I'm working on a idea that has to do with shipping packages. Like the rest of you, I get a lot of packages in the mail from all over the world (US, Japan, Europe, Hong Kong, etc.) and I'm concerned about the environmental impact, among other things.

If you have a few minutes, could you fill out this survey? It's quick and anonymous.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7TJXV9M

Thanks!

Interesting thought. I've often considered my impact, but try and do my part by recycling as much packaging as possible.

Interesting thought. Not too clear on what you are investigating, but I’m starting to think that the folks that deliver packages and the people who sign for them are the most common signs of "commerce" we see every day. Yeah, that's a big thought, but after dozens of experiences where I try to buy locally and the product doesn't exist or the service sucks or something in general doesn't work and then I buy online, I'm starting to see the way the Internet (shipping/receiving) is really impacting my own buying patterns.

And I go out of my way to buy locally so I'm some kind of weirdo!

Whenever I see something as vapid as this I think there's an agenda. Do you work at a shipping company?

I don't work at a shipping company or anything like that. I've recently started thinking about the environmental impact of buying small, light vinyl toys online and shipping them around the world, and trying to figure out where I can cut out waste.

I can only see two way to cut out waste :
1. stop collecting japanese vinyl you won't find anywhere but in Japan
2. move to Japan

If you are that concerned about the environmental impacts of your hobbies, maybe you shouldn't be collecting non-degradable plastic junk tainted with lead, cadmium & phtalates in the first place. Just sayin'.

It would be far more eco friendly, but have you seen the cost to ship 'pet rocks' overseas these days!

Or look at it another way - that UPS/FedEx/DHL/Whatever cargo plane will still be flying because it's scheduled to. So the fuller it is, the lower the CO2 emissions per package carried.

The problem is knowing how full certain shipments are and what spare capacity the system has.

I also think about the impact but TBH seeing as I don't own a car, travel to work by train and ride a bike elsewhere I kinda think "F it" why shouldn't I collect something that gives me enjoyment. True vinyl coillecting in any shape or form be it kaiju or Transformers is probably detrimental but so to is not recycling food waste, plastics, paper etc.

I use a similar philosophy now I'm working from home . . . I don't have to wear any clothes whilst working, therefore I don't ever have to use the washing machine, therefore my carbon footprint is reduced enough to warrant buying huge volumes of toxic plastic toys!

Kidding!

I believe that scene is far more DIY... Which essentially makes pet rocks more punk than NagNagNag. Deal with THAT.

Punk ROCK! . . .

You should also get off the internet and turn off your computer - coal is being burned to make that electricity.

In fact, the only really meaningful way to reduce your long-term impact on the environment is to kill yourself, preferably in an ecologically-sound way - no burning obviously, (carbon!!) slashing your wrists in the bathtub wastes water, any poison or lead bullets will be released into the ground and contaminate the water table as your body decomposes - probably best to just hang yourself with a rope (made from locally-grown hemp, of course.)

not that much

Actually rather then suicide over an issue you couldn't control, how bout not having kids? Unless you are a farmer without heavy equipment there is no need for reproduction.

Oh, this is what the thread is about. Well then scratch what I first said, because hemming and hawing over something as small as this will result in nothing. I buy locally because I would rather support a local store with a knowledgeable staff that can help me in an oddball situation than deal with a chain store where the staff doesn't care and the most I "get" is a small discount on cost.

But for toys? Give up the ghost on that. While I know there are lots of brick and mortar stores that sell cool stuff, the main way people buy stuff is online. There's no way around that nowadays. And the collector's world is better for that.

If you want to get upset about the environment, then don't worry about carbon footprint and what "you" can do; you will never individually change crap. But worry about what the @$%!# anyone can do about growing e-waste and plastic problems.

I get upset when I see folk throw out good electronics, but there's really no good/consistent way to get e-waste properly recycled. And plastic? Local garbage collection should be able to accept all plastics. Nobody I know can decipher or understand the "this plastic is good/this plastic is bad" idea.

If there are aliens out there I hope they like to eat plastic and electronics. Now that's a solution!

So the idea has evolved a little since that survey.

What we're trying to do is make online shopping a lot more convenient on the delivery side. This is a really early-stage thing and we're not selling anything.

If this sounds interesting, please have a look and let me know what you think.

http://greenturtle.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi

Plop.

So will this green turtle ship or receive tools? How big of a tool is acceptable?

Your thoughts are important to us.

Thanks for all the awesome sarcasm

To quote bryce_r:
“Whenever I see something as vapid as this I think there's an agenda. Do you work at a shipping company?”

Sorry dude, but the problem is your initial post is borderline shilly, but even I gave it the benefit of the doubt. And now you’re basically confirming other folks fears: You are shilling for a business.

And I actually respect P.O. box services and storefront services like this; they do provide a valuable service. But the way you’re presenting this is overblown as best. This is really not a revolutionary idea. And the “environmental impact” pitch... Really? Are you serious? For a package receiving business?

Really good luck on your business, but seriously you might want to rethink your approach to marketing what is far from a new concept.

I'm not shilling, I am trying to get the opinions of other toy collectors on a concept that I came up with to improve my own way of doing things.

I appreciate your opinion.

Is the idea behind the "green turtle" that it's ecologically friendly but slow?

Seems like El_Notario is attempting to gain insight from a demographic that ships and receives many small packages a month, who may also feel concerned about their impact. Any living human cannot eliminate their carbon footprint 100%, but any small step is a step in the right direction at the least. I don't think anything is wrong in his curiosity of what our opinions might be.

"Green" is certainly a criteria that more and more people are looking for when deciding who to give their business to, and so it is a great tool for any business to gain attention. Not all of our interests will be ecologically safe, but if I had to choose over an environmentally friendly shipping option and a wasteful shipping option for a somewhat similar cost... I would certainly choose the former. Although, I think if your motive is business-driven, you should come right out and say that... I think you'd catch less wreck from the crowd you are presenting to.