Words and Pics by Lauren M. Whaley
“Every Under Armour product is doing something for you,” says America’s trendiest undie company. “It’s making you better.”
Funny thing is, I don’t feel better.
Along with my matching waffled top and bottoms with cool blue stitching, I now own two large, clear, nonrecyclable plastic boxes.
Yes, it’s my fault that I bought the set at the Jackson Hole Ski swap. It was the deal I couldn’t resist, not the armor-like plastic packaging.
Had I noticed the absence of the recycle symbol on the bottom of the boxes, I probably wouldn’t have purchased them. But, all I saw was myself in sleek black base layers jumping into Corbet’s. And now, I have two boxes with heavy-duty plastic tops complete with handles and a tricky opening tab. They sound like drums when tapped and they look like grown-up Transformer purses, if Transformers carried purses.
I could have fit both the bottoms and the top plus another set and a pair of ski socks into one of them.
My friend Emma thinks I should save them to use as cat food carriers on road trips. Maybe I could use them to store sponges under the sink. Or Cap’n Crunch, if ever I bought it in bulk.
Undoubtedly, Under Armor ships these all over the world. Certainly, most consumers are impressed by the curved rectangular containers that would make spacious terrariums if filled with dirt.
To make us more irksome consumers feel better, as promised, they should take a clue from Patagonia, who packages long underwear with a tag and a rubber band.
Patagonia gets it: if you’re going to make a buck off the great outdoors, maybe at least you should pay some heed to the planet.
Sheesh….speeding towards hell, drunk and in the wrong lane.
When are U.S. companies gonna wake up and start packaging things in a more friendly manner?
Over here, shops are obliged to take all the shitty packaging from you if you buy a new toaster, for example. The shops in turn put pressure on manufacturers,and viola, less crap wrapping up whatever it is you just bought.
It actually works.