Packaging Totally Rethunk

File this under the "I can't believe this never occurred to anyone before now" category. HP's new Pavilion dv6929wm Entertainment Notebook PC will forgo the traditional box-lined-with-foam-inserts-and-plastic-bag-sleeves so common to this now ubiquitous product, and instead package the laptop inside a messenger bag.



The change can actually be traced to Walmart (yes, evil Walmart), who decreed last year that their suppliers would have to address sustainability in their packaging if they were to continue doing business with the retail giant. When they first announced the supply chain requirements, I wrote about how it would force designers to get familiar with more sustainable alternatives to the old label-on-box paradigm. HP has totally surprised me with what is really a perfect solution.



According to Sustainable is Good, the notebooks ship to retail outlets in the messenger bags, which are then simply transferred to store shelves. Consumers are essentially buying a laptop+carrying case combo, rather than a laptop+empty box you'll have to throw out combo. The result? A 97% reduction in packaging waste (65% when you count the box in which the computers are shipped to the store).

That's huge. That's smart. If HP and other giant corporations keep this up, it's going to become very difficult to bad-mouth Big Business when it comes to the environment. Here's to hoping this kind of thinking spreads across packaging, purchasing, manufacturing, distribution, etc. The supply chain is changing.