Packaging in stores. Being more green and make more money.

[LaurenceCV]

Hello, 

I have a Fitbit watch. For those who, like me, have a little more trouble to motivate themselves to go train, the Fitbit watches, are a revelation.

Problem: But what a pity that your watches also come in large packs. It is estimated that each year 8.8 million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans, the one that is in your packages may well be included. A beautiful product, but a product who do not participate in the well-being of our planet due to its packaging.

Solution: If you had a much smaller box, say green, with a huge display that your package is smaller to avoid excess packaging (that is not environmentally friendly)? And the support of watch in the box, it could definitively be made of cardboard (paperboard).

Benefits for you: This would bring savings of packing, obviously, and knowing that most people who want a watch to do more sport are often people who are aware of climate changes and other problems to the planet, you will get more sales because your product will be sold as being more environmentally friendly than others.

I sincerely hope that you will consider my message, because I believe in your company and you have everything to win to offer a product that is more green than your competitors. 

[DerrickS]

Great suggestion and thanks for posting it. I'll be sure to pass your feedback along to the team.

[Jileha]

I just bought a Fitbit Flex (love it) and I must say I am quite appalled by the waste of packaging material, in particular the plastic parts.

Of course, you'd want to display your products in an attractive way, but maybe stores could use a display version looking like the current packaging, while the consumers receive a much smaller package with less material.

Also, if the consumers want to keep the packaging in case they need to return it, the current packaging needs quite a bit of space. Also, I don't find it very practical to use the original box to store the second wristband or even to use it as permanent home for the charger and the dongle. This means I have to find a different storage solution.

Maybe use a simple, much smaller carton? With sturdy cardboard parts to support the individual components? Which could also serve as container to keep all components together in a drawer until they are needed?

This might be easier to unpack as well. To open the box at the bottom is rather counter-intuitive, and I only noticed the small arrow on the bottom tape long after I finished my very frustrating wrestling with the top. Although that must have burned many more calories... 🙂

[Vinay]

Yeah, I was actually a bit shocked when I received my Fitbit Flex (love the actual product as well though). I was actually expecting something very compact considering how small the product is. It might appeal to some potential buyers, but I suppose many people buy these kinds of electronics through mailorder anyway so a display package like this doesn't make sense at all. Also as the box was glued and everything was in different compartments, I kind of slaughtered the box which wouldn't have been convenient should I have had to return it.

A compromise here could be to have two kinds of packaging, should you really feel the need for the current display packaging. The big boxes could go to the physical shops (or at least the ones who care for that), more compact packaging goes to the mailorder. Kind of similar to what you get with OEM equipment vs aftermarket.

On a positive related note, wise to not include a printed manual as you'd need a computer or phone connected to the internet anyway to actually set up the device.

[GeorgetteH]

My trainer wanted me to get a FitBit to track my progress. As I opened the packing...packing... More plastic... Hard plastic... Packing...the pile of packaging lay in a heap about a foot tall and a foot wide. Why not revamp the packaging to reflect fitness through and through. Fit human - fit Planet Earth! It's not necessary to use all that plastic. Consider how plastic is polluting the oceans and takes about 1000 years or more to disintegrate. Even if it does the chemicals will permeate the environment. How about it? Earth friendly packaging for the FitBit!!

[SunsetRunner]

I agree, the packaging is a shame on a healthy environment and contradicts the spirit of fitness and well being. I ordered online, so I did not know. Otherwise I really might have reconsidered the purchase decision of my charge hr. I know fitbit wants to display the device nicely in the box to give it a touch of high-end... but the packaging looks ugly and bulky in relation to the device. A smaller packaging made of recycled material would have been more elegant.

[GeorgetteH]

I just pressed Solution and have no idea what that means...

[SunsetRunner]

It seems like you set this topic as solved/closed?

[JGP8]

Yesterday I received my new Charge 2 tracker and was dismayed to see that the container was not recycle friendly. I am a loyal user of your products, two previous re-furbished trackers, which were delivered in cardboard boxes. There was no need for a box this large and a coated package sleeve as well. I'll re-purpose as a storage container to save it from the land fill. Go package green, Fitbit!

[JacDhe]

Dear Fitbit

I just purchased  an Alta HR.  I love it.  The packaging is nice but a little excessive.  I love the box with the magnetic flap and was excited to reuse the gorgeous box for something.  However the plastic insert which is glued into the box made it impossible since removing the plastic insert essentially destroyed the box.  In the future, please try to create more responsible packaging that can be reused, repurposed or recycled.  We already have enough packaging in landfills around the world.

J

[moffman17]

I just received a fitbit as a gift and am in the process of unboxing it and getting it going. I couldn't believe the amount of packaging. Sooo excessive and wasteful. The box inside a box is bad enough. Then the little instruction booklets that everybody throws away anyway (printing a weblink on the box somewhere would surely be sufficent) was in its own little cardboard pouch. Like seriously? And then the charging cable was also inside its own plastic wrapping -- and then inside that, which obviously contained the cord perfectly well, the cord itself had a little plastic piece of tape holding it together. Unreal. I haven't even tried the product out yet -- I understand it's a fantastic piece of equipment -- but I've already soured on the brand.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @LaurenceCV and thanks for sharing this great suggestion, which has received votes from other community members. I’m happy to let you know that this suggestion has been picked up internally at Fitbit and is being considered by our team. This suggestion will either remain ‘Under Consideration’ until released, or else move to ‘Not Currently Planned’ if it’s not viable right now. Further updates will be posted here.

Please remember that if a suggestion is chosen for development, it can take some time before updates are available or a release is finalized, so thanks in advance for your patience :). To learn more about how Fitbit decides which suggestions get developed, visit our FAQs. Fans can continue to vote for this feature suggestion while it is under consideration.

[cricricri]

I just received my HR Inspire. It could be packaged in zero plastic. Here's how:

• Plastic tag for hanging on hook in store could be replaced with sturdy cardboard. Smartwool socks are a good example of biodegradable packaging that can still be hung up.
• The charger and extra band could come in a plastic bag but could be packaged loose. They are already in their own compartment inside a double box. (Better yet: Let me choose my band size so that I don't end up with an extra band. Better yet a cotton canvas band.)
• The tracker is nested around a plastic circular form. This could be formed out of chipboard/cardboard. I see lots of molded paper being used in packaging elsewhere for a similar purpose.

We need to stop producing so much plastic, especially the plastic that is immediately thrown out.