That's an area that I've been working on recently.  For the longest time I
resisted buying new boxes, instead using boxes donated by local merchants or
re-using ones from our vendors, just because I didn't want to waste more
landfill space buying new cardboard when so much perfectly good used
cardboard is being thrown away every day.  While we still do collect boxes
from local merchants, this year we started buying new boxes as well, in
sizes that were better suited for specific items that we frequently ship.  I
am still, for now, resisting buying non-recyclable packing materials, such
as styrofoam, plastic, etc. that will continue to exist for hundreds of
years after I'm done with it.  I have been working with our employees on how
to, and not to, pack a box, and insisting that heavy and fragile items not
be packed together unless they are separately boxed within the master
carton.  We have also instituted a bonus system, whereby the person who
packs each box must personally sign his name to it, and then gets a weekly
bonus that is directly tied to the number of (or hopefully lack of)
shipments that are damaged or missing items that he personally packed.
There's a lot of room for improvement, but it's something that I'm working
on and is a high priority to me.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  (215) 234-VWVW
  www.busdepot.com

_____________________________________________
Toll-Free for Orders by Part #    1-866-BUS-DEPOT

> Ron, every order I've gotten from you has been seriously underpacked, and
> with heavy and light items all jumbled together.  I'd suggest getting UPS
> to come out and demonstrate to your packing crew what their idea of
> adequate packing is so they'll have a reference.  You probably won't want
> to go as far as they suggest, but there's a happy medium in there
> somewhere, and of all the vendors I deal with for any purpose (machinery,
> books, electronics, garden supplies, tools, car parts etc etc)