Upcycle Shipping Supplies

In honor of Earth Day on April 22^nd, we want to provide you with some great ways to upcycle your shipping supplies that you may not have ever thought of! We all have to live on this planet, so it is important we all do our part to keep it as healthy as possible. Instead of simply trashing old shipping supplies, find a way to make them useful again!

·        Use old shipping materials for crafts. There are countless craft projects on the internet that use recycled materials such as cardboard, bubble wrap, newsprint, and more. A simple Google search will give you thousands of results. If you have kids, doing a craft from recycled materials is a great way to introduce them to Earth Day!

·        Save shipping boxes for storage. This can be storage in your basement, storage while you move, or even to store a gift! Boxes are designed to ship items, so they work great for holding and storing items, whether they are in transit or not.

·        Speaking of shipping boxes, use shipping boxes more than once! This isn’t in good taste for a major company, but it’s a great idea for the average consumer. After receiving your product hold on to that box so next time you have to send a package you have one on hand.

·        Hold on to your poly bags for next time you go on vacation. Poly bags can keep small electronics safe from water, keep smaller items organized, or keep specific items separated from each other. Poly bags protect items from dirt and moisture, so anything you need safe from dirt will be safe in a poly bag.

·        Don’t pop that old bubble wrap! Bubble wrap is a great item to use to cushion your fragile possessions. That may be while you go on a trip, while you move, or while items are in storage.

·        Use old shipping supplies as costumes. Use them for Halloween, for a birthday party, or even just for kids to play dress-up! We did a post on how to use packing supplies as costumes back in October. You can find it here.

·        Corrugated boxes can be upcycled to just about anything you can imagine. Use it for organization. Transform it into a toy box for your kids. Make it into signs for an upcoming rummage sale. There’s too many options to list in just one blog post!

·        If you’ve run out of options when it comes to upcycling, make sure you still recycle any shipping supplies you can. Recycling can dramatically reduce waste across the planet.

It may be tempting to just toss shipping supplies you no longer need. Instead, find a way that you can re-use these materials and help the environment in the process.