Wasteful Chain Reaction packaging

Mr Plum
Mr Plum Posts: 1,097
edited October 2011 in Commuting chat
I buy a lot from CRC and it always makes me laugh how ridiculous their packaging is:

DSC00689.jpg

DSC00690.jpg

Comparatively huge box for a paper-thin chain stay protector :shock:

Had the same thing for a single chain link and a single gear cable.
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Comments

  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    edited October 2011
    They are actually very efficient and the box is biodegradable unlike the postage bags that say, wiggle would use. Much cheaper/quicker for them to box things this way etc.

    There is a video floating around somewhere..
    http://www.bikeradar.com/gallery/articl ... nes-29496/
  • Tricycleboy
    Tricycleboy Posts: 373
    you are so very right on this one- its got so much worse in the last year too.

    It winds me up no end. and surely it costs them a fortune!
  • Greenmam
    Greenmam Posts: 42
    had the same thing with a bottle of oil. but a deeper box
  • stuartturbo
    stuartturbo Posts: 69
    Tricycleboy wrote:
    surely it costs them a fortune!

    Probably saves them money as smaller stock of packaging, time saving as packers grab one size box rather than decide what one to use
    Not that bad but bad enough for me
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  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    stuartturbo wrote:
    Tricycleboy wrote:
    surely it costs them a fortune!

    Probably saves them money as smaller stock of packaging, time saving as packers grab one size box rather than decide what one to use

    Completely wrong in every way. They should be more conscious and thoughtful. I'm not going to shop there.
  • Hairybuddha
    Hairybuddha Posts: 59
    I blame wiggle
  • magoo289
    magoo289 Posts: 223
    If your so concerned about the environment why did you not go to your lbs?
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  • mouth
    mouth Posts: 1,195
    stuartturbo wrote:
    Tricycleboy wrote:
    surely it costs them a fortune!

    Probably saves them money as smaller stock of packaging, time saving as packers grab one size box rather than decide what one to use

    Economies of scale here. If they buy 500 of a particular box it would be cheaper than say 250 of same box 100 bags and 150 of some other size box. Also, they know exactly how much postage would be regardless of weight i guess. we've all waited three days for an ebay seller to get back to us with a price for shipping.

    Furthermore, had the chain stay been delivered broken inside an envelope, how much more upset would you have been in that case?
    The only disability in life is a poor attitude.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,477
    They use a limited number of box sizes. The packaging process is automated and folds the box to what ever size is needed.


    I would have thought that the environmental impact of the extra volume of recyclable cardboard would be a very small percentage of the resources consumed in the entire chain of process which led to the product being at your house.


    The real impact is when a huge box arrives and my wife says "I thought you *only * ordered inner tubes". Even when I open the box in front of her she still doesn't believe me......
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  • nation
    nation Posts: 609
    Ever wondered why even small items ordered from Chain Reaction tend to arrive in a cardboard box? CRC say their automated system is so efficient that it's quicker to pack items in a cardboard box than an alternative like a jiffy bag, it doesn't cost any more, is more environmentally friendly, the contents are better protected and the uniform shape of the boxes makes them easier to fit in the back of vans. The company only have two sizes of cardboard box. Orders are put into one or the other, depending on size, and the lid is left open. The box then enters an amazing machine which works out the size of the order and custom scores and folds the box to fit. A postage label is then affixed and the package is ready to be dispatched.

    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/c ... nes-29496/
  • Zombie_donkey
    Zombie_donkey Posts: 359
    If they filled up all the unused space with Haribo I would use Chain Reaction much more.
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  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    A right PITA when you have to go to the sorting office to collect the box as it's too big for your letterbox and the postie can't be bothered to knock or ring your bell.
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  • Agent57
    Agent57 Posts: 2,300
    redvee wrote:
    A right PITA when you have to go to the sorting office to collect the box as it's too big for your letterbox

    That's the aspect that annoys me most. I order something that would fit through the letterbox if packaged for its size, but it arrives in a huge box while I'm out at work and I have to go and make a special trip to the PO on Saturday to collect it. Nnng. Maybe more efficient for them, but a heck of a lot less efficient for me.
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  • kurako
    kurako Posts: 1,098
    Isn't wiggle located in Portsmouth? You should buy from them. Lower your carbon footprint :-)
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  • beverick
    beverick Posts: 3,461
    I agree, I received one of these in a similar sized box:

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=21941

    Yup, it's basically a 3mm allen key.

    Bob
  • mouth
    mouth Posts: 1,195
    Kurako wrote:
    Isn't wiggle located in Portsmouth? You should buy from them. Lower your carbon footprint :-)

    Yeh but then City Link would mess up the delivery and he's have to go to Southampton or somewhere else really far away to collect it.
    The only disability in life is a poor attitude.
  • Mr Plum
    Mr Plum Posts: 1,097
    Kurako wrote:
    Isn't wiggle located in Portsmouth? You should buy from them. Lower your carbon footprint :-)

    I worked for them for a bit...
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