Wasteful Packaging: It Isn't Just Wal-Mart

Though I am no longer a smoker, I still receive offers, gifts, and coupons from both Camel and Marlboro cigarettes, as I have a significant other and several friends who smoke. Today, I received coupons in the mail from both of these companies.

From Marlboro, I received an envelope with the rules to a sweepstakes, as well as a promotion code to enter it. It also came with six coupons for cigarettes.

From Camel, I received what I believed to be a gift, as it was a 5” x 5” x 1” box wrapped in plastic. Inside the box was another box and inside that, another. The boxes were promoting a new type of cigarette in brand-spankin’-new packaging. In the last box was a fake, “new Camel” cigarette pack and inside that, a single coupon the size of a business card to buy this new smoke.

This type of wastefulness is ridiculous and I have e-mailed Camel regarding it. I doubt that they will care much, even though I bet they spent much more money on printing, packaging, and postage for their single coupon than Marlboro. I would have been more understanding if there had been a gift inside, but essentially, it was 4 layers of paper and cardboard for a tiny coupon.

If you have a similar experience, it is important that you speak up and tell the company how you feel. How ever will they know that this topic is important to consumers if we don't tell them?

This article can also be found at the Blogger News Network.

[EDIT: This is the response I received from Camel after voicing concerns regarding their waste:

I noted in your e-mail that the answer "no" was selected for smoker status and wanted to let you know that our offers and websites are restricted to legal-age consumers of tobacco products.

If this information was selected in error, please let me know. I will be glad
to assist you.

I see that I will have to change my smoker status in order for them to properly ignore me. :) ]