2 Degrees & Eco-Friendly Packaging

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Tohe

130 posts

Master Geek

#38851 5-Aug-2009 12:07

Hey 2Degrees

How about providing your $2 sim cards in a sealed mini paper envelope instead of the perforated plastic bag it comes in? Is there really any need for the extra plastic?

I know you need to keep costs down to give us our good deals, but how about 2 Degrees being innovative towards the New Zealand environment too?

Give us the The Great New Zealand Eco Chinwag, not another New Zealand plastic bag!

Think about how many thousands of little plastic bags you would prevent in landfill... and what about the useless Sim Card surround?? You could press 6 or 7 extra Sim Cards out of that pointless plastic.

tonyhughes

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#242960 5-Aug-2009 12:35

Tohe: and what about the useless Sim Card surround?? You could press 6 or 7 extra Sim Cards out of that pointless plastic.

That would not outweigh the cost of retooling the factories that make SIM cards - and certainly as a tiny small-fry SIM card buyer, they will have zero control over this.

Tohe

130 posts

Master Geek

#242976 5-Aug-2009 12:52

tonyhughes:
Tohe: and what about the useless Sim Card surround?? You could press 6 or 7 extra Sim Cards out of that pointless plastic.

That would not outweigh the cost of retooling the factories that make SIM cards - and certainly as a tiny small-fry SIM card buyer, they will have zero control over this.

I can understand that. That was a last minute thought when I added it.

Hopefully there'd be at least 1 sim card company in the world that does things differently

michaelt

425 posts

Ultimate Geek

#242993 5-Aug-2009 13:14

The SIM card surround is designed so as to be compatible with older phones that use full size (credit card sized) SIM cards.

Since 2D uses a standard 2G, GSM phone network there are still some older mobile phones and car phones that may be compatible with the network but not the small size SIM cards.

paradoxsm

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#243001 5-Aug-2009 13:30

I was rather glad the "sim holder" came with the card, I was able to slot it into my ancient phones, the Tellular trunking unit and enjoy the cheaper rates and call quality i'd been missing for almost a decade.

The plastic is thin thin thin, I would be concentrating on all those bottled water bottles, obscene packaging for everything else that is used on a near-daily basis rather than the thin plastic sim card sealer and carrier you might buy once or twice every couple of years.

ahmad

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#243007 5-Aug-2009 13:36

paradoxsm: The plastic is thin thin thin, I would be concentrating on all those bottled water bottles, obscene packaging for everything else that is used on a near-daily basis rather than the thin plastic sim card sealer and carrier you might buy once or twice every couple of years.

Or hopefully just once ;)

paradoxsm

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#243011 5-Aug-2009 13:47

If the sims are as unreliable as Vodafone's ones, I got to replace them every 6 months to a year. So far they seem to be much more solid, I cut one apart yesterday just for curiosity, the plastic seems much more sturdy.

ahmad

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#243014 5-Aug-2009 13:52

I've had the same VF sim for over 8 years. No problems.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

farcus

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#243016 5-Aug-2009 13:56

paradoxsm: If the sims are as unreliable as Vodafone's ones, I got to replace them every 6 months to a year. So far they seem to be much more solid, I cut one apart yesterday just for curiosity, the plastic seems much more sturdy.

Unreliable sim!!

what the hell are you doing to it?

paradoxsm

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#243025 5-Aug-2009 14:33

It might be partially phone related, The t68i and older nokias had terrible holders and probably caused most of the damage due to the soft plastic bending.

Admittedly the one that fails most often is used in the most phones.

willnz

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#243327 6-Aug-2009 02:39

Plastic makes the world go 'round.

Tohe

130 posts

Master Geek

#243344 6-Aug-2009 07:55

michaelt: The SIM card surround is designed so as to be compatible with older phones that use full size (credit card sized) SIM cards. Since 2D uses a standard 2G, GSM phone network there are still some older mobile phones and car phones that may be compatible with the network but not the small size SIM cards.

Sure, I can understand that. My first GSM required the whole card to be inserted too... BUT...

If you consider how many handsets are that are out there that require the whole card VS how many handsets require the small sim only, then that is still a lot of waste.
And I am sure an "adapter" of some description could be made and sold for those using the older handsets.

paradoxsm: I would be concentrating on all those bottled water bottles, obscene packaging for everything else that is used on a near-daily basis rather than the thin plastic sim card sealer and carrier you might buy once or twice every couple of years.

I pick on all packaging, but particularly those of NZ owned and/or operated companies. I feel they need to think more about what they contribute to their own backyard.

In the case of the 2D packaging, I wasn't thinking about how many 1 person would use in a year I was more considering that when I purchased mine from the BP service station, the guy brought out what looked like 2 boxes of 100 sim cards.. and THAT is a lot of plastic waste just for what is being sold at 1 store.. and how many stores are stocking these??? I was looking at the overall picture.

ahmad

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#243370 6-Aug-2009 09:52

Tohe, the packs are already minimalistic, and are the smallest packs out of Telecom, Vodafone, and 2 Degrees.

richms

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#243394 6-Aug-2009 11:04

There would be a few grams of plastic across 100 simcards - not worth the bother when there is so much more obscene use of packaging in products that are disposable. IMO they have done a good job with the sim packs. Its abit like the people that complain about their paper coming in plastic and then complain when it gets wet - cant have it both ways.

Richard rich.ms