shipping dilema: price vs. environment

[cellodaisy]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place---wasn't quite sure where to put it. Mods, please move it if there's a more appropriate forum.

I've been using zip-close poly bags for some stuff I'm selling.

Pros:

• relatively cheap
• doesn't add much weight or bulk to the shipment

Cons:

• not environmentally friendly (theoretically reusable, but in reality they get thrown away)

It seems that the best environmentally-friendly option is glassine-lined paper tin tie bags. ("Tin tie" bags are how coffee is usually packaged.)

Pros:

• recyclable
• biodegradable
• prettier than poly bags
• stand up on their own (easier for buyers to use)

Cons:

• pricey---would add at least $1 per order
• would add significant bulk and weight to shipments

What to do?

 

[Chrisinator]

I think you should allow the user to pick or just basically add that with the shipping and handling. I think it's a great idea for biodegradeable plastics personally.

 

[cellodaisy]

I think you should allow the user to pick...

In order to get reasonable prices on these things, I'd have to order a case (1000 bags). I can't afford to do that and then have everyone choose the cheaper option. I'm hoping to get enough feedback here to know what the AC population would prefer, on average.

...or just basically add that with the shipping and handling.

I currently fold the poly bag costs into the product price, but I certainly could call it s&h instead. Worth considering.

I think it's a great idea for biodegradeable plastics personally.

I'm not aware of any biodegradable plastics. There are some "degradable" or "compostable" plastics, but they have to go through special treatment to break down. Biodegradable means that it breaks down relatively quickly (like a month or two) through normal biological processes. Glassine is actually not a plastic, though---it's a special kind of paper.

 

[Chrisinator]

Oh, I miswrote. I meant for the last sentence to say I favor the degradeable plastics. I didnt' know there was a diff with bio and degradeable plastics.

 

[cellodaisy]

Oh, I miswrote. I meant for the last sentence to say I favor the degradeable plastics. I didnt' know there was a diff with bio and degradeable plastics.

Well, I was sort of wrong about that---I just found some zip-close bags that claim to be biodegradable, but it takes 7-10 years for them to break down. Better than other plastics, but not as good as paper, that's for sure. Mostly, I liked the glassine option because it's recyclable, not just degradable (bio or otherwise).

 

[RodInCALIFORNIA]

i like plastic and i drive a Hummer H2 a neon yellow one i guess im not the one to comment on going green lol

 

[vampie]

Gosh cello, you just don't go into things half-assed do you? I don't think anyone else would've even put thought into this.

To be honest, as a buyer, I wouldn't even think about choosing the tie bag option if I was given a choice between the two. But I'm a bit of a frugal minimalist and I could be out of the majority.

 

[excuzzzeme]

I would think that the best method would be the most bio-friendly, even if it adds something to the cost, so be it. Reasonable efforts need to start somewhere. Grocery stores are going to be mandated to charge for their plastic/paper bags and you might as well do your part. Yes, S&H would be the best place to add in the cost.

I am one that saves any possible packaging from incoming shipments for reuse. It reduces my need to "stock" expendables as well as not having to charge the customer for them. For the stock I take to my LFS, I carry in a hard plastic 1/2 gallon critter-keeper and they transfer into their containers, giving me back my container. I am able to reuse my container repeatedly without cost to them or me.

 

[platytudes]

Hmm...I wonder how many people would actually recycle these "tin tie" bags? I kind of think most people would just throw them away, too. (I throw away the package that the coffee comes in...oops ) I can't say that having them stand up makes it any more convenient for me, personally. I wouldn't even know where to recycle them, would you put them in the "all paper that tears" bin? It doesn't seem like they would tear...

Looking at pictures of them online, they seem like they are used for coffee and gourmet treats. Without knowing better, I'd say they look more wasteful and require more processing...but appearances can be deceiving sometimes!

Just a thought. If you have to special order them, isn't that more fuel/labor that you are using to get the product to you, instead of buying zip-close bags picked up from the store where you were going to go anyway?

Another question: how fresh do these tin tie bags keep the product? Less fresh, more fresh, or just as fresh as zip-close bags? For me, this is the biggest issue. For example, I know that individually wrapping tea bags is not as eco-friendly, but honestly I would rather have them stay fresh since it takes me a long time to get through a package of tea. If they aren't individually wrapped then they'll get stale faster, and by the time I go back to it it might not even taste good any longer - which will prompt me to compost (a waste of money, at least) the tea.

My thoughts personally - freshness aside - if you want your product to stand out and look prettier, go with the prettier and more distinctive packaging and roll it into the cost. Too late to do that discreetly, since you've started this post Most people don't look at a Lindor truffle and say "if they'd just wrapped this in plain tinfoil, this bonbon would have been a lot cheaper!" they are happy they got a special treat in fancy wrapping - it makes it more appealing.

If your buyers are as eco-conscious as you are, they will reuse the Ziploc bag and recycle the envelope it came in...if not they will throw it all out, or most of it out. You can't change the mentality of the masses, I'm afraid - until they make recycling mandatory.


P.S. I still want to know where to recycle those coffee bags

 

[cellodaisy]

Thanks for the great feedback, everyone! I'm still on the fence, so if you have an opinion, please share.

i drive a Hummer H2

I drive a Prius and I'm going to be smug at you now. See: *SMUG*

Gosh cello, you just don't go into things half-assed do you?

Nope. I tend to do things full-assed. You can get into lots more trouble that way. :

I would think that the best method would be the most bio-friendly, even if it adds something to the cost, so be it. Reasonable efforts need to start somewhere.

That's kind of the way I was leaning...

Hmm...I wonder how many people would actually recycle these "tin tie" bags?

Not all tin tie bags are recyclable---sorry if I was confusing on that. "Tin tie" just refers to the style of bag---tall, square-bottom, with an attached metal tie you can fold over to hold it closed after you roll down the top. They're made out of all kinds of materials, and many of them are NOT recyclable.

The specific ones that I'm looking at are regular paper with glassine lining, so I'm pretty sure they would just go with "mixed paper" or whatever your local equivalent is, if you have one. (I live in NH where recycling is widespread, and I forget that it isn't like that everywhere... yet!)

Even if they got thrown away, the paper/glassine bags would biodegrade much MUCH faster than poly bags, so it would still be better for the environment.

Just a thought. If you have to special order them, isn't that more fuel/labor that you are using to get the product to you, instead of buying zip-close bags picked up from the store where you were going to go anyway?

Zip-close bags from the store are WAY more expensive than ordering by the case, so I would be ordering either way.

Another question: how fresh do these tin tie bags keep the product? Less fresh, more fresh, or just as fresh as zip-close bags?

Freshness is my biggest practical concern with the tin tie bags. If I had to guess, I would say they keep the contents either just as fresh or slightly less fresh than the poly bags. The tin ties wouldn't be completely air tight, but I think they would be pretty close to it as long as you roll the top and close them properly. So if we're talking relatively short-term storage, I don't think there would be much difference. If we're talking many months or years, the poly bags would probably keep it fresher. Though if the air doesn't get squeezed out of the poly bags every time they're opened and re-closed, I think their advantage is lost.

Too late to do that discreetly, since you've started this post

Nope, I've tried to be up front about everything. These days, any effort to conceal information is doomed to fail eventually, and I feel like most people prefer honestly and transparency. Don't get me wrong---I'm a designer and I work in marketing, so I understand the value of a well-crafted message, but it depends on the audience. This is a relatively close-knit community for an online forum, and it just wouldn't work to try to make some slick sales pitch. Besides, it makes my life easier to be able to bounce ideas around with my fellow ACers.

If your buyers are as eco-conscious as you are, they will reuse the Ziploc bag and recycle the envelope it came in...

As I sheepishly admitted, I don't reuse zip-close bags. I try to limit my use of them, but they are just such a pain to wash and dry... That's why I'm looking into other options.