HP Thinks Outside The Box, Sells Notebooks In Messenger Bags

September 2, 2008

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HP has redesigned the packaging of the HP Pavilion dv6929 by replacing conventional shipping materials and boxes with the HP Protect Messenger Bag with fabric made from 100 percent recycled materials.

The design, which Wal-Mart has named the winner of its Home Entertainment Design Challenge, reduces product packaging by 97 percent, conserving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions by removing the equivalent of one out of every four trucks previously needed to deliver the notebooks to Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations around the country.

The computer is exclusively available in Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations, where the notebook will be displayed on shelves wearing only the HP Protect Messenger Bag. Customers who purchase the HP notebook will leave the store with the computer and its accessories in the notebook bag – sans box.The stores will also offer free recycling of old computers when the HP notebook is purchased.

For more info on HP takeback programs, here’s a video of HP’s Renee St. Denis discussing how the company’s corporate processes and design strategies have evolved in dealing with e-waste, or outdated and discarded PCs, printers, and other devices.

In April, HP became the first company to receive approval from the U.S. EPA to have the agency’s SmartWay logo displayed on a selection of its consumer product packaging.

In May, HP introduced its Eco Highlights label, which will be used across all HP product categories, with the newly introduced HP Deskjet D2545, HP LaserJet P4015x, LaserJet P4515x and LaserJet P4515xm printers being the first products to feature it. The labels will be featured on packaging, the web and in data sheets.

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Reader Comments

Recycleable, minimal cardboard/paperwrapping with pretty origami decor for all markets would have been a bit better. Because nobody in San Francisco or NYC who will actually use a messenger bag will shop at Walmart. Besides, most of those active bag/bike users already have far more sophisticated or durable or less “brand inspired” bags or backpacks than the one HP offers. So the bag, made out of petrol-plastics, will sit unused. At least the box was recyclable. Simpler packaging would have been better. I also doubt that this will make that big a difference in Walmart’s fuel use because loads in trucks are broken up and distributed for ideal fuel economy and weight loading anyways. There is almost never an entire semi of just computers going to a store. But every little bit does help. Marketing this to high schools and community colleges in rural America might work and Walmart is positioned to sell to those markets and the customers bag/bike oriented and this might inspire them. I hope they will actually use those bags for some good – like going to the library on their bike with the HP design on the bag clearly letting rural crystal meth users know which kid is a better target.

Mike Cohn | September 3rd, 2008

Since apparently the bag is made 100% from recycled materials the fact that it’s made from petrol products isn’t much of an issue. I also disagree that the “messenger bag” would only used by cyclist. I think that there would be a significant number of people that would use this bag instead of buying another one (which would probably not be made from recycled material).

Ted Morris | September 5th, 2008