Packaging -- especially wasteful packaging -- has become a bright spot on the radar for companies and individuals that are working on reducing their environmental impacts. But even the most proactive companies are finding that the problem can't simply be addressed in-house.

In my work in the IT department, I am constantly frustrated with the wasteful product packaging we receive from our IT equipment vendors. And the complaints are widespread, as in these examples I've gotten from our customers.

"Software licenses were sent in a large box bubble wrapped inside a cardboard envelope!" Steve, an IT Service Provider, told me. "Surely in this digital age something like this could be communicated electronically?"

The amount of materials is one of the biggest challenges, according to Stephan, who operates a large data center. "Plastic bubble wrap, empty cardboard spacers inside of cardboard boxes, surrounded by foam peanuts, and topped off with documentation that nobody will ever read or use -- it's ridiculous!"

Along those lines, the waste is so excessive that Rick, who works at a government agency, explained, "We had to hire a part time person one day a week just to dispose of this stuff in as green a manner as we can."

Finally, Simon, a customer who works in financial services, wrote me that "A typical server arrives with about five pounds of wasteful metal and paper. The extra manufacturing and shipping costs are extremely wasteful. If we, as customers, can figure out their motivation for adding these parts and not being more conscious of their packaging then we are more likely to be successful in pushing for a change."

That is the key point: Customers will have to be resopnsible for driving this change. And achieving significantly greener packaging is possible with a focused effort by our equipment suppliers to follow these three simple steps:

1. Eliminate unneeded items
2. Right-size the remaining packaging
3. Sustain with green packaging that is reused or recycled.

Letting the Bottom Line Go To Waste

Simon's comment -- that extra manufacturing and shipping costs are extremely wasteful -- is perceptive. If tracked in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, the impact of packaging waste to the equipment provider's bottom line should become painfully obvious.

But all too often, the packaging costs are buried and invisible making change difficult to initiate. The good news is that, once they're engaged, many IT equipment providers utilize Six Sigma or other process-engineering practices that are perfect for resolving this packaging problem.

Green Packaging Best Practices

These three steps are good starting-off points for working with your suppliers to cut down on waste, save on costs, and simply eliminate the hassle of dealing with wasteful packaging.

1. Eliminate unneeded items from the shipment

Suppliers should deliver all items virtually wherever possible (documentation, shipment info, licensing, etc). Progress in eliminating paper documentation from IT vendors is inconsistent at best, but customer demands for electronic paperwork will make progress possible.

Another way to reduce waste is for vendors to allow their customers to exclude any items that will be simply be discarded. Not shipping components like cabling, grounding straps, and power cords that may be duplicates or unnecessary will also reduce waste.

2. Right-size packaging

Oftentimes each component is in its own package, which causes packaging to expand dramatically. Consolidating items and shipments will reduce total amount of packaging.

Some suppliers already provide services to assemble pieces or consolidate orders, but to be most effective, the vendor should offer consolidation for a small number of units.