If you are anything like me, you’ll have read a plethora of books about the impending climatic catastrophe were facing, and will have worked out the difference with this disaster story, is that is all backed up by science. Joy!

It comes as no surprise then, that as consumers we’re getting angrier at those companies that talk green, but fail to live up to our expectations. My latest annoyance is the industry of excess packaging. Cling wrapped vegetables, biscuits that come in several wrappers, box after box, after box… Does the consumer really want so much waste?

The Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment argues that ‘Just because we can recycle most materials doesn’t mean we should. Some packaging is simply not worth recycling because it takes a disproportionate amount of energy to collect, clean and transport the materials’(1) . This argument can be turned around, what about all the energy and materials it takes to produce packaging in the first place? More plastic (which comes from oil), more paper, more ink. It’s a rather basic point of view but I personally believe that more packaging not only means a greater cost to the environment, but a greater financial cost to the consumer. The Recycling Consortium estimates that packaging waste constitutes approximately 24– 30% of household waste in the UK and represents £6.50 for each £50 spent (13% of the average shopping bill) (2).

At this point if you don’t really care too much about this issue, let me remind you about all those extra journeys forcing you to take this extra rubbish out to the bin. Not only are you paying more financially, but it’s also costing you more time as well.

I’ll tell you what else makes me angry - people that don’t pay the correct postage (stick with me on this, it will make sense in a moment). The day arrives when it looks like something interesting has arrived through the post (apart from further rubbish). You go to the post office to pay, and your hopes are dashed. They’ve got you again. More stuff you never wanted and you’ve paid for it again.

I hate excess packaging and recently I found a way to channel all my annoyances into something constructive. I’ve found a way to turn those coy consumer woes into costs for the industry.

Conveniently many companies put their address on produce packaging so you can complain if you are dissatisfied. Save up your junk mail envelopes, get yourself a nice batch of penny stamps, and the next time you get something from the shop that has more layers of packaging than the skin of an onion, place it in that used envelope, and send it back to the company with a penny stamp on the front. Personally I like to write something on the front like ‘We want less waste’. The resulting factor? The company has to pay to get their waste back and you feel satisfied that you’ve stuck your two fingers up at a system we never wanted in the first place. Most important of all, hopefully the company gets the message.

I know it’s not the most pressing environmental issue, and I know that there are a whole swathe of other things much more constructive to reduce your impact on the environment, but it sure does make me feel good.

Just remember, consumers are the masters in any consumption society.

(1) INCPEN, The Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment Waste Management Factsheet, http://www.incpen.org/pages/userdata/incp/wastemanFS.pdf 16 Jan 2008

(2)The Recycling Consortium, www.recyclingconsortium.org.uk