I’ve seen plenty of pictures of excess packaging posted all across the Internet. From huge boxes containing a tiny item to multiple boxes nested like Russian dolls, documenting unnecessary packing material nearly qualifies as a competitive sport. With this in mind, I was amused to receive a package from Target that took the opposite approach.

In short, they sent two modest-sized items in a plastic pouch that was clearly meant for much smaller, more flexible things. The end of the pouch was already partially open when I received the shipment, but luckily nothing was damaged.

While I appreciate Target’s efforts to save on packaging and buck the overkill trend, a word of caution is probably in order. If everyone else is veering too far to one side of a continuum, there’s nothing wrong with choosing the opposite approach. But be sure to land somewhere in the sweet spot, instead of flying right past it. In my case, that means using a smaller package that’s still big enough to hold the products, rather than choosing a shipping container that barely fits its contents.