The Best Ways to Take Care of All Those Amazon Boxes

It’s no secret that a massive amount of people regularly order items from Amazon. It’s quick, convenient, and they also have one of the lowest shipping damage rates. But if you’re one of those obsessive Amazon shoppers (aren’t we all?), you’ve probably noticed that they aren’t the most efficient with their packaging. Often, tiny items or single products come packed into huge boxes stuffed full of protective packing materials. This might decrease the likelihood of a shipping faux-pas, but it also isn’t great for the environment. Think of the hundreds of thousands of orders that Amazon fulfills daily, and then think about all those wasteful boxes.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO, recently announced a climate change initiative to the tune of $10 billion. But if Amazon so desperately wants to help the environment, why aren’t they cutting down on their packaging materials?

Well, the company is trying to strike a balance between delivering goods to consumers undamaged and helping with climate change… and that’s not the easiest of things to do. This is why it only seems fair if some of those earth-rescuing responsibilities fall on us, the consumers (since we’re the ones who order so much from Amazon anyway). Here are some useful tips on how to take care of Amazon boxes.

First (and most obviously)... Recycle!

The majority of us are well into the habit of recycling cardboard boxes, so if you aren’t doing this already, it’s probably time to start. Recycled materials, particularly cardboard, can easily be re-used once processed. Trash companies will typically pick up your recycling from directly outside your home, so this is a simple option for most people.

Reuse them yourself.

Boxes are HUGELY useful! Think about how many boxes you could utilize for storage or moving house. Break your boxes down neatly and store them away, that way when you need them again you can simply re-assemble them and tape them up, and voila! No need to run to Home Depot and buy moving boxes or spend money on plastic storage solutions. 

Gift giving

An immaculately wrapped present is one of life’s tiny pleasures. Nothing makes for a more perfectly wrapped gift than a neat box, particularly for those strangely shaped items that are impossible to gift wrap. 

Let the kids play

Pieces of cardboard make great arts and crafts materials or can be used for school projects. Cut out squares from your Amazon boxes and keep them for the next time your children want to paint or need a piece of cardboard for homework. Kids can even build a playhouse or a fort out of the biggest boxes. 

Even though Amazon’s ability to ship items in pristine condition is much appreciated, it’s pretty widely agreed that they can go a little over the top sometimes. I mean, packing a book in a box big enough to hold a TV is kind of ridiculous. It only seems fair and responsible that we try to utilize used packing materials as best we can.