So I decided I needed to buy the Mega Rig Space Shuttle for my nephew, who is 7. I checked out the price at Amazon.com and was suprised to see an option for "Frustration-Free Packaging" for some of the Mattel toys, including this one.
Frustration-Free? Sounds right up my alley. How many hours have I spent bending those dang wires to free the Polly Pockets from their plastic bondage? How many nails have I broken trying to pick the ultra-sticky tape off the backs of Littlest Pet Shop creatures?
So I clicked on the Frustration-Free option and sure enough, when the Mega Rig Space Shuttle showed up at my door is was efficiently packed in a single brown cardboard box. No clamshell plastic containers, no wires, no rubberbands, not a strip of sticky tape in sight.
Now my nephew (sssshhhh, don't tell him) can play with his toy the minute he opens it and not 20 minutes later when Aunt Laurie finally gets all the wires off. And ALL of the packaging can go in the recylcing bin. And the dog won't get hold of any of those little plastic pieces that fall off when you remove the rubber bands. He'll be so disappointed. He lives for plastic. He thinks Polly Pocket shoes are bubble gum for dogs.
I snagged these photos off the Amazon site so you can see how much less packaging is used. On the left is the toy, the center is the traditional packaging, and the right shows you what I received.
Coolest idea ever! All toy companies should do this. Are you listening Polly Pocket?
Right now this is only featured on 19 of the top selling products. Send an e-mail to your favorite toy company this week demanding more packaging that is environmentally-friendly and Mommy-friendly.
