Why Your Puppet Arrives in a Box That Has Had a Previous Life

A puppet does not need a brand-new cardboard box to arrive safely at your door.

That is why, when you order from Puppets Ireland, your parcel may arrive in packaging that has already been used before.

It is something we have been doing for years, and customers regularly comment on it.

We give good boxes another journey

Many of our puppets arrive with very little packaging. Some are completely unpackaged, while others may simply have a protective bag around them.

For sending customer orders, we reuse suitable cardboard boxes and packing materials that have arrived with deliveries to us. We also collect good-quality boxes from other businesses around us rather than seeing perfectly usable packaging thrown away.

As long as a box is clean, strong and suitable for protecting your puppets, we are very happy to give it another journey.

Why buy a new box when a good one already exists?

For us, reuse is one of the simplest ways of reducing unnecessary waste.

Cardboard is recyclable, but recycling is not the only option. Before something is recycled, it often makes sense to see whether it can simply be used again.

A sturdy box that has carried one delivery can often carry another perfectly well.

It may not look quite as pristine as a brand-new box, and it may even have another company’s branding on it, but what matters to us is that your puppets are properly protected inside.

Keeping packaging costs sensible too

There is also a practical side to reusing packaging.

New boxes and packing materials are an additional cost for any online retailer. Those costs eventually have to be covered through the prices customers pay.

Reusing perfectly good packaging allows us to avoid an unnecessary expense while also reducing waste. We think that makes more sense than buying a new cardboard box simply so that it can make one journey.

New EU packaging rules are moving in the same direction

The EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) places greater emphasis on reducing unnecessary packaging, improving recyclability and encouraging greater reuse of packaging across Europe.

The new requirements are being introduced gradually, but the overall direction is clear: reduce packaging waste and make better use of the packaging already in circulation.

For us at Puppets Ireland, that does not mean suddenly changing how we pack our orders. Reusing suitable boxes and packaging is something we have already been doing for years.

You may have noticed our message already

We mention our reused packaging on our order confirmations and packing information so that customers know what to expect.

Over the years, many customers have noticed and commented positively on it. It is always lovely to hear that something quite simple we do behind the scenes is appreciated.

So if your puppet arrives in a box that looks like it has already had an adventure, don’t worry.

It is simply on its next one!

Myriam Doyle

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