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A part of the reason might be how package delivery works in the US. In Germany a package delivery involves the courier seeing the receiver face-to-face and hand
by wongarsu 3y ago
A part of the reason might be how package delivery works in the US. In Germany a package delivery involves the courier seeing the receiver face-to-face and handing them the package (typically with a signature, but Amazon isn't as thorough there). As I understand it that is the norm globally.
In the US on the other hand a package delivery seems to consist of the the courier putting the package on the front porch, or even just throwing it on the property of the receiver. There it might be exposed to the elements for multiple hours, something cardboard boxes aren't good at.
In the scenario where packages are handed over face-to-face the advantages of plastic are pretty small and it's much easier to phase out. In the US the increase in plastic might just be a reaction to degrading delivery standards, which cause increased returns due to water-damaged products.
- rob74 3y agoIn the meantime, some online shops in Germany (not Amazon) are testing reusable plastic packaging (https://bp-consultants.de/en/reusable-bags-for-e-commerce-on-trend-the-case-studies-of-tchibo-and-no-boxx/ https://bp-consultants.de/en/reusable-bags-for-e-commerce-on...) - to return the empty package, just fold it and drop it into a mailbox.
- SoftTalker 3y agoI assume they've worked out that the fuel and other environmental impact of sending back all those packages via the mail service outweighs the impact of simply disposing of or recycling them locally?
- rob74 3y agoThey haven't, or otherwise they wouldn't be testing them. The energy required to make a new plastic or paper bag is also non-negligible. And, even if you put the bag in the trash, it still cause some environmental impact when it's transported and (hopefully) recycled.