We live in an age of unparalleled convenience, where practically anything—food, makeup, clothes, or even the latest iPhone—can arrive at our doorstep in hours or a few short days.
As impressive as it is, this efficiency comes at a huge cost for the planet. Deliveries are often shipped in absurdly wasteful packaging: massive boxes stuffed with plastic wrap, layers of foam, and heaps of shredded paper for something as small as a pair of earrings. This practice has become so common that people online are now sharing photos of their over-packaged orders, exposing just how ridiculous it can get.
Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most egregious examples. Scroll down to see for yourself, and don’t miss our conversation with climate and environmental consultant Anna Bohushenko about the consequences of such excess.
#1 Individually Wrapped Lemon Slices
Image credits: andreayenchen
#2 All Of This For One Purse. (Cat For Scale)
Image credits: Almond_Roses
#3 Ordered 5 Nail Polishes From Amazon
Image credits: 22trenchcoats
Bored Panda reached out to Anna Bohushenko, a climate and environmental consultant from Ukraine, for her expert insights on the issue of unnecessary packaging. “The use of single-use packaging, increased consumption on the go, and the growth of the e-commerce sector all contribute significantly to the increase in waste, leading to a social and environmental crisis,” Bohushenko says. “The unsustainable use of packaging materials also increases the demand for natural resources and plastic pollution.”
#4 Since Oranges Don't Have A Natural Packaging
Image credits: snortgiggles
#5 This Box Was For One Little Ds Game
Image credits: JinnDaAllah
#6 Not Sure What The Point Of The Plastic Wrapping Is… What A Waste
Image credits: atrebor202
“Waste is everywhere,” says Bohushenko. “It gets stuck in fences, it is scattered on streets and along beaches and roadsides, and it pollutes waterways, oceans, soil and air. Humanity is estimated to generate about 2.24 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, of which only 55% is disposed of in controlled and designated facilities.”
#7 For Fuck's Sake
Image credits: Jayscones
#8 Seen At Target - 2 Apple Slices X 6 Plastic Bags, In A Plastic Box
Image credits: [deleted]
#9 Included A Lipstick In A Target Pick-Up Order. They Said It Was Out Of Stock Locally, But They Could Mail Me One
Image credits: rice_and_toast
As Bohushenko explains, this could rise to 3.88 billion tonnes per year by 2050. “The waste sector is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss,” she says. “Around 931 million tonnes of food is thrown away each year, and it is expected that up to 37 million tonnes of plastic waste will end up in the ocean each year by 2040.”
“As a result of plastic pollution, most sea-birds are consuming plastics on a regular basis and a large majority are becoming sick. They are often injured and maimed by plastic trash, even if they don’t consume it.”
#10 This Tin Of Individually Wrapped Assorted Jelly Beans I Got As A Gift
Image credits: LittleBitCrunchy
#11 "Gift Of Nothing" Is The Gift Of Egregious Packaging
Image credits: Mobeus
#12 Some Sort Of Chip My Coworker Received
Image credits: Shaldoz
#13 17-Inch Box For A 2-Inch Item, Including Whole Printed Spiel That It Was “Thoughtfully Packaged” To “Reduce Impact”
Image credits: Aquillyne
#14 All This Plastic For A Single Cough Drop
Image credits: Elementz_Reborn
#15 47,785ml Of Packaging For 5.4ml Of Product. These Boxes All Came From The Same Warehouse Together
Image credits: bismuth17
#16 Wasteful Packaging Should Be A Crime. Credit: Gegloon On Reddit Via @get.waste.ed
Image credits: LittleBitCrunchy
#17 Just Got A Pair Of Headphones, Why Is The Box So Big
Image credits: Mittens1215
#18 Somehow Both Too Much And Not Enough
Image credits: Ashgenie
#19 Got My Battery Today From Amazon. They Didn’t Even Add Bubble Wrap Or Craft Paper
Image credits: Nruggia
#20 The Box And What It Was Used For. Ordered From An Ink Supplier
Image credits: SomeKindaMonstur
#21 Way Too Much Packaging For Some Batteries ?♂️
Image credits: konigswagger
#22 My Chef Saved $2.50/300 Units If They Come Individually Wrapped. So I Spent The First Hour Of My Shift Unwrapping Them
Image credits: LittleBitCrunchy
#23 "Eco Friendly" Soft Toys All Individually Wrapped In Single Use Plastic
Image credits: coke_with_sugar
#24 A Little Bottle And A Tiny Other Thing
Image credits: Aria_Swan
#25 Pixy Stix
Image credits: ohh-you-know
#26 Christmas Present. A Box With Plastic Lid, Six Useless Cups, 6 Plastic Lids... All For 6 Little Sachets Of Hot Chocolate/Coffee
Image credits: ToaTom
#27 The Forks At Buffalo Wild Wings
Image credits: VideoPanda7113
#28 Pure Absurdity
Image credits: wanderingmoor
#29 A Fanny Pack
Image credits: [deleted]
#30 Nutrisystem Pizza
Image credits: quinnkurk
#31 Forgot About This Gem...this Was 12 Years Ago But I Believe That Was About An 18-In Ruler And It Was Absolutely The Only Thing In That Box
Image credits: bitch_taco
#32 Two Sleeves Of Pills Came In The Box Of 10
Image credits: jmfb8878
#33 All For One Book
Image credits: JonaFerg
#34 A Specific Carton Just For A Single Egg
Image credits: hobovirginity
#35 Change Wiper Blades On Two Vehicles And Win This Pile Of Bs!
Image credits: MilkyWhiteDischarge
#36 This Is The Packaging For 8 Serving Utensils From Crate And Barrel. (Banana For Scale)
Image credits: potatollamapie
#37 Was The Paper Seriously Supposed To Keep The Two Items From Moving Around In This Huge Box?
Image credits: coffins
#38 Giant Box To Ship Five 4x6 Photos
Image credits: technohippie
#39 Ordered 2 Knives From Crate And Barrel…
Image credits: Ilikerocks20
#40 The Tomato Aisle In My Local Grocery Store Made Me Sad
Image credits: [deleted]
#41 All This For Some Spirit Gum :/
Image credits: Substantial_War289
#42 Thanks Tesla! All This Packaging For A USB Drive
Image credits: silent_pm
#43 Too Much Package For 3 ‘Gourmet’ Cookies. Found At Sams Club
Image credits: Bibininini
#44 A Presentation Case For A Single Tube Of Toothpaste. It’s Recyclable, Forgetting That They Could Just Not
Image credits: HereComesCunty
#45 Hannaford Supermarket Hoping To Sell You *a* Donut
Image credits: MrShazbot
#46 All This Plastic For Just 5 Toothbrush Heads
Image credits: howtheeffdidigethere
#47 Wait, Why Wrap Compostable Poo Bags In Plastic?
Image credits: writercanyoubeaghost
#48 Why
Image credits: KoiDotJpeg
#49 Some Anti-Egregiouspackaging? I Mean, Thanks, But A Little Discretion Would Have Been Appreciated
Image credits: Iappreciatecats
#50 Can't Be Too Careful!
Image credits: JonnieD152002
