Why do companies keep creating unfriendly packaging

[dialge]

Every day I see new commercials for convenience products.

My newest pet peeve is the Clorox Wipes. These are just one of many products that are filing up the landfills very quickly.

Do you buy a lot of handy, disposable type stuff. I've curtailed my habits.

[Gloria]

this is a very good thread. most companies keep creating unfriendly packaging because they are less concerned about the environment and more concerned about making huge profits. they know the quality method but most prefer the cheaper way. Not that they do not know the difference between right and wrong. they do but they are more concerned with what comes into their pockets and not what enters their nostrils.

[dialge]

Yeah, but don't they need to go through some kind of approval before being allowed to make certain kind of containers and packages? What about consumer safety? Maybe they should stick their noses in deeper to the environment.

[Gloria]

you are right dialge.. most companies in America have all the certificates you could ever imagine including the ISO 1000, 2000, etc but the sad thing is that these certificates are just for show-casing

[arcel]

Originally Posted by dialge

Every day I see new commercials for convenience products.

My newest pet peeve is the Clorox Wipes. These are just one of many products that are filing up the landfills very quickly.

Do you buy a lot of handy, disposable type stuff. I've curtailed my habits.

----

Nice observation! I am not to sure about this fact, but i have read that producing plastic bags are a lot cheaper than creating paper bags.

This just shows how corporations can't fully support green campaigns. Because they have less profit in creating recyclable materials.

Maybe in the near future will be dumping our garbage in MARS.

[BlueT]

When its clear, because company means money oriented. Most company in the small and developing countries can't afford to be eco friendly. And it can cost them a harder budget.

[Kofi]

America and most of the developed countries have rules and regulations and sometimes branches that make sure that companies do the right thing. However most countries in Africa and maybe the rest of the world's third world countries do not have these laws and even where there are these laws corruption covers them and hence those investors like China and co who come to invest in Africa do whatever the like. They know the quality materials and the right way of doing things that will save the environment but instead go by their own way of making huge profits neglecting the environment and the people who live over there.

[cinbadd]

I try to be much more thoughtful about my purchases these days. It's so very easy to go with convenience, especially with the busy lives we all lead.

As a consumer, I have to take some responsibility for what's happening with packaging, not only in my local community, but Globally, as well. First of all, if I'm buying the goods packaged in materials that are harmful to the environment, I'm part of the problem. And, too, if I'm not speaking out about/against what I know to be environmentally unfriendly, I am, again, part of the problem.

I think companies continue their practices because I am, either directly or indirectly, supporting them in doing so.

[world]

In Malaysia, shop, supermarket, shopping complex still use plastic bag but some use biodegradable and some not... but some big hypermarkets known in the world that operates in Malaysia are worst the sell shopping bags if the customer didn't buy the bag they will packed the goods in plastic bags. i think it all come back to just thinking about profit first.

[rcf5005]

Thats one thing that has always annoyed me. I wish they would pause 6 seconds and ask themselves, "does this need to come wrapped 7 ways from sunday?" Maybe we would have a little less waste. Won't save the world on its own, but its a start right?

[cuitw]

Plastic is cheaper than paper and paper is cheaper than recycled paper. I think commercial entity always consider to pick the lower cost choice and there is not much we can do. Unless the government legislate forcing the companies to use recycled material or the cost for recycled material drops by a wide margin.

[John9]

Companies care about money more than anything. If making environmentally friendly products cost more money then they'll just stick to the cheaper, but environmentally destructive ways.

[7Heartz]

It's as everybody has said - companies use such packaging ways because it's cheaper for them, so they can gain a bigger profit in the end. As long as there aren't rules set in place to use more environmental friendly material, they'll just keep on doing it.

[ricky]

unfriendly packaging remembers me about polythene bags and other unfriendly packaging materials lying here and there just across the parks and beside the streets. These materials can remain in their abode millions of years without decaying.
I don't know why our various governments do not take any serious action against these companies rather than filling their pockets..

[Geminiamp]

I never even thought of Clorox wipes that way. I started out accidentally being green I guess you would say. Over last summer I started walking to the grocery store if we only needed a few things and bought some reusable bags because they were stronger and easier to carry but now I only use then.

If people are trying to be sanitary if you wet your sponge and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds it will sanitze it but don't do it dry or your sponge will melt and catch fire!

[Cermet]

Many of the things we buy for convenience aren't very good for the environment. I'm starting to worry about all of these so called 'green' household cleaning products that are popping up on the market. My guess good old fashioned soap and water, with some old t-shirts as rags are the best things to use to clean anything AND it's going to help the environment AND save you money.

[zowie]

Companies are going to be solely looking at their profit margins. They are going to market and supply any thing as long as they can make a profit out of them. It is the responsibility of an educated consumer to only buy products which are going to be helpful for the environment.

[Aleiah]

Companies keep on creating unfriendly packages mainly because it minimizes their cost of production, we know they actually are all profit-oriented people. Although we do hear them say that they are eco-friendly, its just a front, I think. What's important to them are the great profits that they will earn by minimizing their operational costs. What we ca do as consumers, is to boycott these environmentally unfriendly products by not buying them so that they would stop making them.

[ZammaJann]

Many times companies create unfriendly packaging for the reason of protecting their item. The dreaded "clamshell" is a perfect example of this. Nobody can open these without a knife, and then this plastic just goes straight into the landfill. So why do they do it? Simple. They do it to protect their item during the many stages of the shipping process, and to protect the item from damage on the shelves. These items go through a LOT between China and your local Wal*Mart.

If you really care about reducing packaging, BUY LOCAL as much as possible. Chances are that the guy making goods up the street does not have to "protect" his item in a clamshell in order to sell at your local farmer's market.

[cena_john]

Companies do this because of the simple reason of making more profit than before. Non biodegradable packaging is always cheaper than biodegradable packaging and thus in turn it means that their products are cheaper than before.

[PUURO]

If you ask about this , the answer is very very simple: it is because unfriendly package is more simple to create than a friendly one. And that makes the price very cheap at the same time. So do not be confused if many companies are using unfriendly packaging

[b2breps]

I think most caompanies think about the environment as an after thought. There first thought is profit. My guess is that is cheaper to have the packaging that they have instead of making any changes.

[Fragile]

Companies are concerned about the money more than anything. If making products
environmentally friendly has more than money can just stick to cheaper ways, but ambient destructive.

not that unfriendly packaging is cheaper. In fact, unfriendly packaging is far more expensive than friendly packaging. The problem therefore isn't about profit in terms of money but ignorance and the unwillingness to do the right thing keep companies away from using friendly packaging.

[james1911]

well the problem with unfriendly packaging is that. packaging and packaging boxes have become a part marketing and branding. they are one of most important factors a product gets picked from a shelf. customes are just paying a small price for attractive packaging i suppose

[DianaRing]

Most of the companies create unhygienic packaging that is entirely harmful to a consumer health. The packaging should be environment friendly and easy and cheap. The packaging makes the product popular. Packaging should be consumer friendly and hygienic.

I think companies are working arse to face. <<<The wrong way. I think they're pushing the environment out of their mind so they could pay less for packaging. They should realize that the packaging they could add some more years to the oil supply so our dog's bollacks scientists could come up with an ecofriendly and nonoil dependant car. ^^^our scientists are really great, btw. I'm serious. Anyway, oil is the source of all this plastic packaging, and we can use it, but what about recycling the packaging? Is that possible?