Not to be a complete downer but my trashcan is sickening

[underpants]

My 3 year old daughter is going through two phases right now
-"cooking"
-the Princess phase

She got a TON of well intentioned toys and I completely appreciate all of my relatives' efforts
We told them "We don't need ANYTHING. Get Josie stuff" and they did
She got a great wooden kitchen that took my father-in-law 3 hours to put together
and she got about 200 individual fake food items (one features what we think are supposed to represent shrimp but look more like chicken hands AND "bread" that looks like something one of our cats coughs up). All of the Princess items (dresses and accessories) are really cheap crap but that is okay the thought was clearly there.

The problem is that all of it came in such low-grade cardboard and plastic that NONE OF IT IS RECYCLABLE
Giant boxes far bigger than was necessary for the items.
I just filled up an entire Super Can with trash. Not just wrapping paper but the packaging.
Sickening.

[Richardo]

1. You hate the earth

:cry:





It IS unconscionable how much wasteful crap is used in packaging. I did not know that there was a low-end threshold on what could be recycled, however. That's terrible.

[underpants]

12. As I understand it the material has to have enough quality to it to withstand the recycling process

consider toilet paper versus thick cardboard. The toilet paper is too fragile to be able to be broken down and made back into bulk paper.

And yes I am aware that you generally don't recycle toilet paper-I was just using it as an example.

Don't MAKE ME send Bill Russell over there :grr:

[Richardo]

14. Yes, well here in the progressive city of Houston, recycling is the exception

We have no curbside recycling program in Harris County. 4th largest city in the country. Now THAT'S unconscionable.

[Warpy]

2. I know what you mean

I find myself looking at packaging on items I need and actually bypassing a better product sometimes because of the obscene amount of packaging.

I especially hate that cheap, tough plastic that you need tin snips to get through, often damaging the item inside.

As for toys, I remember one year when I didn't get much for Xmas because my parents needed a new fridge. They gave me the box and a large box of crayons.

I was the envy of the whole neighborhood.

[underpants]

10. My wife and I had the same unspoken reaction

while watching the presents being opened (we talked about it later) we both thought "GOD what a waste"

My lungs actually hurt from watching it and thinking about what it not only took to make this stuff but that it was just going to fill up the dump.

[CrispyQ]

11. I love the fridge box story!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I've written countless letters to manufacturers about packaging. Perhaps not countless, but over the past 10 years I have stopped purchasing over a dozen products due to increased packaging. I write & tell them. I usually get a response with a coupon for more of their product that I just told them I've stopped buying, & of course, an excuse as to why they had to increase the packaging. :eyes: :crazy:

SILK: If you purchase two individual 1/2 gallon cartons of SILK, it costs more than if you purchase two 1/2 gallon cartons of SILK that have a stiff cardboard outer wrap to hold them together. Arghh!!! This one makes me want to :banghead: :banghead::banghead:

SILK is the first company to not even respond to my letter & I live just down the road from them!! x(

[tularetom]

3. Hah! I just filled a bag with what I cleaned out of three cat boxes

And I'm just getting over a 5 day bout of intestinal virus.

And you think a bunch of packaging is sickening.

[donco6]

4. The ones I hate most are the clamshell things on electronics.

Ugh. I don't know how people are supposed to get those things open without physical injury. And, of course, NOT recyclable.

I have a huge bag, too. And we really dug through for recyclable stuff.

[underpants]

8. There are cutters you can buy

Stay away from the OpenX thing-the website looks suspicous and a call to their help line was a phone sex operation ( I called two years ago)
http://www.slashgear.com/save-sliced-fingers-pyranna-packaging-cutter-211043/

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/klever-kutter-impregnable-plastic-clamshell-packaging-meets-its-match-219011.php

You can find these in drugstores as well as stores with "As seen on TV" sections (like Kohl's)

They don't carry these at Best Buy anymore because as a salesperson told me they had to get rid of them when they discovered that people were walking into the store, opening the cutter thing package (don't ask me HOW they did that), and then cutting open the packaging on electrical stuff (that has the security device on it), and walking out of the store with FREE stuff. True story from looking for them two years ago.

[PDJane]

5. It's frustrating.

I brought packaging home with me, because my son's building doesn't have recycling bins. I personally think it's time to see about that; I'm ready to phone the city in the morning. I live a click away, and we've had recycling bins for more than ten years. We are also going to green bins soon; composting bins that will be the final step in a garbage reduction plan.

There are things I won't buy because of the packaging; annoys the hell out of me.

[madokie]

6. The way we deal with trash is going to have to change

To recycle here is next to impossible.

[Wilms]

7. brown bag christmas

And they still love the gifts I give!



Most of the gifts I purchase are both hand-made and purchased locally. For good measure, I walk to town.

My dog likes the process, too. :)

[underpants]

9. This wasn't us it was from brother-in-law and such

they are defiantly not green. :eyes:

[madrchsod]

13. i remember the days when everyone had a 50 gallon drum

to burn shit in the back yard.....yup,the good old days

[Ichingcarpenter]

15. Did you get her this action figure?

I know you didn't but I thought it was funny anyway.



The Dumpsters are full of crap where I live with plastic, boxes and paper.

We even have a recycle dumpster but its full too.
It would be nice if the manufacturers started thinking
of their packaging for environmental outcome

[underpants]

16. No but she did get all EIGHT Disney princess action figures

Cinderella
Snow White
Sleeping Beauty
Bell (Beauty and the Beast)
Ariel (Little Mermaid)
Pocahontas
Mulan
another one :shrug:

Disney is smart. Anything you buy of theirs has at least images of all the other ones on it so they want ALL of them ...and accessories of course

My recycle bin is full too. Pick up is a week away.

[donco6]

18. I think that whole thing should be thrown in the recycling.

Of course, they probably won't take it.

[kiva]

17. Was listening to NPR the other day, and they

were interviewing a guy in the recycle business who was transporting recycled paper/cardboard to China. He said that there had been a real rise in demand a few months ago, but that he had just gotten word that the last load of recycle he'd sent hadn't been picked up on the other end. Apparently the demand for recycled paper has dropped as sale of goods needing packaging is declining. I'm curious to know how this will impact recycle programs across the U.S.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

19. Well, it could be worse:

The presents could have come wrapped in vomit and dog manure. That would really have sucked.