MetaChat - When I am queen of the world,

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20 December 2006

When I am queen of the world, there will be an "urban apartment / eco-warrier" internet shipping option, in which the smallest possible box will be used and no styrofoam peanuts will be allowed, ever.→[More:] I've got three people shipping things here, and it's getting hard to walk through my living room these days.

post by: occhiblu at: 13:42 | 22 comments

Heh. I didn't actually realize that If I Ruled the World was the song currently on iTunes when I posted that.

posted by occhiblu 20 December | 13:44

Styrofoam peanuts are fun to throw around like confetti or jump into piles of like autumn leaves. (My dad being a salesman was always getting product samples and stuff in the mail, so we had a lot of foam peanuts around when I was a kid).

posted by jonmc 20 December | 13:45

Yeah... not so much when you have cats, and you have to worry that you will KILL THEM if you don't clean up every last bit of styrofoam, because the cat will eat it and die.

Also, actually, not so much if you're the one who has to vacuum them up, cat or no cat. :)

posted by occhiblu 20 December | 13:47

occhiblu - offer those organic, decomposable peanuts instead. They dissolve in water! They degrade in land fills! They're great for compost piles!

posted by muddgirl 20 December | 13:52

Have you seen the biodegradable cornstarch peanuts? Simply throw them in the sink, wet them and they DISSOLVE and go right down the drain!

posted by getoffmylawn 20 December | 13:52

Muddgirl, you beat me to it.

posted by getoffmylawn 20 December | 13:54

Jinx!

I never thought composting the degradable ones. Sweet.

posted by danostuporstar 20 December | 13:54

Amazon and its air-filled thingies are about all I'm happy with right now, really. The couple boxes I've gotten with peanuts were just GINORMOUS. Seriously, bigger than my couch. I mean, I have a small couch, but that's my point! Urban apartments! Not enough room for ginormous boxes! And the peanuts, they seem to encourage the use of ginormous boxes! Stop with the ginormity!

posted by occhiblu 20 December | 13:55

Have you seen the biodegradable cornstarch peanuts? Simply throw them in the sink, wet them and they DISSOLVE and go right down the drain!

I've tried them and generally been quite impressed. They supress motion in the package, cushion against impacts and have a generally pleasing texture. The taste is pretty underwhelming though, and they tend to stick to the roof of my mouth. Basically, they're unflavored Cheetos Puffs.

posted by pieisexactlythree 20 December | 13:56

How do you tell if the peanuts you receive are the biodegradable kind?

posted by mullacc 20 December | 13:57

When you are queen of the world UPS will see damage claims multiply exponentially?

posted by appidydafoo 20 December | 13:58

Hee. Quite probably. But I will not care, because I will not be stubbing my toe on boxes every two minutes!

posted by occhiblu 20 December | 14:07

I'll support you in that bid for Queen. We'll even electioneer for you. (No cost!)

posted by shane 20 December | 14:24

How do you tell if the peanuts you receive are the biodegradable kind?

Wet just one in the sink, if it diappears/degrades/melts it is biodegradeable.

posted by getoffmylawn 20 December | 14:25

Woo! I have backing! Next step, take over the world!

Well, next step, change out of pajamas, then take over the world!

posted by occhiblu 20 December | 14:29

I, for one, will vote for occhiblu for queen of the world.

I just got my now-Annual American Science & Surplus shipment. (Thank you, Opposite George!)They are the least efficient shippers I've ever run across. Now I have to recycle GALLONS of styrofoam peanuts!

the biodegradable peanuts look like white cheese puffs.

posted by small_ruminant 20 December | 14:38

I save the packing peanuts and use them to ship gifts to people I resent having to buy gifts for. That way, I get to be annoyingly petty, but still feel superior for "recycling."

posted by jrossi4r 20 December | 16:43

OK, while such an approach would still require having enough room to store said peanuts (like, a basement), and so cannot be implemented at this time, jrossi has just almost entirely eliminated my objection to packing peanuts.

Even eviler? Sending a big box filled with nothing but packing peanuts. Bwa ha ha!

posted by occhiblu 20 December | 16:57

We just ordered a Gorillapod, and you can get it packaged at $24.95 for gift-giving or unpacked at $21.95. It's a fantastic idea.

posted by eamondaly 20 December | 17:17

Well, next step, change out of pajamas, then take over the world!

As queen of the world, I think occiblu should be allowed to wear PJs as much as she wants, especially the feety/footy ones!

posted by getoffmylawn 20 December | 17:35

Aww. Now I'm picturing occhiblu in footy PJs and REALLY think she should be queen of the world.

posted by lilywing13 20 December | 22:37

Hee. And I will have a cat hair crown.

posted by occhiblu 21 December | 11:46

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