about shoplifting

A bunch of Ipods or stamps on the shelf are easy targets for shoplifters. If they have to bring the coupon up to the cashier then they all get paid for and none are stolen.

[Jamastiene]

7. There is entirely too much packaging on many things if you

ask me. I find myself frustrated most of the time because I might want something, but I don't want all that plastic that comes with it.

[TheMadMonk]

8. Blame five finger discounts.

Businesses didn't just sit down one day and decide to start shipping large quantities of air at increased cost. (Does this have something to do with the ever increasing size of road transport vehicles? (And supermarkets?))

Blister packs I believe were introduced to combat, shove it in your pocket/down the front of your pants, shoplifting.

I hate the bloody things too.

[stuntcat]

10. "I might want something, but I don't want all that plastic"

Right no, that's how everyone should shop from now on, if enough consumers make that switch then the companies will too.
People need to think more about all our trash :(

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. Agreed. Drives me crazy how much plastic I gotta tear away to get to the toilet paper already! lol

[Jamastiene]

12. Ain't it the truth?

Even if you buy an economy pack of TP or PT, you end up having to take plastic off the individual rolls sometimes. Lately, though, I have been noticing the economy packs I tend to buy have been better. I know the Angel Soft 12 pack of double rolls (TP) has the one outer wrap of plastic, which can be used as a trash bag for the bathroom, but inside the rolls are yours for the rolling. So much better. Also, my last 8 pack of big roll Bounty PT had the one outer wrap of plastic and they've done away with the individual rolls being wrapped in plastic. It's hit or miss with the Bounty, but I know Angel Soft has cut some of that extra plastic out.

[valerief]

9. Hmm, do they make plastic from petroleum? nt