Pet peeve, gigantic plastic tool storage boxes

[Bill Bryant]

I like the plastic boxes, especially the red Milwaukee ones and the blue ones with the big BOSCH lettering. In my neck of the woods I keep them in prominant places for all the yellow and gray box people (scads of them around here!) to see! I guess I'm not a big fan of DeFault and Portly Crazy. Kinda like not being a Lutheran in Minnesota.

[Bruce Benjamin]

It is still less resource-intensive to recycle than creating new, and yes, we are running out of landfill space. Here in VA we are one of the top-3 garbage importing states, due to other states not wanting or not having a place to put THEIR trash. Trash which could be vastly reduced if we didn't just thrown everything away w/out a second thought. But we in VA can't charge out-of-state trash higher tipping fees because of interstate commerce regulations. So we in VA are effectively subsidsing the trash production and disposal of other states.

Regardless of space, landfills leach toxins. Plastics don't biodegrade, they simply break down (very slowly) into their constituent materials and remain in-situ (if we are lucky). If we are not, and often we aren't, they end up leaching into groundwater.

I have the same problem with those huge tool storage boxes. I usually just throw them away but I should be taking this stuff to the recycle bin (it is on my way to town). While it is not always practical, recycling does save valuable resources. The me-now lobby seems to think that the Earth is an unlimited resource, that is until the next landfill is in THIER neighborhood.

I'm going to try to do a better job of recycling this heavy plastic tool packaging. It is the right thing to do. Thanks for the reminder.

Rob

Some interesting reading:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deput.../benefits3.htm
http://ohioline.osu.edu/cd-fact/0108.html
http://www.re-sources.org/pdf/Does_r...gy2.pdf /quote]

Sorry, you and the propaganda websites, (read that as any green website) don't have a monopoly on the truth. Generalizing doesn't help either. I'm not going to debate this at length with you or anyone else on this forum because there just ain't no changing some people's minds once they decided to think a certain way. You're entitled to your opinion. But so often people will state things as a fact such as, "Of course recycling anything saves natural resources" when it's clear that they don't really understand that the energy used in the entire process, (collection through finished product) is sometimes more than that which was saved in starting from scratch. It's really a bigger picture than most Greenies realize or will allow themselves to realize.

And regarding landfills, sorry, but there are millions and millions of usable acres and so much technology available to keep landfills from damaging the environment. Lack of landfill space is only a problem in the same way that a lack of oil refineries and nuclear power plants are a problem...The Greenies won't let them build any more.

I have enough of those plastic tool cases to fill half of a closet. I think I'm going to take them all to the local landfill tomorrow and feel good about it while I do it.

It seems to me that the best way to save resources and still protect our tools during shipment is to skip the cases and the Styrofoam packaging and use some sort of paper pulp type of protective packaging inside of the cardboard boxes. I'm talking about the type of paper pulp that some egg cartons or fast food soft drink carriers are made from. They can be made very rigid and can be molded into just about any shape. And there's no shortage of very easy to recycle scrap paper. It's by far the most eco-friendly way to go...In my opinion of course.

Bruce

[Rick Potter]

I can't believe no one has mentioned this. If you don't want them, give them to Goodwill, and maybe someone who has a use for them will be very happy.

Rick Potter

[Mike Langford]

.....If you don't want them, give them to Goodwill.....

....They'd probably turn 'em down!

[Bruce Benjamin]

....They'd probably turn 'em down!

Up until recently a friend of mine worked at a Goodwill receiving center. She said that they have and will take these sort of boxes. This sounds like the best idea yet. Well, I still think my idea of substituting compressed paper pulp molds for Styrofoam is the best idea but if you already have the containers you might as well donate them. The problem is that there isn't a Goodwill in every town. None near me.

Bruce

[Steve Dewey]

Sorry, you and the propaganda websites, (read that as any green website) don't have a monopoly on the truth. Generalizing doesn't help either. I'm not going to debate this at length with you or anyone else on this forum because there just ain't no changing some people's minds once they decided to think a certain way. You're entitled to your opinion. But so often people will state things as a fact such as, "Of course recycling anything saves natural resources" when it's clear that they don't really understand that the energy used in the entire process, (collection through finished product) is sometimes more than that which was saved in starting from scratch. It's really a bigger picture than most Greenies realize or will allow themselves to realize.
...
Bruce

I won't debate you on which is better for the environment (recycling vs. landfill) as there are too many variables - is the plant close to my house, do they use renewable energy etc? - the answer is it "depends". For plastics/paper it could go either way. Metals on the other hand are far more favorable to recycle - especially aluminum which consumes vast amounts of energy to convert from ore to finished product.

I will remind everone that the environmental "three R's" are "Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle" - in that order. Seems that most here are advocating for reduction in the first place as a delete option, some are offering ideas for how to re-use (alternate storage, re-gifting, ebay, goodwill).

[Rob Will]

I can't believe no one has mentioned this. If you don't want them, give them to Goodwill, and maybe someone who has a use for them will be very happy.

Rick Potter

Thanks Rick, that is a very intelligent solution. If nothing else, it sets the right tone and leads by example.

Again, I am often guilty of just throwing them away but thanks to this discussion, I am going to try to do a better job of reduce, reuse and recycle.

Rob

[Gary Keedwell]

Hmmmmm tree huggers......Responsible Forrest Management....Wildfires...

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I've sold some on ebay and I have given them away to the people who use them . . . contractors. Seems the more FWW type tools like routers boxes will sell on ebay. The construction type tools like circular saw boxes are gladly accepted by contractors. I try to focus on refuse and resuse. I wished all tools came with an option for boxless distribution. Heck I even sell off my systainers.

[Rob Will]

[quote=Gary Keedwell;709066]Hmmmmm tree huggers......Responsible Forrest Management....Wildfires...[/

Yep, last month when I got that diesel fuel bill for about $20K I wanted to go hug a tree.

Tree hugger? Yes.
First hand experience with how energy and other resources are expensive for buisness? Yes.
Grow food for a few thousand of my city-dwelling friends? I'll try.

Even though I impact the Earth in a lot of ways (we all do), I try not to deny it. That way I can have an open mind on using less resources (and saving $$). Heck, I may go get that DeWalt box out of the trash for recycling right now.

Rob

[Steve Schoene]

My concern is not the gigantic boxes, but the boxes that aren't quite big enough. You have to struggle to get the tools back into them--like the Porter Cable box for a circular saw that you can only get the tool in if you adjust the depth of cut to its maximum. Most manufacturers seem to try to fit the boxes as tightly as possible to reduce the "cubes" for shipping.

I've been moving and have spend a good chunk of the past year in temporary quarters while having a house built. Having boxes has been very useful. The Systainer boxes from Festool are marvelous in comparison.

[Gary Keedwell]

[quote=Rob Will;709079]

Hmmmmm tree huggers......Responsible Forrest Management....Wildfires...[/

Yep, last month when I got that diesel fuel bill for about $20K I wanted to go hug a tree.

Tree hugger? Yes.
First hand experience with how energy and other resources are expensive for buisness? Yes.
Grow food for a few thousand of my city-dwelling friends? I'll try.

Even though I impact the Earth in a lot of ways (we all do), I try not to deny it. That way I can have an open mind on using less resources (and saving $$). Heck, I may go get that DeWalt box out of the trash for recycling right now.

Rob

Didn't mean to get your dander up Rob..You sound sincere...I just get perturbed at the hypocrites who drives their big SUV's, live in 25,000 SF mansions and jet all over the world and tell us to conserve our carbon print, whatever the heck that is.
Gary

[Mick Zelaska]

The county landfill has a "Too good to throw away" area where I take the cases for tools I use often and will never see the inside of the case again. Most times the cases are gone before I leave the area. Less often used tools stay in their cases to keep them protected during storage.

[Chuck Saunders]

I didn't read all of the posts to see if this was mentioned but I occasionally shop on that well know auction site for tool boxes that are made for some of my power tools. Right now I am looking for a box for a Skil HD77 skill saw. I got the saw new at Menard's for $109 because they were phasing out this model and replacing it with the Skil SHD77. Sneaky gloat. I have been looking for the HD77 saw for a few years but couldn't justify the $169 or higher cost.

When I bought my last HD77 it cam in a canvas gym bag type case. Less bulky [good], not very protective [ questionable need], so small you have to take the blade off for it to fit well [bad].

[Rob Will]

[quote=Gary Keedwell;709155]

Didn't mean to get your dander up Rob..You sound sincere...I just get perturbed at the hypocrites who drives their big SUV's, live in 25,000 SF mansions and jet all over the world and tell us to conserve our carbon print, whatever the heck that is.
Gary

No problem Gary, interesting discussion.(and you're right about that).

Rob