Almost a year ago, I told you one of our online shopping fails, which involved a lot of unnecessary packaging materials which was shipped to us from wherever the product was stored.
Well, I got pretty annoyed at a package I received recently and found myself somehow fooled. Weeks ago I decided to buy aluminium, reusable coffee capsules that I can use with my Nespresso machines. Being at home I had increased my consumption a lot and the waste impact was properly awful.
I used a friend's feedback and ordered via the website he recommended. I found it nice, straightforward, well-documented, and I genuinely expected to support a local business when placing my order. Indeed, compared to prices I could find on Amazon, my purchase cost more...but hey it was for a good cause.
A month later my ordered arrived. I was again honestly believing the shipment would take time due to shipment constraints (Switzerland is not the easiest place to ship stuff to). Obviously I found myself highly stupid when my packaged arrived, made in China. The package had crossed the entire world for 2 metal capsules, a metal coffee press, a plastic brush and a plastic dosing spoon.
To make it worse, my husband made a quick search online on Amazon and AliExpress, and we found the capsules very quickly. The only difference was the engraved logo of the website. And if you wonder about the price difference, I could find the exact same package for 1/3 of the price.
So at the end, what happened?! Well, I just hit a dropshipping website, while I sincerely hoped I was helping a little business. Yes, feel free to call me naive or stupid even, as this is the way I feel anyway. When I realized my mistake, other thoughts about my zero-waste / sustainable purchases I have made so far. I am always questionning my needs and doing some research about where I buy from; however I have noted lately some awful ressemblances between a few items of mine, which made me question the overall consumption context.
My box of bamboo Q-tips from DM for example looks exactly the same as the one from Hydrophil. Quick google search and here is the (possible) truth: you can have your box customized with your brand, but all will look the same at the end (see here). The same goes for my metal, double-decker lunch box, and last but not least...toothbrushes. And knowing I bought 3 more toothbrushes to be tested for OUTSIDE THE BOX...I do feel like a fool.
My disappointment is genuine, as I am trying to reduce useless emissions from transportation and packaging as often as I can. I am also interesting to optimize quality and longevity, even if I have to pay a little more than usual. Well, I guess I will need to drink a lot of coffees now with these metal capsules to find to compensate the fail....As for the rest...I guess I will not feel unique anymore...
Dropshipping, my *ss!!