Cut down on plastic waste -Don't buy OO9 wagons...

[Chubber]

I don't know if the staff at Hattons were " 'Avin a larf..."

 

 

AAaagh!

 

Doug

 

[yes, an OO9 wagon]

[dana]

I would  email Hattons customer service and state your displeasure . State that there is a lot of  movement  in reducing plastic waste globally and  how bad it is for the environment . perhaps  find another way to ship your wagon   environmentally friendly  if item has no box . 

[The White Rabbit]

On the other hand, it's a sizeable handful of free packing you can re-use when you send things out yourself. (If you're feeling charitable, call me an enthusiastic recycler, if not, maybe I'm just tight...). 

[Guest]

On the other hand, it's a sizeable handful of free packing you can re-use when you send things out yourself.

 

Yup. If I know I'll be selling some stuff on ebay, I usually order a packet of track pins from Hattons. I can use the packaging to send out all of my stuff and there's usually enough left over to move house with.

[Edge]

Playing devils advocate for a moment, would anyone have been annoyed if the wagon or the track pins had been damaged in transit because not enough bubble wrap was used?

 

This is definitely one of those ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ scenarios

[ian]

The short answer is that it is cheaper for Hattons to have standard size boxes and pad it out with bubble wrap than to sort through a selection of pre-used boxes to find one that is just the right size.

[Vanders]

The short answer is that it is cheaper for Hattons to have standard size boxes and pad it out with bubble wrap than to sort through a selection of pre-used boxes to find one that is just the right size.

Perhaps, but it would also seem to indicate that they need one or two smaller standard sizes.

[hayfield]

The short answer is that it is cheaper for Hattons to have standard size boxes and pad it out with bubble wrap than to sort through a selection of pre-used boxes to find one that is just the right size.

 

 

But the smaller of the 2 boxes would have been fine on its own, without its big brother. Still good to know all that free packing will not be wasted, and in fact may well have saved you money 

[brossard]

I got a box of similar size and packaging the other day containg two packs of brass wire and drill bits. 

 

However, as TWR notes, it is free packaging material which is pretty expensive for us mere mortals who are not in the trade.

 

John

[Steamport Southport]

The problem is none of the courier/mail services will take smaller boxes when it comes to larger pick ups.

 

Do you fancy loading a 14 ton truck with hundreds or even thousands of small packets/parcels of different sizes? It would take all day rather than the half an hour or so that it currently takes.

 

 

It's also easier for the retailer and warehouse staff who pick the items by filling a box. It also cuts down on the amount of damage caused in transit. I remember when I worked for Royal Mail and we used to get all the parcels from Hattons, it was a nightmare to sort. Hundreds of train size boxes just wrapped in brown paper and string, with hand written addresses. Those just got slung into mail bags with the rest of the mail rather than going with the parcels.

 

 

 

Jason

[woodenhead]

The many boxes I have collected over the years all came in useful this week when Ebay sales beckoned and with the items left really only 1 needs a box, the others will get away with bubblewrap alone.

Edited March 14, 2018 by woodenhead

[F-UnitMad]

I don't know if the staff at Hattons were " 'Avin a larf..."

 

hattons packing 1.JPG

 

AAaagh!

 

Doug

 

[yes, an OO9 wagon]

If anyone has ever seen Royal Mail & Parcelforce Sorters in action on their conveyor belts, you'd be glad of all that extra protection.

[davknigh]

If anyone has ever seen Royal Mail & Parcelforce Sorters in action on their conveyor belts, you'd be glad of all that extra protection.

The same goes for Canada Post.

 

Cheers,

 

David

[Steamport Southport]

One of the reasons why you should never write FRAGILE on a parcel.

 

There's always someone who is having a bad day, bored, a bit tipsy or thinks it's funny to treat that parcel to a little bit of roughness....

 

 

 

Jason

[hayfield]

The other thing is having small hand size packets with a little weight to them. Still if you follow Royal Mails packing instructions you can claim for the damage

[Talltim]

If anyone has ever seen Royal Mail & Parcelforce Sorters in action on their conveyor belts, you'd be glad of all that extra protection.

I've done it for Securicor. Build a wall about 10 foot from the front of the trailer and chuck all the little parcels over it

[Talltim]

I don't know if the staff at Hattons were " 'Avin a larf..."

 

hattons packing 1.JPG

 

AAaagh!

 

Doug

 

[yes, an OO9 wagon]

This is why block trains are more efficient

[RANGERS]

A pal of mine ordered 30m of bubble wrap for packing parcels to avoid damage. Amazon sent it wrapped in a huge cardboard wrapper, stuffed with polystyrene, presumably to avoid damage.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Agreed that Hatton's should have a selection of smaller boxes as well (and this has come up before on RMWeb).

 

But I remember the days when they would send out parcels in secondhand biscuit and crisp boxes - completely inadequate for purpose and I had to complain several times about damaged goods.

 

So I commend them for listening to customers.

[GRUNFOS]

I thought you meant 009 wagons were a waste of plastic!

[F-UnitMad]

I thought you meant 009 wagons were a waste of plastic!

So did I at first, but I was too polite to say!! 

[w124bob]

Funnily enough I recently purchased from them 2 4pin Hornby decoders which packaged in a similar manner.

Edited March 24, 2018 by w124bob

[rue_d_etropal]

There was one of the competion/challenge programs on TV a couple of years ago. One challenge as to fit an assorted range of parvcels in a big container(van?) , and it was very difficuly. Fitting boxes of all the same size is a lot easier, a lot faster, and therefore cheaper in the long run. Cardboard boxes are useful, and can easily be recycled/reused. Packagng is also useful,specially bubble wrap,butI have had an assortment of types pf packing fromprivte sellers on ebay. Itend to use what is to hand, to am possibly oassing the problem down the chain. Broken up polystyne is the worst, as I have little need for it, so it just gets binned.

Anyone ho has had 3D printed items from Shapeways, will sometimes wonder why their small item is in sch a big box. The bubblewrap is also of a bigger type. They seem to use two standard sized boxes. one A4 one A5 sized, which obviousthen pack well together. For bigger items I have have some non standard(it does not say Shapeways on the box), boxes. Did not check, but suspect the bigger box is double size of a4 one, ie A3. Mst give some of the drivers a puzzle, when such a large box only weighs a little.

Now if railway magazines were only A4 sized,all those A4 sized bixes would be very useful to store them!

[Vanders]

There was one of the competion/challenge programs on TV a couple of years ago. One challenge as to fit an assorted range of parvcels in a big container(van?) , and it was very difficuly.

"Packing Problems" are an entire class of mathematical problems, it's that difficult.

 

The thing, the Royal Mail somehow manage to process & deliver thousands of small (and weirdly shaped) items every day. eBay items tend to be particularly poorly packed. I fail to believe that any postal service or courier would be incapable of handling a few hundred small boxes a week.

[andytrains]

Good reason for plenty of packaging:-

 

http://dontthrowmypackage.com/tag/australia/