Hewlett-Packard starts selling laptops in fabric bags, no cardboard box

Hewlett-Packard Corp. (NYSE: HPQ) will soon be packaging one of its laptop PCs in a fabric bag instead of cardboard boxes after heeding partner Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.'s (NYSE: WMT) request to offer a more ecologically sound packing solution for the laptops it sells through the giant retailer. By making this packaging change, materials like foam, cardboard and plastic were reduced by 97%, according to HP.

The Hewlett-Packard Pavilion PC, which sells for $798 on Wal-Mart shelves, will probably see a lot of consumer traction for this move. The company has stated several times that it's really trying to become greener. In addition to partially powering some of its San Diego-area buildings with solar power and being green globally, packaging a good laptop seller at the world's largest retailer in ecologically-sound packaging will make an impression to those consumers paying attention.

But that's not the end -- HP can also ship 25% more laptops in each truck as a result of the packaging change, saving transportation costs in addition to landfill or recycling space. Now all the company has to do is make its packaging more of a marketing point than the commodity laptop PC being sold inside of it. If HP can manage that, it really will have a sales winner on its hands.