THE self-confessed greenie was aghast when a single ticket to the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix he bought for a friend in Tokyo came packaged inside a box large enough to contain eight tickets.
Assistant general manager Philip Phay, 48, posted on Stomp: "I was shocked to find that the size of the box was 24cm long, 16cm wide and 14cm high.
"When I opened it, there was all this empty space inside."
The single ticket and a lanyard was packaged inside yet another 1cm-thick black envelope. The ticket is actually a plastic pass the size of an ez-link card.
There are also brochures inside the envelope, which provide details of the event and include a track map.
When contacted, Mr Phay told my paper: "Since the Singapore F1 has many firsts, it is understandable that they may have overlooked many factors, including environmentally friendly practices, which were not considered when packaging the tickets."
In response, Ms Fiona Smith, communications manager for Singapore GP Pte Ltd - the organiser of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix - gave my paper several reasons for what might appear to be wasteful packaging.
She explained in an e-mail: "Less than 0.5 per cent of our orders are for single tickets, and it is simply not cost-effective or practical to order special boxes for such a small percentage of orders." Ordering boxes of multiple
sizes would mean higher wastage, as Singapore GP was unable to predict order sizes well in advance.
Ms Smith also pointed out that the box is a security measure. It is sealed with special tape so that its contents cannot be tampered with easily.
A Formula 1 ticket can range from $38 for a single-day walkabout pass to $1,388 for a three-day pass at the Pit Grandstand, where spectators can enjoy unobstructed views of cars racing at speeds of up to 300kmh.
The ticket Mr Phay bought cost $298.
Ms Smith continued: "Many F1 fans collect the tickets and packaging as mementoes. "We explored using smaller padded envelopes for these single orders, but decided against it for operational and quality reasons."
On caring for the environment, Ms Smith said that customers are encouraged to recycle the box, which is made of
cardboard.
That is what Mr Phay has done. He is keeping the box while the ticket was couriered to his friend in Tokyo in its black envelope. Mr Phay said: "It's quite a sturdy box, made of good-quality material."
