Below is an interview I recently gave about wastage and recycling issues in the business environment.
Interview
If you are like most Americans, you regularly shop online. So how many times have you received a package that seems unnecessarily large for the items you ordered? Such scenarios are increasingly more common, thanks to automated packing and shipping systems unable to use smaller, more appropriate packing materials.
The Cheap Place founder and owner Erhan Simavi recently sat down to talk with us about the problem. This issue is one that is very personal to him and one that his company takes very seriously.
Question: How pervasive do you think waste is in the modern packing and shipping environment?
Simavi: It's incredibly pervasive. As the online shopping model has exploded, more and more companies have turned to automated systems that are incapable of using smaller packaging items, like envelopes for example. A robot simply cannot work with such a small package.
Question: Have you ever personally experienced the waste problem yourself?
Simavi: Absolutely! In fact, I recently ordered from a site that decided to send me three pens in a box large enough to fit three tablet computers! Another order resulted in a writing pad arriving in a box big enough for a microwave. Both were examples of wasted cardboard and packing materials.
Question: Why do you think companies are willing to waste even in a day and age when we are so concerned about the environment?
Simavi: Unfortunately, it all comes down to profit margins where business is concerned. And while I'm certainly not opposed to making a profit, there is something to be said about tempering the desire for profit with a responsibility to not be wasteful. Making a profit and eliminating waste are not incompatible. We know that from experience at The Cheap Place.
Question: What kinds of things is your company doing to reduce waste?
Simavi: Do you have all day? Seriously, there are lots of things we do as a conscious decision to eliminate waste. For example, we prefer to ship using envelopes whenever possible. Yes, that requires that we manually fill orders, but that is part of our business that we take pride in. We also tend to print single page invoices. If a customer's invoice requires more paper, we ask them to print it themselves from their online account. Either that or they can just download the invoice and store it digitally.
Question: What about recycling? Should it be part of the packing and shipping equation?
Simavi: Without a doubt, it should. Even in the instances where I've received boxes that are much too big for the items shipped, I have made the effort to recycle the cardboard. At least that way the material is being put back into the system rather than being relegated to a landfill.
Question: Do you have any final words for your fellow business owners?
Simavi: I would simply say that all of us who own businesses have an obligation to our communities to reduce waste as much as possible. It is part of our social responsibility that cannot be avoided. Those companies not taking their responsibilities seriously are doing a disservice to their customers, their communities, and even themselves.
