Point-of-purchase packaging

Still stuck on the same path--more thoughts concerning packaging. (I swear I'm not a one-trick pony.)

There's other ways for companies to be more responsible with their packaging, where they may only need a nudge to make it happen. Subway has forever been the more responsible half-brother of fast food--still quick, but fewer calories (if you take off anything that makes it enjoyable like cheese and mayonnaise). However, when the transaction ends and they hand you your sandwich, it's wrapped in heavy paper, then the subway logo'ed paper, then put in a plastic bag complete with napkins. But how much of that is necessary for the 12 feet you have to walk to your table? Sure, as with most fast food places, many of the clientele leave with their food, but perhaps they can be asked if they need the bag, napkins, etc. The best part is, Subway would save money, too.

Some companies have already started making similar small changes. Dunn Bros. Coffee, a specialty coffee franchise based out of Minneapolis, has stopped giving customers a lid automatically with their order. Given that Dunn Bros. has a large number of consumers that stay in-shop while finishing their drink, it only makes sense that they don't automatically give "to-go" tops. Other franchises like Espresso Royale goes so far as to have ceramic mugs and the like to avoid using unnecessary materials, which of course is the best option.

If the US were graded on those three topics we learned as children, we might find this:

Recycle--The general population, being told to list 500 words, might come up with recycling. Certainly, if asked about solutions to environmental concerns, recycling would likely be at the top of the list.

America gets a C. Not failing, per se, but don't count on a scholarship.

Reduce--What? I can't have my huge SUV and be environmentally-conscious? I thought this was America! In a nation of gluttony, where we have too much of everything, unnecessary waste certainly isn't an exception.

America gets an F. Case in point: bottled water. And even those who have the mind to use a water bottle almost exclusively use plastic, where aluminum is much preferable in terms of environmentally-conscious materials. And don't tell me you weren't a little disappointed the first time you bought an album on iTunes and didn't have a tangible item in your hands to validate the money spent.

Reuse--I see people reuse things often to the best of their ability (retail bags for lunch bags, appliance boxes for moving, etc.) However, it seems that it may be up to companies to extend this option. Few people took their own bags to grocery stores before the stores themselves started selling them. And I think people would refill a lot of containers they use in their daily life if they had the option (as stated in my previous post).

America gets a C. The citizens seem to do what they can where they can, an honest effort, but they have little imagination. Companies drag down the grade for not recognizing what COULD be. And if they really thought about it, they'd realize they'd have a lot to gain from such changes as well, both financially and in terms of the customer/brand relationship.