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Amazon basically does this, I think? As a consumer, I hate it, because I end up with a huge box and loads of useless paper whenever something isn't the right as

Amazon basically does this, I think? As a consumer, I hate it, because I end up with a huge box and loads of useless paper whenever something isn't the right aspect ratio for one of the standard boxes. Obviously for distribution of stock you could probably be smarter about it and waste less space/cardboard since you've probably got lots of each size of item.

jollybean 5y ago
Yes I detest that. For distribution it would work. For end-consumer shipping, they should frankly have boxes that 'fit' perfectly. Amazon should have a 'box maker machine' that makes all the dam boxes on the spot as needed from cardboard. Or forget boxes, how about a really light mesh?
- DougBTX 5y ago
  They pretty much do this in some cases, they use boxes like this[0] which fit their contents based on where they are taped. [0] https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B094DL2GQ6 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B094DL2GQ6
- Schiendelman 5y ago
  I worked for Amazon in sustainability for some time. "Fitting" 'perfectly' requires literally billions of shape combinations, because multiple items ship in one box. I question whether it would save any holistic measure of energy/emissions/waste to solve that problem to any measure of 'perfectly'. The work Amazon has done to change box types, switch to bags, etc., has reduced waste considerably per package, though I suspect the absolute amount of waste has continued to increase with business growth.
OJFord 5y ago
Amazon has so many though [0] that I don't really think that's directly why that happens - I'd assume it's just laze (whether human or algorithmic!) in finding the optimal box, and going with one that's obviously big enough, to hand, or whatever. [0] - approx 90 in Japan in 2016 - https://dailyportalz.jp/kiji/170303198940 https://dailyportalz.jp/kiji/170303198940 (thought that was fun, submitted here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29746745 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29746745)
hadlock 5y ago
I think some of the time for this, is they have X of common standard sized box, and Y of less common smaller/differently shaped box, and eventually they run out of Y sized box, so they go down the list of close matches until they find a box in stock at that particular packing station. I've ordered the same thing (baby formula premix ready to drink, fairly large, fairly heavy) in sets of two for several months and it's been shipped at least four different ways that I can remember; I doubt the bin packing algorithm is changing that drastically from week to week.

jollybean 5y ago

Yes I detest that. For distribution it would work. For end-consumer shipping, they should frankly have boxes that 'fit' perfectly. Amazon should have a 'box maker machine' that makes all the dam boxes on the spot as needed from cardboard. Or forget boxes, how about a really light mesh?

DougBTX 5y ago
They pretty much do this in some cases, they use boxes like this[0] which fit their contents based on where they are taped. [0] https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B094DL2GQ6 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B094DL2GQ6
Schiendelman 5y ago
I worked for Amazon in sustainability for some time. "Fitting" 'perfectly' requires literally billions of shape combinations, because multiple items ship in one box. I question whether it would save any holistic measure of energy/emissions/waste to solve that problem to any measure of 'perfectly'. The work Amazon has done to change box types, switch to bags, etc., has reduced waste considerably per package, though I suspect the absolute amount of waste has continued to increase with business growth.

OJFord 5y ago

Amazon has so many though [0] that I don't really think that's directly why that happens - I'd assume it's just laze (whether human or algorithmic!) in finding the optimal box, and going with one that's obviously big enough, to hand, or whatever. [0] - approx 90 in Japan in 2016 - https://dailyportalz.jp/kiji/170303198940 https://dailyportalz.jp/kiji/170303198940 (thought that was fun, submitted here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29746745 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29746745)

hadlock 5y ago

I think some of the time for this, is they have X of common standard sized box, and Y of less common smaller/differently shaped box, and eventually they run out of Y sized box, so they go down the list of close matches until they find a box in stock at that particular packing station. I've ordered the same thing (baby formula premix ready to drink, fairly large, fairly heavy) in sets of two for several months and it's been shipped at least four different ways that I can remember; I doubt the bin packing algorithm is changing that drastically from week to week.