Most Wasteful Packaging you've seen?

[zombienixon]

So, yesterday, a part I ordered came in the mail.  At first I thought it was for my sister, since they get a lot of packages, but then I saw that it was for me.  I was a little worried at first that I had either been shipped the wrong part or ordered the wrong part, since the box was way bigger than I was expecting.  Turns out there was a reason for this.

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For I while, I was wondering why they'd use such a large box for such a small part, but then I realized it was so they could fit their catalog in with my order. I guess it makes sense, but that sure is a lot of empty space.

This actually reminded me of one that was even worse than that.  Last year, I had to go online to order replacement blades and foils for my shaver, since they don't carry them in store.  This is something that could've fit into a tiny padded mailer.  This is the box it came in.

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You could probably fit over 100 of those in that box.

So I'm wondering, have any of you ordered things that came packaged like this?

[CupidStrikes]

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The store I ordered from is known for their apparently dislike of trees but...geez. When I emailed to ask wtf  they said they didn't have a smaller box. Yeeeah I call bull poo. They also sent me a flat keychain in a massive bubble envelope (like, larger than A4 size for a two-inch long strap).

I don't have any photos of the other one, but someone once charged me $22 to ship a figure. I got a figure from the same set (so same size and weight) shipped to me a month later for $5 because they used more appropriate packaging. And this was before USPS's price hike (alas, the first person put it in the post before consulting if I was okay with the postage cost so I had my hands tied in coughing up for that).

I do appreciate secure packaging (I'm forever frustrated at Amazon UK's terrible packaging and packing expensive items with protective packaging on one side rather than surrounding the item), but I loathe packing paper overkill as it's a pain to recycle and get rid of 

[True]

I dont have pictures lol but walmart is the worst with this! rofl

When I was setting up my sons new room, and really wanted him to have a desk and chair for homework. I had to site to store the chair... This was just a  very basic rolling office chair, yet the shipping box looked like it could hold a giant flat screen tv in it. I think you could have actually fit two chairs in it.

I usually dont have such a problem with amazing, Im usually more impressed that they seem to have boxes in unlimited sizes, lol though iv never ordered anything humungous so i dunno there. its the foreign people who sell thorough amazing that I seem to have the oddest experiences lol.

I ordered a bunch of normal chopsticks, because you can only find wooden ones here and im picky, a rice paddle and a smallish bento. The order said that it would have to be split up into two parcels, So I figured the sticks and paddle were coming in a flat mailer? nope, it was a huge box, that the bento could have fit inside 3 times plus have room for lots of padding, a month later the bento arrives and a bubble mailer. -____-

[Moony]

I work in a vet clinic and we get huge boxes with one small medication bottle in it xD We usually leave the boxes out for a bit so the clinic cats can play in them haha! I will second that Walmart uses huge boxes for tiny things haha!

[Dreamer]

Novi Stars packaging. That's all.

[melodys_angel]

I don't think its been that bad for me...but I NEED 3 boxes like that walmart one for care packages im sending out.  Why must it be soo hard to obtain a box? o.0

[Navi]

I don't really mind when stores send me boxes that are too big - as long as the stuff inside doesn't arrive trashed because of it. I recycle the boxes when I have to ship something, so nothing's wasted.

[tikibirds]

I dont remember who but someone sent me headphones in a box big enough for a cat to fit in. I think it was Amazon.

[kaoskat]

I was either from Hasbro or Mattel, I can't remember which, but we ordered some little tiny thing and this huge box showed up. I was so confused. We opened it and discovered the little thing mixed in with packing peanuts. That was it. Oh and the shipping slip of course. It was insane! But I needed the box anyway so it worked out.

[Majesty]

Yeah I order from amazon a lot and I get that sometimes.  I find it annoying but I had this thought that if the box gets thrown around a lot at least it has room to move around, instead of being tightly packed in--not sure if that's right or if it makes sense. 

[rybett]

I dont remember who but someone sent me headphones in a box big enough for a cat to fit in. I think it was Amazon.

This makes me giggle as one of my kitties will try to sit in a box that ear buds would fit in.

[CupidStrikes]

Yeah I order from amazon a lot and I get that sometimes.  I find it annoying but I had this thought that if the box gets thrown around a lot at least it has room to move around, instead of being tightly packed in--not sure if that's right or if it makes sense. 

Items that are loose in their packaging are more likely to be broken by rolling around inside, than if they are kept in place during transit. Too much padding can squish some items, but bubblewrap and packing paper usually have enough give that they can cushion the contents without crushing them.

[hathorcat]

Pretty much anything Amazon sends

[Marigold]

Disneystore is notorious for sending HUGE boxes with one small item floating in it with a bit of air pillow to cushion it.  I saw someone post a photo of a small had sized stuffed toy in this giant box with nothing else.  Really wasteful.  Sad thing is, their boxes are also very flimsy and are more likely to get crushed when there is nothing in them but air and a bit of fluff.  So you risk your tiny plush getting lost because the box squishes and pops open!

[Sumire]

This wasn't a box, but it was definitely the most wasteful packaging I have ever seen. I bought a very cute tin full of Jelly Belly jellybeans when I was in Japan. When I opened the tin up, each and every individual jellybean was wrapped. The cellophane wrappers did identify the flavor of each wrapped bean but still, wrapped jellybeans?