The FootPrint Problem of Shrinkwrapping Sarah Jordan

The Toy LEnding Library A great way to provide toys to children whose families can’t afford much However, children are messy and diseases spread easily through communal toys, so each toy must be cleansed and sanitized upon return to the Library

Shrinkwrapping After being sanitized, it is required that each toy be shrinkwrapped to “ensure” cleanliness Shrinkwrapping not only wastes plastic but requires electricity to heat the plastic to the point that is conforms to the shape of the toy Many people remove the plastic inside the library and then don’t check the toys out--we are required to re-package them

A MANAGEMENT ProBLEM? Management and clients could simply trust that we have sanitized each toy However, many parents and providers refuse to check out a toy if it is not shrinkwrapped

Alternative Solutions Seems like a packaging problem, so if we could find a sustainable way to package toys and ensure they were clean, we could eliminate the need to shrinkwrap. We could provide each toy with a reusable plastic bag or fabric sack But need a method of ensuring the toy hasn’t been contaminated since the last use

Sustainable Shrinkwrapping? We could require that people return the plastic the toy was in The used plastic could be melted down into sheets to be reused But how do we ensure that people bring back the plastic? Creates the need for more energy to melt plastic down and re-form

Alternative Materials Need packaging that will allow children and parents to see the toy and also hold it together without allowing for any kind of contamination Regular plastic baggies? Require that bags be returned and reused But what about larger objects? Cellulose packaging? Recyclable but still requires heat for forming

Reusable Boxes? Collect different boxes for storing objects Many sizes for all the different kinds of toys Boxes can be brought back and reused Plastic boxes would allow for viewing, would keep toy pieces together, and would keep the toys clean But... Need to sanitize the boxes too--> more waste

Conclusion No easy answer--every means of storage available right now is going to have some kind of impact on the environment along its path of use