Excess packaging: Stop It!
Example: A cell phone accompanied by 10 ad pieces!
I got a new cell phone the other day. It was accompanied by ten (count ‘em!) pieces of literature. A few actually related to the phone. But there was one promoting a ride-share service, another advertising AARP (the American Association for Retired Persons), another suggested a road-side assistance program.
My cell phone provider is, for me, a senior who’s a member of AARP, what seems to be the least expensive out there. Still: I know the phones and the services have to be paid for… but is all that promotional material — and on cardboard-grade packaging no less — necessary?
Paper Waste Costs All of Us
Paper is, believe it or not, a limited resource: We can only sacrifice so many trees for paper products that, usually, go immediately from the package they’re containing or contained in into a trash can.
My car insurance company — also probably the least expensive out there (I checked: Liberty Mutual. Which spends way too much on TV commercial time, would offer me less than identical coverage for more than double what I’m paying Geico!) — rolls a roadside assistance program into my basic car insurance coverage. I don’t need to subscribe to Triple A or any other ancillary service.
I am writing to my cell service provider to complain about the bulk of paper that accompanied my phone. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to complain to any company that is over-burdening you (and your waste removal company) with unneeded, unwanted paper.
USPS Is Part of the Problem
By the way, the USPS is a major polluter, in this respect: Every month, they stuff my mail box with at least one bundle of oversized or weirdly-shaped advertising material in which I have no interest. I show my appreciation by taking it to one of their drop boxes and giving it right back to them! I know: it won’t help, but at least I feel like I’m doing something positive to address that issue.
(I can be a nut case when it comes to crazy ad practices: I once picked up a few yard signs from a furniture company that was blanketing the area with them and walked into the show room, tore the signs into pieces and yelled, “These are yours. I’m returning them!” then threw them into the air. Then I made a quick escape before the first angry employee could catch up with me!)
Sometimes you have to go beyond talking about a problem: Standing up against abuses, of whatever type or sort, is important. Americans don’t do it enough — and I’m not talking about the imagined wrongs or evils being railed against at and in connection with political rallies. They are a whole ‘nother issue which, in a kinder, gentler world, wouldn’t be an issue — or worth talking about.
I mentioned Liberty Mutual above. It’s hard to imagine how they recover what they expend on TV advertising. They are everywhere, all the time! And based on my comparison-shopping, their rates suck!
People should pay attention to who’s adverting excessively on TV. Somebody is paying for those ads, and you should make sure it isn’t you!
