A SHOPKEEPER in a town famous for taking a stand against excessive packaging and waste was flummoxed when she received a huge cardboard box containing just five tiny cartridges.
Modbury shopkeeper Mandy Rolt dubbed the delivery as nonsense, after the town pledged to cut down on waste.
Modbury gained national recognition when it became the first in the country to banish the plastic bag from its high street.
The town's shopkeepers and residents were heralded for their actions, when, in 2007, they took a stand against excessive packaging.
Their defiance was applauded by town hall chiefs and supermarkets across the UK, with many taking similar steps to ban plastic bags and reduce packaging on high street goods.
But now it seems their pioneering war on waste has not been noted by everyone, after retailer Staples used the huge cardboard box to send five tiny price-gun cartridges.
The company sent customer Mandy Rolt her order, measuring 4cm by 4cm (1.5in x 1.5in) in a box which was 53cm by 39cm by 20cm (21in x 15in x 7.5in).
Confused customer Mrs Rolt, from Modbury gift shop Top O The Stairs, said: "I thought it was a joke at first — like somebody playing a joke on you at Christmas by wrapping up something small in a massive box.
"We ordered the package over the internet, so perhaps there is an automatic system Staples have in place.
"But it's ridiculous really. The postman could've delivered it through our door in a small package instead of having to have a large box delivered. This is just the sort of nonsense this town is trying to stop."
A Staples spokesman said: "While we endeavour to make sure our packaging is the right size for the job, we have to balance this with ensuring fragile items are not damaged. On this occasion, we have to put our hands up and apologise."
