Amazon recently (today?) launched what they’re terming “Frustration-Free Packaging.” Basically, instead of getting things in the retail packaging, you get it in a brown box with plastic pillow packaging. The number of things you can get in FFP isn’t high right now, but it’s a huge start.
From their description of the FFP on a Fisher-Price pirate ship:
This item is delivered in an easy-to-open recyclable box and eliminates 36 inches of wire ties, 1,576.5 square inches of package inserts, and 36.1 square inches of printed carton materials. Also eliminated are 175.25 square inches of PVC blisters, 3.5 square inches of ABS molded styrene, and two plastic fasteners.
Brilliant. I hope to see more products offered like this, because the retail packaging is irrelevant when you’re buying stuff over the internet.