What the heck were they thinking?

In this day and age of eco design and high oil prices, it is surprising to find this packaging. The only important content of this box is the 5 ink cartridges the same size as you see on the box photo, all snuggly packed into rectangle envelope in the middle. To put it in context, you can throw 2 iPhones inside the box and still make plenty of rattle.

It doesn't make sense at all.