While unpacking the shopping today, I saw how much plastic was used to cover everthing up. Potatoes kept in plastic. Oranges in some form of plastic netting, you get the picture. Loads of things that don't need all that packaging get it anyway. What would be nice to see is things like Tupperware being brought in to hold your foodstuffs in, without having to waste so much plastic and things when it could be used on things that really matter (I'm not going to elaborate on that one.).

Incentives could be used, like if you buy the specially labelled containers, you could get discounts on that item(s) for the next three weeks, and you could buy stickers to stick onto them so as that you still get the discount long after the original one has expired (this bit isn't at all original - I found these while I was on holiday in Florida, in a few of the theme parks, you could buy these jugs that you could refill for the rest of the day, and if you came back, you could just get a new sticker, so you don't have to dish out $9.00 for another mug/ jug thing).

This would lower the need for all that packaging, at least.
-- froglet, May 23 2005

'No Packaging' shopping _27No_20packaging_27_20shopping
Redundant [hippo, May 25 2005]

container design law container_20design_20law
Related [hippo, May 25 2005]

I think I may be misunderstanding part of this. Wouldn't people just buy lots of the containers that gave discounts?
-- hidden truths, May 23 2005


Big plus on the incentives.
-- zeno, May 23 2005


haven't they done this with glass jam jars for a couple of hundred years? [froglet] can you articulate what makes this 'idea' an idea ?
-- neilp, May 23 2005


Having bought dozens of "courtesy cups" over the years, some pushing up toward the 126 fl. oz. extreme ... to get the 25¢ limitless refill ... I can attest that these type containers do serve a purpose. Yes, I also own several "ecobags". Those nice canvas totes cut down on the number of paper/plastic bags, but sadly offer no discount here. I'm wholly with you on any attempt to reduce packaging, especially when I pass through the grocers and am handed a 2 liter bottle in one plastic sack and a loaf of bread in a second sack. A very intriguing counter-idea here is ... why do I pay extra to display sponsored gear? I should at very least be offered a 10% discount RFID license plate cover that advertised my choice of fuel, or the same discount when wearing the licensed ball-cap I keep filled up with game tokens.
-- reensure, May 24 2005


Good point, [reensure]. Very good idea also.
-- froglet, May 25 2005


In the time it took to read your anno, [scout], the Ashland oil refinery made enough gas to run your car for a year.
-- reensure, May 25 2005


having been brought up by an uncontrolably "environmental" mother, I have to heartly +1 your idea...
-- DrMann, May 26 2005


//machine guns with a theoretical rate of fire of 1 million rounds per minute.// Now there's a happy thought.
-- froglet, May 26 2005


UnaB... You sure been more 'round the world than me and I'd thought I'd been everywhere and done, well, almost, everything. Wow. CIA? NSA? Whatever. In Switzerland, I recall, you just brought your own mesh shopping bag. You filled it up with good stuff and reusesd it on the next trip. Swiss are kewl.
-- MauiChuck, May 27 2005



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