I recently ran out of the silvery electrostatic bags I’ve been using to package JeeNode kits and other stuff. So for the next batch, I decided to use bags which are biodegradable. They have a funny soft feeling to them and are actually much more flexible:
These bags come with a “Farnell” ad printed on them (the supplier of these bags) – so be it…
If you order stuff from the Jee Labs shop, you may also receive stuff packaged in small clear plastic zip-lock bags. That’s because I have them lying around anyway – they are re-used from the extension cables, which I received in packages of 1-per-bag, whereas they are sent out as 5-per-bag. Since the harm of having “consumed” these plastic bags has already been done, might as well re-use them a second time…
FWIW, I feel pretty bad about adding so much packaging to a world full of junk already. And being involved in quite a bit of transportation of all this stuff, both by getting it here and by getting it out as packages to lots of people. Atoms ain’t bits – that’s for sure!
All I can say is that I save up and batch my orders as much as possible, and use as little and as light packaging as I think I can get away with.
This are static dissipative bags and not static shielding bags like your old silvery bags. They will not prevent that the goods they contain are being zapped. They will only ensure that the bag does not get a charge themselves. If you want to protect semiconductors you MUST use static shielding bags.
Thanks – didn’t know that. Ok, I’lll look into it and will need to get some other bags, then.
Found some explanation here http://www.antistatic-bags.co.uk/antistaticbags.html :
Bags with the films surface resistance in the dissipative range are preferred because charge dissipates across the surface at a controlled rate. Most dissipative bags also have the property of being antistatic. These are good general bags to be used in non-critical environments.
Hmm, doesn’t that imply that dissipative bags are ok after all?
I don’t know for sure but if I remember right they have to be marked on the bag. We use usually only a shielding back, but i have seen material from distributors that had both. A dissipative bag or tube inside a shielding bag. And most pc consumer products that I bought had a shielding bag. There are non metallized shielding bags but they should be clearly marked on the bag.