Less Plastic, More Charging

#1

As a company, Anker has committed to reducing its use of plastic in packaging.

Out of curiosity, I wonder if sustainable packaging affects your buying decisions.

For me, the answer is very often yes. If I can buy milk in a paper carton versus a plastic 1/2 gallon, I will. This is true even if it costs me a bit more.

So how about you? If you see two comparable products side by side and one has a lot of plastic packaging, say a blister pack, and the other is cardboard, do you let that affect your purchasing decision?

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#2

Less plastic is the way to go!! I would go for ( have been opting) for brands with less plastic usage. Also something we have been asking for sometime

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#3

Of course LESS plastic.
Starts with the packing of items.
ANKER/soudcore/EUFY is not so bad.
But sometimes plastic is used,where it can be avoided.

There have been threads created here in the past about this theme.

I am not a “Green”, but wasting of plastic is more than a sin.
Take a look at the oceans full of this garbage.

A really a horror are those microparticles added to shampoo and shower gel.
People are using them, without knowing this pollution.

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#4

Typically my purchases are already decided before I get to the store. Obviously less plastic is ideal, but sometimes the amount of “trash” inside a box is more than what is visible on the shelf. We are constantly finding ways to recycle the cartons, bags, etc. that we accumulate.

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#5

We do it here in Germany since many years.
Different trash bins : plastic, tins, paper, organic waste, normal trash.
Works perfectly meanwhile.

But who knows what will be done after separating it.
All together in the incineration plant???ß

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#6

I have made a decision based on the packaging in the past, but it is rare. Typically, e-waste for picking up the wrong device because of impulse and buying a different one later on is going to be more likely and much worse for the environment. Which unfortunately I have done before.

EDIT: I didn’t really answer your question. Having that packaging would not affect my purchase decision in store; however I will say that when companies have used literally anything else than blister packages and the cut up hands that are associated with it, it is a breath of fresh air.

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#7

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. I’m so glad we’ve partnered with oceana.org.

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#8

You mean the packaging designed to be theft-resistant but turns out to be a punishment doled out to punish consumers for not having a better option? I loathe those blister packs.

I’m really glad to see brands shifting away from plastic, but my biggest passions are composting and minimizing food waste. That paper will end up in a landfill and it won’t break down … but obviously the oceans are in a bad place with the microplastics. It’s really sad.

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#9

Same. I’ve gotten some really nice, extremely sturdy boxes with tech products, including my Anker welcome gifts. I could hoard them. In fact, I probably do. I always imagine decorating them and then selling them in an Etsy store. So durable.

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#10

I have an embarrassing amount of strong boxes that I have held onto just in case I want to (in my mind):

  1. Resell a product (I never do; I recycle them or donate)
  2. If I need to mail something out (very rarely).

They should probably just go into the recycling bin :slight_smile:

#11

Ditto. I’m not sure of the value of these super strong tech boxes, but the presentation is so so nice. H/T to Apple for that. I’d guess they started it.

#12

I do the same thing. It drives my husband crazy. Some gals have weakness to shoes and purses. My kryptonite is boxes and containers. I often find myself repurposing them around the house.

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#13

If Anker is truly trying to minimise environmental costs:

  • select manufacturing factories which use the least amount of coal for their supply of energy
  • select manufacturing factories who make concerted efforts to reduce carbon footprint, waste water
  • show that the processes used in manufacturing has the least environmental impact

I am not sure a choice between cardboard, plastic, the physical size, has that much impact, compared with the cost of the electronics content.

#14

While we recycle everything at home, and are very aware of it, I don’t think I’ve selected something due to the packaging. Most times, you can’t even see what they are going to use, so I have no clue. It would be nice to select sustainable packaging, but for the most part, I just order and then recycle from there.

#15

@professor definitely sharing this with our teams. I oversimplified. Here’s a bit more info:

Anker has

Shifed some cable production to bio-based materials (vs petroleum). See the 541 cables.

Reduced product size by as much as 30% in some cases, the 511 Nano 3 being a prime example of more compact, 30W iPhone charging. The GaN multi-port charger is another example of increased functionality (three ports) in a single, much smaller device.

In 2022, reduced plastic usage by 33%. Some products are packaged with 90% less plastic. In 2027, we’re targeted to use no plastic in any Anker product packaging. And window film with plastic hooks? Both already a thing of the past.

Also in 2022, the use of GaN materials reduced carbon emissions by 5,000 tons. GaN uses less silicone.

This is the first year the brand has launched an ESG, so be on the lookout for further development of these and other initiatives.

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#16

That’s an interesting insight – if you shop online, you really don’t know how something is packaged.

I even recycle film, which is a testament to the city’s commitment to meeting recyclers’ needs. But geez. Now that I’m collecting it instead of binning it, I see how much one household can acquire!

#17

That’s product not product manufacturing.

I mentioned the factory not it’s output.

Does Anker ensure that the electricity to the factory has some level of renewables? What happens to the waste water from the factory?

Typically the energy consumed in the manufacture of a product exceeds the energy consumed during its life. So tweaks to packaging doesn’t really matter.

Take a different product, like say electric cars, the vehicle has to be driven at least 100,000 miles before the carbon footprint becomes lower due to the higher energy costs in raw materials.

So for example if you consumed more energy extracting and manufacturing with GaN you’ve caused a net worsening.

It’s called “green washing”.

#18

Well, I’m trying to be helpful here, and explain where we are so far on this plan. The work isn’t done yet.

#19

I hear what you are saying, and that was a good presentation. However I would argue that Anker’s goalposts are probably to be better than their competitors in green inititives, while maintaining a competitive price point. I’d be curious if you know of any competitors that have similar products in similar price points that have a more aggressive energy conservation inititive that you have seen.

I will say this: She was just trying to be helpful, I don’t understand the need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. While 30% less plastic isn’t going to save the world, it is certainly better than probably 90% of the rest of the electronic items that is on Amazon and is nothing to scoff at with the sheer quantity of Anker products shipped.

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#20

Thanks @thebassline. I appreciate your presence and voice in the forums.