The Environmental Impact of the Hobby

Anyone ever thought about how if you buy a doll on the secondary market it is -- in some strange way -- recycling?

I live in the downtown, take public transit, have never owned a car and will not work in a place that I cannot get to by public transit. And many of my friends keep asking me "why do I bother?" These are the same ones who jump on the environmental band wagon -- they've all seen Gore's film, recycle their boxes . . . and still drive honkin', gas guzzling, humugous cars (some of them have 2 or 3 in a family).

I agree with those who say that as it is part of a larger shipment, I hope my doll purchase is not leaving too much of a carbon footprint. But I still would prefer to shop for my doll closer to home if possible.

 

I have one second hand doll and one on the way (both from the same person, conveniently ) that came from within the UK. ^_^ And I get the bus or walk everywhere too spensers_mom - hurray for public transport! *hates driving* I totally agree with you 100%

 

If you are concerned about the impact of filling flights with import goods you can google search 'Carbon Offsetting'.

It isn't a perfect solution, but it's a way to at least begin to 'pay' for your Carbon footprint.

Here is a linky to uk government site with approved schemes:
http://offsetting.defra.gov.uk/cms/approved-offsets/

Can be as simple as buying a tree to plant in some new woodland

 

Planting trees, a great idea! We should all act responsibly and try to reduce the damage we do to the world we live in.

I don't think shipping dolls adds to the problem in a huge way, I mean these planes/ships or whatever it is that they transport goods with will be in use anyway, regardless of a doll being on board or not. It is great to be able to source things locally, though. I would encourage everyone to recycle what they have, not buy what they can do without and support local communities.

 

Planting a tree is definitely a good idea. I like the thought of planting a tree for every doll I have ever bought and watching those trees grow each year *sigh* In a few years I'd have a BJD-sized forest for them to have picnics in

 

well the plane delivering the mail if doing the trip anyway so by shipping a doll we are just filling the cargo space. it would be more wasteful to send a plane somewhere only half full as apposed to full. and most companies are now doing things to minimize their impact on the environment. even the boxes the dolls come in i use for selling and shipping stuff on ebay or for making stuff.

 

If someone orders something from another country, unless you're ordering something really extraordinary, it's most likely being shipped with A LOT of other things.

That said, whether or not any one of us orders something from another country, there are always going to be a lot of other things that are being shipped from there anyway.

 

I was glad to find this thread! I think it's a huge issue and one I grapple with, especially since I have a small on-line business. Not only do I feel guilty about the "carbon footprint" but the simple fact that it's an expensive hobby. However, I do love the dolls so I try to find ways to lesson the impact by re-using packaging when I mail items and recycling the cardboard boxes I can't reuse. I have been pretty impressed with the packaging I have received; very little styrofoam and mostly paper, bubble wrap and cardboard that can be reused and/or recycled. As for the "carbon footprint" I am constantly looking for vendors in the US to lesson the travel effect. I hope that people are able to make transportation more efficient in the future to make less of an impact.

 

Already most of our grocery items, clothing & general supplies are imported from around the globe so the doll trade is merely a small part of it. The packaging can be a bit overwhelming but personally I save every scrap of bubble wrap, styroform, peanuts & boxes to reuse when shipping other dolls. I'm big on recycling packing materials not only to save on the cost of new ones but to prevent reintoducing more environmently indistructible things into landfills.

 

I think that every day we transport huge amount of different goods and dolls are only small part of it. They are special so there will never be any real enviromental impact. The true there are many other products as exotic fruit, food, computers theirs enviromental impact is much more bigger. So if we want to help enviroment we should limt buying another goods from different countries - even if we wont only buy some things.

 

I'm unclear on how "global warming" is caused, (I'm leaning towards natural causes like sun activity rather than man made) or if it is even happening at all so I don't even think about the "impact" of shipping a doll from wherever. In the UK there is the feeling that the whole green issue has been overblown as an excuse to raise taxes and I'm seeing a lot of reports that contradict the screaming, panicking headlines - like places that were supposedly going into meltdown recording their coldest summer/winter in decades etc.

 

I think that, because we live in parts of the world where it's hard at best to find BJD, then we must needs do what we must. I don't have too much of a problem, since we use boxes in this house like they're going out of fashion, and they can be used to create things as well.

I recycle things when I can...an old shirt and sock are my doll's bed and pillow right now, on a second-hand bookshelf my father bought for me. I keep my doll's clothes and patterns for more in the box she came in.

There--saving the earth--one new doll at a time!

 

No plane ever went flying just to ship a couple of BJDs, really. So - either we order or we don't - planes will be flying, ships will be sailing, trains will be going.

One person walking when they can DO mean a difference albeit small one, but it all sums up. it's real. One, two or even a hundred of persons not ordering dolls DON'T mean any difference at all. Humans just can't afford to stop all long-distance transportation, global warming or not.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for doing all we can. Just... it's no use to overdo it.

 

Not global warming so much as climate change. And I'm not too sure where in the UK you're seeing this - do you have any links to news sites?

I hadn't even thought of this before it was brought up as a topic on DoA. I have to admit, it's certainly not something I've ever actually thought of, but then again I'm not that eco-conscious. I'm sure the world would be helped in some tiny way if we all stopped buying dolls (after all, every little helps and all that) but I like my big hunks of plastic ;]

 

Global Warming is a misdenomer. Climate Change is more accurate. It's really a complex issue, and while I think it's a natural cycle the earth goes through, we've really just sped it up.

I'm not too worried about my doll's packaging. I reuse what I can from it, because I prefer to, and I love it when companies ship the dolls in things that can really be reused many times (Like the new pillow zip thing that Glot and Glati are shipping in - I'll be using it as part of a carrier for my Glati). Other things I do in life are way more environmentally unsound, dolls are the least of my concern right now.

 

Okay....I've read through this thread....here are my thoughts on "The environmental impact - shipping"........"Things" need to be shipped! be it a doll or an antique or sheep....we can't get away from the fact "Shipping happens"....it has to........

Maybe if the Shipping Companies cleaned up their acts by being more fuel efficient and watching carbon emissions and keeping engines in really good working order, this would really help in Climate Change!.........

Can you imagine how many "Things" are shipped out because of Ebay!!!!......Yes!

So, I think don't our dolly buying is the problem here!....of course, we can all do our little bit to help by 'combining' orders etc.......every little bit helps!

I'll tell you what I've done to help the Climate Change, I took out my wood burning heater and just installed Gas!......I've planted lots of trees.....I walk to as many places as I can without using my car......I don't take plastic bags at the checkouts....I don't smoke! Yes, just think of how much carbon would be gone if everyone gave up smoking!!!

So I don't feel at all gulity about buying dollies, they are the least of the Worlds environmental problems......

xen

 

From what I understand shipping goes in with flights from one country to another... the flights that usually hold people. I think I remember hearing about that somewhere. I don't think they charter flights for just the mail system. Fed Ex might. But regular postal doesn't, that's part of why it takes so long when going air mail. Like the days of yore with the stage coaches... where people travel, sacks of mail travel with them.

As for packaging... my town recycles pretty much everything. It all goes into the recycle bin which the city carts away to sort and reuse.

 

I read it in both tabloids and broadsheet newspapers - as the opinon of columnists (that made sense and used data from scientific studies) and as articles. I have also read similar things on the internet debating this. I don't have any links as I just picked it up as I was reading and it's not something I would save. Also, this opinion seems to be popular in society, I noticed that mostly everyone I talk to about this issue has one of two opinons - we cause climate change and so we can prevent it, or we're pretty much at nature's mercy no matter what we do so in no way have we caused global warming - or climate change, but both parties agreed that Gordon Brown's money grabbing, kneejerk initiatives were as much use as barbed wire toilet roll while being costly to the taxpayer. For example: Wind farms (if there is no wind they have to use coal fired power stations) electric cars (where is the electric coming from? the fairies?) and recycling (massive increase in council tax to pay for more and more wheelie bins but where does the "recyclable waste" end up? A landfill site in India.They actually found mail that was put in the "paper and cardboard bin" from my home town in one such landfill).

ps I use the term global warming because wasn't that the original scare story? The planet is heating up so fast we're all gonna be wiped out and it's all our fault? Climate change to me is nature pi$$ing on science's warming up theories but they needed a new name 'cos the old one could be held up to be wrong.

 

Firstly, I'm not trying to guilt trip you all into dropping the doll hobby or suggest we all become eco-fighters or anything like that. I'm just looking to share opinions and feed my curiosity.

1. How do you feel (if any feeling) about the environmental impact of purchasing BJDs and their accessories? The raw materials used to produce the polyurethane? The fuel consumption to transport overseas?

2. Do you re-use the boxes/packaging/plastic that come with your dolls and accessories before throwing them out?

3. Did you ever have a specific doll in mind, and decide to buy a second-hand doll from your region/country/continent, rather than a fresh new one from Asia? Because it has less environmental impact?

 

1. How do you feel (if any feeling) about the environmental impact of purchasing BJDs and their accessories? The raw materials used to produce the polyurethane? The fuel consumption to transport overseas?
I do worry about it a little, particularly the manufacture of the polyurethane. I also wonder how it will decay over time--since it's a plastic, not an inert substance like porcelain. I'm think that BJDs coming from Asia ship in big lots with all the other mail--they don't have more impact than, say, a stereo.

2. Do you re-use the boxes/packaging/plastic that come with your dolls and accessories before throwing them out?
I definitely do (and thanks for thinking I'd get around to throwing them out, heh). As much as possible. I'll re-use it unless it's really busted. I've kept all of my doll boxes so far in case I'm moving or something. Making clothes for my dolls has also enabled me to use old clothes and fabric scraps that would otherwise get thrown away.

3. Did you ever have a specific doll in mind, and decide to buy a second-hand doll from your region/country/continent, rather than a fresh new one from Asia? Because it has less environmental impact?
I'd prefer to buy from my own country anyway--shipping's less, package tracking is better, I like adopting lonely dolls and helping out other collectors. It's not always possible, though--it can be hard to find the one you want secondhand. The reduced environmental impact is a bonus.

In general, I think many people's lives are full of consumption and waste, let's be honest here. And a LOT of stuff gets manufactured overseas. So I don't feel worse about my dolls than, say, my violin, which came from China. It all makes me slightly uncomfortable, but BJDs are just a very very small part of the global commerce web. It's a reasonable question, though; we could all stand to think more about where things come from.