Sonos Packaging and Sustainable Approach to Design (Concluded)

  • 21 September 2023
  • 11 replies
  • 271 views
AjTrek1
Userlevel 7

It’s funny how coincidences occur….

In a recent thread regarding the Sonos Move 2 one participant indicated that they were disappointed in the fact that the cloth bag included with the original Move is no longer part of the packaging with the Move 2. I commented that Sonos like many companies are moving toward a more environmental friendly packaging concept with the use of recycleded materials and eliminating packing contents deemed unnecessary (i.e the cloth bag for the Move). Another member commented how they had made use of the cloth bag with the original Move and felt it was a “climate friendly part of the boxing since it’s the only thing that could really be reused”.

Well, the question(s) of the cloth bag being useful for packaging, other uses  or not; may soon be answered in the Sonos Live Q&A on September 28, 2023_11am PDT (10am MDT / 9am CDT / 8am EDT)  regarding Sonos’ packaging unboxing experience and sustainable approach to design. If you opted to receive email communications from Sonos you’re probably already aware of the event. If not...you are now 😊

I’m looking forward to the session even though I may not be able to participate “live”. Would be interesting to get your opinion posted in this thread regarding your thoughts.

Side Note: The email announcement (IMO) shows the best picture of the Move 2 (in green) and its redesigned charging base. Kind of ironic that the Move was show-cased in the announcement email (versus the Era 300 or 100) given the body of this thread regarding the “cloth bag”. Then again it could be because the Move 2 is the latest Sonos product to be introduced. 🤔

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11 replies

melvimbe

Sonos did make an official announcement in the forums.  You can post any questions you’d like to see addressed in the Q&A over there.  From past sessions like this, they definitely do pay attention to those questions, as well as those posted on reddit.

 

But if this thread has some questions too, I’m sure it’ll be noticed.

Danny
Ken_Griffiths

Recycling is a good thing. Re-purpose and re-use ‘perhaps’ equally good too. Anything that provides less waste material, which cannot be used again, is a positive.

In my own case, I’ve not ‘ever’ used any Sonos device cloth covering afterwards, nor had anything, that springs to mind, to reuse any of the covers for. I don’t use them to transport devices in a car, for example, they just sit (secure-ish) on a back seat.

I’m not sure what the majority do with theirs, but personally speaking, I won’t miss the cover. As long as the products ship/arrive undamaged, then I’m fine by these type of decisions. I guess if I ever needed a cover I would maybe use a clean duster, towel, or something similar, to help protect the casing, or even the original box, which I tend to hang onto for a period too.

melvimbe

Recycling is a good thing. Re-purpose and re-use ‘perhaps’ equally good too. Anything that provides less waste material, which cannot be used again, is a positive.

 

 

How could re-use not be as good or better than recycling?

 

In my own case, I’ve not ‘ever’ used any Sonos device cloth covering afterwards, nor had anything, that springs to mind, to reuse any of the covers for. I don’t use them to transport devices in a car, for example, they just sit (secure-ish) on a back seat.

I’m not sure what the majority do with theirs, but personally speaking, I won’t miss the cover. As long as the products ship/arrive undamaged, then I’m fine by these type of decisions. I guess if I ever needed a cover I would maybe use a clean duster, towel, or something similar, to help protect the casing, or even the original box, which I tend to hang onto for a period too.

 

I’m not sure what others do either, but ‘re-use’ has always been something I’ve been pretty high on.  Honestly, it isn’t even really about the climate, or landfills, with me, but about saving money and maybe making life a little easier if I can.  As I said in the other thread, keeping the original box is the best way to move electronics or anything fragile, so keep the box if you have the space.  I even keep a lot of generic boxes in the event I move, so I don’t have to buy new boxes.  I have a decent collection of old plastic grocery bags or other shopping bags. I even will keep some zip lock bags if they are still clean and could be used again.  I tend to keep glass bottles with interesting shapes for a while, in case I get the idea to do something artsy with it, or my daughter does.  These are just habits, but I tend to have a little thought about whether there some way I can re-use something before I put it in trash or recycle, or give it away/sell it. 

I do have the extra space for it, and a lot of people don’t.  I don’t have a spouse that will be bothered by a box sitting in the bedroom for a few days while I decide if I can do something with it.  And I do somewhat enjoy the whole process.  So no, I’m not thinking this should be everyone’s strategy.

Danny
AjTrek1
Userlevel 7

I might add that IMO (now that product packaging is a “thing” ) there are three major area that companies concern themselves with regarding package design.

Materials 

Product Protection/Integrity

Customer Unboxing Experience 

Each of the above have sub categories as well. For example in the US; having worked in transportation logistics, Product Protection in design must take into account whether the product will be transported on a Pallet (Truck Load or LTL) or Small Package (FedEx, UPS, USPS).

Pallet transport requires less package integrity (typically to retail with multiple boxes) than Small Package (direct to consumer_single box). There are instances wherein the product may move through Pallet and Small Package service which means the package integrity must be sufficient for both.

Just, FYI trivia 😂

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Ken_Griffiths

Recycling is a good thing. Re-purpose and re-use ‘perhaps’ equally good too. Anything that provides less waste material, which cannot be used again, is a positive.

 

How could re-use not be as good or better than recycling?

Because it seems to cause SWMBO to often hoard things😀 - I would much prefer Jane recycled them for others to use, rather than her trying to find a use for them.

melvimbe

I might add that IMO (now that product packaging is a “thing” ) there are three major area that companies concern themselves with regarding package design.

Materials 

Product Protection/Integrity

Customer Unboxing Experience 

Each of the above have sub categories as well. For example in the US; having worked in transportation logistics, Product Protection in design must take into account whether the product will be transported on a Pallet (Truck Load or LTL) or Small Package (FedEx, UPS, USPS).

Pallet transport requires less package integrity (typically to retail with multiple boxes) than Small Package (direct to consumer_single box). There are instances wherein the product may move through Pallet and Small Package service which means the package integrity must be sufficient for both.

Just, FYI trivia 😂

 

It’s interesting. I never really considered how packaging could be different depending on whether it would be mostly on pallet vs shipped.  I also suspect volume would be a big factor, particularly with pallets.  I mean, unless the product is so heavy that weight is a factor, you would want to be able to fit 50 products on a pallet instead of 40.  Unless the smaller box has a signficant impact on unboxing experience.

I suppose it’s good for Sonos that the box doesn’t really need to heavily market and sell the product.

 

Recycling is a good thing. Re-purpose and re-use ‘perhaps’ equally good too. Anything that provides less waste material, which cannot be used again, is a positive.

 

How could re-use not be as good or better than recycling?

Because it seems to cause SWMBO to often hoard things😀 - I would much prefer Jane recycled them for others to use, rather than her trying to find a use for them.

 

That makes sense, and I was going to make a comment about the negative hoarding aspect, but didn’t no exactly how to put it.  As an example, I have a few big bags like this.  There is no way I can bring myself to throw them out, yet I can’t say with a high level of confidence that I will ever use them.  Why wouldn't I just use a hand truck?

 

 

Danny
Airgetlam

Frankly, I’m. UHC more interested in the impact this has on the speakers themselves, than I am on the packaging they ship in. The packaging seems like an easier fix to me, but being able to fix/get fixed an ailing speaker without having to break glue that’s designed never to be opened, that’s much more interesting. I’d love more small screws and access to internals. But I realize not everyone is the same…

Bruce
melvimbe

Frankly, I’m. UHC more interested in the impact this has on the speakers themselves, than I am on the packaging they ship in. The packaging seems like an easier fix to me, but being able to fix/get fixed an ailing speaker without having to break glue that’s designed never to be opened, that’s much more interesting. I’d love more small screws and access to internals. But I realize not everyone is the same…

 

It depends on how it impacts the cost of production and physical design.  I’m not against it, but I’m not opening it up. Probably not even for repairs.  A lot of that depends on whether Sonos is using a lot of standard parts or custom parts. These speakers are made over in different locations in Asia, as I understand it, so the parts don’t exist on their own over in the United States, for example.  Sonos would need to have created just not to be used in the speakers, but as spares, shipped over on their own. Or replacement parts shipped from where they are manufactured.  Neither option sounds like the part can get to you, or repair shop, anywhere near the cost of the part used in speakers for sale.  Even from a climate perspective, is it better to replace the whole speaker and recycle the old speaker, or the environmental costs of spare parts, shipping, etc.?  Though using generic parts and 3-D printing would go along way.

Danny
AjTrek1
Userlevel 7

@melvimbe et al

Palletized shipping does look at number of pieces and weight as the cost is greatly reduced vs small package. Ironically, a lot of palletized shipments are handled by the LTL arm of FedEx, UPS and DHL. However, a consumer would only qualify for palletized (or LTL) shipping based upon total weight (multiple or single package) and very rarely because of the number of packages. Heck I’ve received 12 packages on one UPS delivery.

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bockersjv
Userlevel 7
Badge +21

 I’m the one who missed the cloth bag. I found them useful to keep the speakers clean as they reside in my dusty and often dirty garage. 
The thin useless throw away material used in the current Move2 packaging is a joke. I’d rather they did nothing than use a throwaway item., maybe consider wool(which is stupidly cheap) as a protective packaging. Call me cynical but dropping the bag is just a cost cutting measure. 
 

Also the old bags wash well and kept my speakers looking good as new, which is great as I will sell to upgrade to Move 2s. Maybe the buyer won’t mind getting the new non reusable cloth coverings for their Move1s, whilst I keep the useful cloth bags 😎🤣

 

edit… To add to this I questioned Sonos via Instagram on this very issue. They suggested the £79 travel bag as an alternative😳

AjTrek1
Userlevel 7

Just thought I post pictures of the condition of the packaging my new Move 2’s arrived in to illustrate how important package design is to the shipped product. BTW the cloth bag would have had no effect to minimize the damage you’ll see in the pictures to follow. As I have said the cloth bag (to me) was more of an Ooo...Ahhh factor.

To be fair...the Move 2’s are packaged in a white stocking-like material which seems to be part of Sonos packaging moving forward. It’s just not as elaborate as the previous Move’s  cloth bag.

As you can see in the pictures below the ship packaging (over boxing) sustained damage in transport

 

The damage didn’t stop at the ship packaging as it transferred to the Sonos Move 2 main outer packaging as well

 

The Move 2 packaging consists of several components. The inner packaging component that sustained damage was the box containing the Charging Ring. But as you can see the impact sustained by the ship packaging and Sonos main packaging dissipated as the impact moved inward.

 

 

The only indication of an impact to the inner packaging is a slight crease in the box containing the Charging Ring

 

To conclude (IMO) Sonos packaging engineers are doing a great job to ensure Sonos products arrive in excellent condition to the consumer; even when exposed to package mis-handling by the small package carrier (in this case FedeEx). The packaging obviously absorbed the energy of the impact to dissipate and distribute it evenly. Keep in mind that all components of the engineered packaging act congruently to support the overall package strength and integrity.  

Now..,I need to test drive my new Sonos Move 2’s 😎😂

NOTE: Sonos Sales, Customer Service, Sonos Packaging Design and/or Community Moderators feel free to share this information with FedEx!

 

Moderator edit: Removed still-legible address from 1st picture

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