As an electronics hobbyist, Amazon and eBay are a great source of low-cost electronics components.⚡ While they aren’t instantly delivered to your mailbox or door, especially not having AmazonPrime, there is a lot of selection and they are low-cost.📬

But what does bother me about these services is how much non-recyclable packaging ♻they contain. Electronic components are particularly bad, they often come packed a tyveck envelope, wrapped in bubble wrap, then in an anti-static bag – all of which is pretty much garbage.🗑I get the need to protect sensitive components in the mail, but sometimes the amount of packaging you get is unbelievable.📦

About three weeks ago, I ordered some LED aluminum channel from Amazon. It was a good price, but it came in an enormous box, which inside was another box, and then the product packed in shrink wrap and foam paper.🎁 I understand the need for the foam paper, and maybe inner box, but the big outer box seemed like such a waste. At least that can be recycled.🚮

Both major online retailers rarely package things in Styrofoam peanuts these days, preferring to use air-filled plastic bags instead. They are easy to pop and reduce down to little waste. But there are still too much that comes in tyveck envelopes, too much that comes in bubble wrap.😡 I don’t have trash pickup, so I have haul all that crap to transfer station and pay to get rid of it, and know it will sit in a landfill forever. It’s annoying.💩