Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uc!nic.MR.NET!hal!ncoast!fmsystm!macy From: macy@fmsystm.UUCP (Macy Hallock) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: Popcorn for Peanuts Summary: Not a new idea, we did it once Keywords: popcorn packing Message-ID: <105@fmsystm.UUCP> Date: 28 Oct 89 20:30:06 GMT References: <63@pldote.intel.com> <325@quad.uucp> <629@cditi.UUCP> <2032@miramon.loglule.se> Reply-To: macy@fmsystm.UUCP (Macy Hallock) Organization: F M Systems Medina, Ohio USA Lines: 63 In article <2032@miramon.loglule.se> ekn@loglule.SE (Erik Karlsson) writes: >In article <629@cditi.UUCP> josh@cditi.UUCP (Josh Muskovitz) writes: >>In article <63@pldote.intel.com> rvireday@pldote.UUCP (Richard Vireday) writes: >>: "Due to our concern for the environment, you will notice we have >>:replaced our former packing material (styrofoam peanuts) with a more >>:biodegradeable material (popcorn!). ... >>: >>I talked with my local packaging expert (not really, but he does use a LOT of >>styro...), and we figured that going to the store, buying bulk popcorn, and >>popping it with an air popper would still be cheaper (even considering the >>amount of power to pop it) than buying styrofoam peanuts. >> >>I hope more people start using this technique! Besides, it gives your employ- >>ees a healthy snack whenever they want! About 15 years ago, at a company I worked for, we did the same thing: We found that buying one or two large bags of syrofoam popcorn was expensive and did not have the room to store the twenty bags we had to buy to get a decent price. We used shredded newspaper for a while, but it did not offer the support and protection to shipped object that the styrofoam did. This was before air poppers, which use no oil, were as readily available as today...but we had heard of someone else doing it, and decided to try it. After some experimentation, we found the best way to pop the corn was by using a big old kettle and an old electric hotplate we had, with no oil, just care. I had run a concession stand in high school and knew the name of a local popcorn supply co. We bought 50 lb. bags of the corn cheap, and they delivered (the phone person always seemd irked that we never ordered salt or oil, though). We all ate almost as much as we shipped. It worked fine. Why did we stop using it? Simple reason: the rats loved it, too. And they ate enough that they became BIG rats. We always tried to be neat, but I'm sure that we didn't get it all off the floor. And then the bigger rats decided that they wanted more, so they began tearing holes in the popcorn 50 lb. bags and eating it "raw" The final straw occured one nite when the Boss and I went down the the shop late one nite to pull some stuff out that had become "buried" at the back of the place. We moved a pallet of stuff, and the biggest damn rat I've ever seen just stood his ground and hissed. He was the size of a small adult cat! And had l-o-n-g brown front teeth and beady red eyes! We started carrying softball bats on the towmotor (never got one, though!) And started using stryofoam popcorn again. In the end...we found a company down the street that received a lot more stuff in boxes with stryofoam popcorn that they ever used shipping stuff out. They said it was a mess to throw away, too. So we just started "recycling" their styrofoam popcorn on our outgoing stuff. The rats lost interest in our place in a couple of months. I have, however, been addicted to popcorn ever since. My family goes through a 50 lb. bag in 6-8 months easily. And my wife hasn't seen a rat yet, but she's watching.... Macy Hallock 150 Highland Dr. macy@NCoast.ORG F M Systems Inc. Medina, OH 44256 {uunet|backbone}!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!macy +1 216 723-3000 Fax +1 216 723-3223 uunet!aablue!fmsystm!macy