My boyfriend and I both came to the same conclusion about a week ago re: receipts. Oftentimes, you're asked if you want a receipt or not, but what it translate to in actuality is "Do you want to throw away the receipt or should I?" as many register systems don't allow for a "no receipt" option. It'd be simple technology to choose a receipt or not--we can ask for extra receipts at Target, or reprints if something gets spilled--why not opt out? There seems to be a lot of useless waste (but is there any other kind?)
I was pleased to learn a few days later that Apple currently gives you the option to be emailed your receipt. I did that myself on a purchase I made a few days ago and I am now able to print it out if'n I like. I think its still important we have the option to have tangible receipts, but the ability to opt out would be nice, and would certainly amount to less clutter in my wallet.
Another thought my dad and I have been discussing goes back to the concept my generation had drilled into their brains in elementary school-- recycle, reduce, reuse. It's the reuse part that I think we forget about, and truthfully I understand why it's often not an option. But imagine this:
Target/Walmart/Walgreens/etc. put up Refill Stations in their health and beauty department. They create a partnership with the 150 most popular shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc. brands and allow customers to refill their bottles for a reduced price. If you wanted to get fancy, you could do it in other departments as well, such as laundry detergent and dish soap. There are a number of issues that come up, such as the quality of the bottles over time (the effect of stickers getting wet over and over and over, soapy buildup on the openings, etc) and the likelihood of mess, but I think it takes part of the idea of Costco (bulk means less packaging typically) and transfers it to a larger audience while using even less packaging. It might be better for a company like The Body Shop or Bath and Body Works, but you immediately limit your market and its an idea that could make a huge difference on a large scale.
I'm going to do my best to exorcise the environment-laden ideas all at once. My apologies for my seeming one-mindedness.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
Yeah, it's such a throw back to bring our own bottles in to get refilled. Our parents did it back in the day with their glass milk bottles, why don't we do it anymore? Or how about Rainbow Grocery, I like how they have food in large containers and then you fill a bag with what you need; forget all the fancy, expensive and wasteful packaging. We need to take this concept mainstream. As far as the receipts go, apple has it right and this works great for electronics. Grocery stores are the outlier however. In fact I always request a receipt and probably save $5 every other week by finding items the cashier rang up twice.
Post a Comment