Arduino Packaging Strategy is Wasting Paper Products

I was going to also add that paper is 100% recyclable. Our local garbage company takes our garbage can every week and picks up recycle paper/metals can every two weeks.

Lefty

retrolefty:
I was going to also add that paper is 100% recyclable. Our local garbage company takes our garbage can every week and picks up recycle paper/metals can every two weeks.

Lefty

That's not a good excuse IMHO Lefty. Why contribute more recycling than is needed? Why all that paper for a tiny little board? I just don't get it.

I have a side question Lefty - why do you sign your name to your posts, when each of your posts is already tagged with your membername? :roll_eyes:

robtillaart:
You have a point,
although I also think the paper is needed to protect against rough handling during transport. I've seen too many DOA's due to transport.
Fortunately paper can be recycled 100%.

Rough handling? Look at the attachment. That's the Arduino bord itself with all the packaging that came with it, and look at how much less packaging it came with. The only thing missing is an ESD bag, which is still a mistake to leave out of the packaging.

The rough handling of shipped products is handled by the shipping system - such as peanuts or other packing materials - at least in the case of such small items.

modeller:

retrolefty:
I was going to also add that paper is 100% recyclable. Our local garbage company takes our garbage can every week and picks up recycle paper/metals can every two weeks.

Lefty

That's not a good excuse IMHO Lefty. Why contribute more recycling than is needed? Why all that paper for a tiny little board? I just don't get it.

How do you suggest they package there products for shipment worldwide. If you have a constructive suggestion then send it to them, I'm sure they are very environmentally aware as a company.

I have a side question Lefty - why do you sign your name to your posts, when each of your posts is already tagged with your membername? :roll_eyes:

Just a personal style preference.
Lefty

robtillaart:
You have a point,
although I also think the paper is needed to protect against rough handling during transport. I've seen too many DOA's due to transport.
Fortunately paper can be recycled 100%.

Rough handling? Look at the attachment. That's the Arduino bord itself with all the packaging that came with it, and look at how much less packaging it came with. The only thing missing is an ESD bag, which is still a mistake to leave out of the packaging.

The rough handling of shipped products is handled by the shipping system - such as peanuts or other packing materials - at least in the case of such small items.

retrolefty:
How do you suggest they package there products for shipment worldwide.

Lefty,

Do you even think about what I write? I mean, this is at least the second time that it just seems like you speed-read or skim my posts.

What did I say? I said the safe shipment of the product (at least for this small size) is handled by the shipping container - not by the actual box (again - for this small size). Do you think they just dump a bucket load of protoboard boxes into a rail car and hope for the best? Of course not. The boxes are themselves packed into other boxes. Haven't you ever ordered anything online before? Does it arrive in the original box, or is it packed into another box for shipping?

Not to mention, how do you account for the packaging difference between the Arduino and the protoboard?

If you have a constructive suggestion then send it to them, I'm sure they are very environmentally aware as a company.[/color]

If they are anything like the administration of this forum, I doubt they will care about my message. :roll_eyes:

Can't the package also be cleverly re-folded and used as a project container for the card? I think it even had cutouts to leave an opening for power or USB connector.

retrolefty:

Do you even think about what I write?

Your making that harder for me all the time. :wink:

You seem so unhappy in the Arduino world lately?

Lefty

retrolefty:
You seem so unhappy in the Arduino world lately?

Lefty

You'll be able to tell when I'm unhappy here - I'll start signing my name to every post.

CrossRoads:
Can't the package also be cleverly re-folded and used as a project container for the card? I think it even had cutouts to leave an opening for power or USB connector.

Oh a Global Mod!

Maybe he can tell us why the Administration team doesn't care to answer posts in the board "Website and Forum"? I guess imagining how paper boxes might be folded is much more important.

modeller:

If you have a constructive suggestion then send it to them, I'm sure they are very environmentally aware as a company.[/color]

If they are anything like the administration of this forum, I doubt they will care about my message. :roll_eyes:

You think that administrators here are owners of the Arduino products, and they should answer to you?
:relaxed:

Cheers,
Kari

GaryP:
You think that administrators here are owners of the Arduino products, and they should answer to you?

You don't have a clue what I'm even talking about. Why don't you read the relevant threads before saying something that has nothing to do with the topics involved.

I can see your point very well, but why are you crying here and point to administrators?
Why not to send the message directly to manufacturer?

Package seems to be... more than enough to cover the product from factory to end user. I have received
poorly wrapped electronics that still works after all... lucky? So what, chinese products are cheap, so are
the actions with sending them.

What can we do here to have original Arduinos send like chinese cheapos?
:wink:

Your attitude is, for some reason, quite hostile in this case, calm down!
:slight_smile:

Cheers,
Kari

We moderators have nothing to do with administrating the forum. We are more like volunteer organizers who try to keep things civil with some capability to delete/undelete posts, ban users, move topics around, and edit offensive posts if necessary.

If you really have a gripe over the packaging, you need to contact "The Arduino Team" who are listed on the home page.

GaryP:
I can see your point very well, but why are you crying here and point to administrators?
Why not to send the message directly to manufacturer?

Gary, Crossroads - what is the purpose of the forum board we are on right now?

Here's the title of it -

Suggestions for the Arduino Project
What do you think should be improved, features for the hard/software, bugs you found

In your own words, what would they have made the board for?

Clearly somebody wanted opinions on the Arduino Project. Somebody went to the trouble of creating this board. It's here. People post in it. Is it just for decoration? Is it just for people to waste time in, their ideas never even really being read? If it's not being read by the powers that be, then what is the point of it? IMHO you are derailing my proper use of the board, so really you need to be moderated, both of you. It's an idea for the Arduino Project, and if you both do not represent that, as officials, then you really have no business trying to shoot down my idea.

Somebody in charge of the forum wanted opinions on the Arduino Project and that's just what I'm using the board for. If they don't want to come to their own forum, and read what's in their own forum board, then why not just delete the board?

Maybe you have on idea, but how I see this board, it is more likely for trying to develope the hardware (electronic) and the software (program, sketch)?
And you can correct me here.

But, you really should think about the way you are selling your idea, you are very aggressive.
Nobody's trying to shoot down your great idea.

Cheers,
Kari

GaryP:
Maybe you have on idea, but how I see this board, it is more likely for trying to develope the hardware (electronic) and the software (program, sketch)?
And you can correct me here.

Whos' to say Gary? Does it say that anywhere?

I can only go by the title explanation -

Suggestions for the Arduino Project
What do you think should be improved, features for the hard/software, bugs you found

If the title isn't clear enough, then it needs changed. If the board needs a sticky post to explain the purpose, it needs to be added.

Where are the Admins and owners? Look at one of the first posts on this board from Feb 2011. Massimo Banzi was reading along -

http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,51025.0.html

Where is he now?

It sure looks like to me this board is all but abandoned by anyone who might really act on the suggestions. I sorted the board by replies and out of 28 pages fully 8 pages never even get a reply. Scanning through it, it looks like most of the threads with an Admin response are just locked and moved out to another board. Every so often an idea is met with a comment response from an Admin, but not that many. Many are just dead-ended with no "thanks" or resolution. I wonder how many good ideas are never even given any consideration?

But, you really should think about the way you are selling your idea, you are very aggressive.
Nobody's trying to shoot down your great idea.

Quite to the contrary, it is you and the other member who are being aggressive. I'm just trying to protect my topic from derailment. But it's not working.

modeller:
I purchased an Arduino prototype board at Radio Shack yesterday, and was shocked at the amount of packaging that was used for a small board. Please see attachment. I's a little ridiculous to use that much paper product for a tiny little board. They need to re-think their packaging strategy in light of the environment.

Going back to your original suggestion, and the follow-up that the boxes will be packed together into a larger box, what is wrong, exactly, with using paper? With no packaging at all the board would bang against each other and get damaged (inside the larger box) or might rub against the cushioning pellets and generate static.

I'm always impressed when a company uses paper or cardboard to package stuff rather than plastic, because paper is readily recyclable.

What is your suggested alternative, exactly? Remember, packaged like it is you can remove your 100 items (or whatever number they ship in) from the shipping box and put them on the shelf. The package is protective, plus a point-of-sale attractive package.

As for the forum, this is a help-the-end-user forum, moderated by volunteers. To say nothing of contributed to by volunteers.

If you have a suggestion that you think is really worthwhile, write directly to the Arduino administrators, whose addresses are on the main page.

This particular part of the forum could be regarded as a place to bounce ideas around, like yours. You have yet to make a convincing argument for the alternative. What is your alternative, again? If a sensible idea was agreed upon that was attractive, environmentally friendly, kept the boards secure, and no more expensive than the current one, no doubt it could be communicated to the "Arduino bosses".

Oh a Global Mod!

Maybe he can tell us why the Administration team doesn't care to answer posts in the board "Website and Forum"?

How would we know? Although if they looked at the tone you are taking in this thread, I think that might just answer your question for yourself.

I thought I was clear. Use less paper, not change from paper. Did you compare the difference between the protoboard packaging and the Arduino packaging, which I took time to take pictures of? Of course you didn't.

Why do I feel like most of the time people just skim posts with per-conceived notions and just comment on what they feel was said, instead of what was actually said. This thread is a perfect example of that.

Nick, why don't you go back and comment on the substance of what I took the time to post, and the pictures?

What is your suggested alternative, exactly? Remember, packaged like it is you can remove your 100 items (or whatever number they ship in) from the shipping box and put them on the shelf. The package is protective, plus a point-of-sale attractive package.

Again - lees paper. Much less paper for the protoboard packaging. Look at the pics ...

As for the forum, this is a help-the-end-user forum, moderated by volunteers. To say nothing of contributed to by volunteers.

If you have a suggestion that you think is really worthwhile, write directly to the Arduino administrators, whose addresses are on the main page.

I did, about the document expired errors. Didn't you read the other thread here -

http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/topic,149438.0.html

None of them - not a ONE, PMed me back with even a thanks but no thanks.

What's your next idea?

This particular part of the forum could be regarded as a place to bounce ideas around, like yours. You have yet to make a convincing argument for the alternative. What is your alternative, again? ...

This is getting tiresome. Look above.

How would we know? Although if they looked at the tone you are taking in this thread, I think that might just answer your question for yourself.

My thread is being derailed by irrelevant posts and people who don't follow all the posts. Maybe that's why my tone is turning sour.

Take your Uno or Mega box, refold it so its inside out. Cut out the two notches on one end, and put your card back in.
Now you have a nice little storage box that can be powered up via barrel jack or USB and keep your card insulated from metal surfaces while you use it.
Nothing wasteful there.
Now your griping can be dialed back to the sticker and the folded up certificate sheet.
I've only bought 1 brand new card, a Duemilanove back on 2010, I don't remember how it came.
I'm sure the UPS or DHL or USPS outer package dwarfed whatever box the Arduino itself was in.

CrossRoads:
Take your Uno or Mega box, ...

I'm not complaining about the Uno or Mega box.

That is not in the OP.

What are you even talking about? It has nothing to do with my point.

Now, can somebody tell me why I shouldn't be getting sour when people jump in the thread and simply don't have a clue what the point is?

The packaging for the protoboard is clearly to prevent the pins extending from the bottom of the board from being bent or damaged and thus unable to mount onto another card.