JUST THE COURIER?

Now, before I start a topic loosely connected to bread-makers, I wish you to know, in my defence, that I am not a Guardian reader. However, as you do know, I’m aiming to do more for myself and to do it more cheaply and healthily where possible too, so I have taken delivery of a bread-maker. Evermore thrifty, this was not the hidden expense it may seem, being purchased at a bargain sale price with gift vouchers received at our recent wedding! Its delivery was eagerly anticipated and it arrived in due course, via an independent courier, you know, with his private car, an obviously well-loved Volvo, filled to its ceiling with parcels from many of those well-know High Street retailers who offer home-delivery services.

I opened my front door to this very smiley Courier-man, who very obligingly placed the substantial (albeit totally ripped open) package on the doorstep, whilst petting my delighted dog with one hand and digging out his electronic receipt gadget with the other. We were enjoying an agreeable exchange (well, he and the dog more to be honest, I didn’t get much of a look in) when we both noticed that the wind had whipped up around us and the parcel wrapping was disintegrating before our eyes. A single sheet of paper broke free of the wrapping confines and blew off down the road. Courier-man watched its fluttering escape, looked first at me, cheerfully announcing: “that’s your packing note, that is”, then at the dog.

There passed the briefest moment whilst silent, individual decisions were made, then both Courier-man and the dog set off in pursuit – he of the sacred packing note and the dog of her new-best-friend. Both returned, panting and triumphant. As I re-received the packing note, this time safely into my hand, with sincere and grateful thanks (I do not do running), I commented on the state of the packing that had led to this adventure, asking if the parcel had come to him like that. Courier-man looked at me blankly, still affably, but blankly.

“I wouldn’t know, I’m just the courier.” He shrugged and offered me the electronic receipt gadget.

I hesitated. “By signing this, am I saying it’s in good condition? Because actually …..” We both looked at the wind-ravaged parcel as he moved it carefully into the relative shelter of the hall, his smile still pleasant, but a little thin and more tired around the edges now.

“It’s in a box in there, sure it’s OK…” he began, “and anyway, I’m just …..” he turned his attention back to the dog.

I dutifully signed, as he had been so kind and all, and he left with a cheery goodbye and an expressed wish to leave behind the jumble sale of a parcel and instead take the dog. But his words struck me …. “just the courier”. Is this how couriers see themselves or perceive that they are seen? Do I, as a customer, see the Courier-man as part of the service I have paid for (as it were) or, if privately contracted, is the courier outside of this remit? Then if so, into whose remit does it fall to be responsible for the state of the Cinderella of parcel-land, sitting in tatters in my hallway?

Now I am sure that every single courier who works with Find My Courier has a motivated and responsible attitude to their clients at both ends of their parcels’ journeys, but what of their attitude of or to themselves – just the courier? A minority opinion or an occupational mantra, I can’t believe it’s the latter? Let us know how you feel about this!

PS: In case you were wondering, the breadmaker was broken inside its box so Courier-man had to come back the next day to pick it up. In the spirit of silver-linings, the dog, it has to be said, was delighted!

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So, continuing my opening theme of on-going good works towards thrift and planet-saving, do you know about Freecycle? For the unaware, it is an on-line community whose aim is to keep usable items out of landfill:

“Freecycle groups match people who have things they want to get rid of with people who can use them. Our goal is to keep usable items out of landfills. By using what we already have on this earth, we reduce consumerism, manufacture fewer goods, and lessen the impact on the earth. Another benefit of using Freecycle is that it encourages us to get rid of junk that we no longer need and promote community involvement in the process.” Freecycle (1)

Quite right too and it’s brilliant! As well as offering items, Free-cyclers often also post ‘wanted’ requests, which encourage you to investigate the back of your kitchen cupboards, your garage or shed, and search the dark crevices hidden under the bed or husband etc and pass it on to someone who can use it (the offering of said husband is not allowed, though). This is an innovative form of recycling that I have been using for some time, both as a means of de-cluttering and in response to the terror I feel when observing the Mount Doom being created at our local landfill site (which is, incidentally, hilariously named ‘Fresh Fields’ – I ask you!) For many regular Freecyclers, landfill is the major concern that has promoted their action to join the community. For others, the thrifty element of being able to gain a much-needed item at no cost is an essential way of providing necessities in an impoverished life, so regular Freecycle-givers have an additional way of ensuring that their actions are humane in respect of both the environment and of their fellow [wo]man. Everyone’s a winner!

Or are they? I am becoming increasingly concerned that, whilst magnificently responding to the values of Freecycle, many well-intentioned Freecyclers are forgetting the other huge impact on our environment, of emissions through car and van journeys for pick-ups. Over this recent bank holiday weekend alone, my local group has had at least a dozen offerings with the by-line ‘must be picked up this weekend’. Now clearly, if you were buying an item a journey would still be involved: by taking a trip to pick it up, or receiving delivery via a courier, but how many extra journeys are being undertaken because it’s a free item and needs picking up straight away? How does a ‘must go this weekend’ item allow for a pick up trip to be incorporated into other journeys, such as travel to or from work etc? On some occasions, preference is actually stated for Freecyclers who can pick up immediately, which means that an environmentally-friendly Freecycler on foot has far less chance of gaining an item through a reduced emissions manner.

The closest posting that I have found to acknowledging this issue was a posting offering that a half-full car doing a tip run would take tip items for others en-route or in exchange for an identified item: progressive and thoughtful, but unfortunately still including the land-fill aspect. As far as I can tell, there are no mechanisms in place in our local group for offering items for collection on a ‘when you are in the area’ basis or any local group initiative which encourages a co-ordinated trips pick up (you know, a kind of a reversal of the whole ASDA home delivery initiative, where they let you know if a delivery van is already going to be in your area): surely it’s only a short jump from the shared tip trip offer to the shared pick-up? In the absence of this coming from the Freecycle organisers, the Freecycle-givers should be more conscious of being prepared to wait for collections (including those on foot or cycle) rather than being conscious of their own need for speed, or on collectors being prepared to offer any additional space in their car to make other en-route collections.

With this in mind, and following the example of other Freecyclers who ask the community to think twice before printing out mails and messages, I’ve made an addition to my signature for my own posts: “Please consider the environment when planning pick-ups, to avoid making extra journeys: I am happy to wait until you are in the area!” with a view to seeing what effect this has (if any). I may even offer space in the car for next time I collect something – if I’m ever quick enough to be successful ……! I am also trying to gain greater access to the ‘main players’ in the local group to find out whether Freecycle groups could benefit from investigating the principles of sites such as ‘Find My Courier’, through incorporating ideas that put emphasis on co-ordinating journey needs and minimising emissions, rather than on setting a pace that leaves a carbon footprint which to some extent may undermine its own purpose.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Freecycle, but am looking at this issue from an ‘even better if…’ perspective, particularly since becoming aligned with the ‘Find My Courier’ principles. So, if you belong to a Freecycle group, it would be interesting to know if you have any ideas or have taken any action on this issue. If you are not in the Freecycle community, we’d love it if you are interested enough to explore it a bit and let us know what you think!

1 http://uk.freecycle.org

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