How To... Use Less Packaging

With my brother heading off for the Peace Corps, we're going to be sending more packages in the mail than usual over the next 27 months. We're going to do our best to keep the packaging in check, with as little waste as possible. We've been doing some of these things for years because, well, we're thrifty. Save money and go green when you're mailing packages by following the tips after the jump...

Reuse shipping materials.

If there are labels or tape on the outside of the box that you're not able to remove, turn the box wrong-side-out. Cut the flaps open and refold the box.

Make the gift you're sending play the role of packaging: wrap the package's more fragile contents with tea towels, scarves, etc...

If you must use packing peanuts, try air-popped popcorn instead. Or use biodegradable packing peanuts that dissolve in water.

Send your packages early enough to be ground transported instead of air.

Within the city, use bicycle messengers instead of FedEx, UPS, or USPS.

Originally posted by Regina on AT:NY.

Comments (4)

If you are sending packages to a Peace Corps volunteer chances are that whatever you package stuff in will get reused. I gave away loads of boxes, paper wrapping was used to start cooking fires, packing peanuts were used as stuffing for pillow and bubble wrap was super entertaining for all the kids in my village.

Anything I threw away reappeared later-- my broken flip flop was used to make a fishing lure, packaging from american treats that were sent to me ended up as wall art. Anything private that I was getting rid of had to be tossed down the latrine or burned immediately.

posted by cmu on July 10th 2008 at 6:59am
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I use paper grocery store bags as packaging for items from my Etsy store. When someone purchases an item I cut the bags and crumple them in the box. Not only does it allow me to recycle and save mony on packaging materials, but because the paper is so thick the fragile items that I sell are completely protected inside the box.

posted by Flickvan on July 11th 2008 at 7:20am
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We have received boxes of wedding gifts from Macy's, Williams-Sonoma, and Crate & Barrel. Macy's was the only company that used the potato(?) starch peanuts. They include a little card in the box that says you can put them in the garden, flush them in the toilet, put them in the trash - they dissolve completely. Or reuse them and let the recipient know they are starch.

posted by kdb on July 11th 2008 at 10:57am
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Is there an effective way to let businesses know that you don't like how much packaging they use? I've been horrified with amazon.com and Bloomingdale's most recently.

posted by Daraerck on July 13th 2008 at 6:23am
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