During the pandemic, shopping online at Amazon helped people get what they needed without leaving their homes. Afterward, shoppers continued with the convenience of online shopping. As the boxes and bags began piling up, I pondered ways to get more use from them. I did not want to see these ending up as trash in the landfill.
Of course, a few boxes could be used to store out-of-season items in the garage, but I couldn't use all of them that way, and some were too small for that purpose. Then there were the bags: Some were all-plastic, some were paper with plastic bubble lining, and some were paper padded with paper fill (which Amazon switched to after people complained about the waste). Another issue was the plastic air pillows. What the heck could be done with those?
Read on to find some ways to repurpose and reuse all that packaging clutter from your Amazon orders. Of course, these ideas work for similar packaging from other sellers.
Plastic Amazon Mailing Bags
What can you do with the mailing bags (pouches, envelopes, or whatever you call them)? These ideas work for the white plastic, padded envelopes and also for the tan paper envelopes that are lined with plastic bubbles. Here’s a quick list to get you thinking.
Give them to someone who is moving. They can put them between their plates for padding as they pack their kitchen items.
Use them yourself to mail something. Place your own label over their label or turn the bag inside out so it shows plain white. Fold the top down and apply packing tape to seal it securely. The post office does not want people to use staples as they can injure employees.
Donate a big batch of the mailing bags to someone who sells on eBay, Etsy, or other resale sites.
Use them for temporary plant pots to give plant starts to friends and neighbors.
Cut along the seams and open it out to use as a table protector for paint and messy craft projects.
Use the larger ones as liners for small trash cans around the house.
Reuse Amazon Boxes
I recycle if the box is too damaged to use again.
Make a Halloween costume. Check on Pinterest for ideas of costumes made from boxes.
Make a pet bed by cutting one side of the box lower, add a cushion, drape a sheet or towel over it all.
Store things in them so you don’t need to buy those plastic storage tubs.
Ship things in them.
Give them to someone who is moving. (Advertise the boxes on your local Buy Nothing group, FreeCycle, or NextDoor Neighbors)
Give them to someone locally who sells crafts on Etsy or is a reseller on eBay and other sites.
Cardboard can serve as mulch in your garden. If the packaging is made of biodegradable materials, such as paper, it can be added to your compost pile.
Reuse the Brown Paper Padding
Smooth out and flatten the brown paper used to cushion things in the boxes. Later, you can wrap gifts in it for Christmas. Tie with twine or yarn. Then tuck a piece of evergreen from your landscaping under the twine for an accent. Classic!
Reuse Air Pillows
Cut all the way down one side of a batch of air pillows, then separate them. They are perforated to easily pull apart from the adjacent pillow. Take them along on your walks for doggie-poop bags.
Giving Away the Boxes
Other people may not have as many boxes as you do, so share yours. Don’t toss those boxes.
My neighbor was moving to Gulf Shores so I toted all my boxes over to her house for several weeks. She might be sorry she moved as she got there just in time for two hurricanes.
A friend had a son living in California. She needed lots of boxes to send his stuff from Florida out to the West Coast. I shudder at the mailing costs but at least she got her boxes free from me.
In the past, I’ve advertised the free boxes on NextDoor Neighbors and usually, they are all gone within a few hours. I put them out by the curb, so the people don’t have to come to my door. Easy for them and no bother for myself. Once the boxes are gone, I remove my free ad from the site. Some people want larger boxes for moving but others can use the smaller boxes if they are sellers on eBay, Etsy, Poshmark, or Amazon.
Choose “Fewest Packages” During Checkout
There’s a button in the payment area of Amazon that asks if you want the fewest packages or the quickest shipping. Choose “fewest packages” if you are trying to cut back on accumulating boxes and mailing envelopes.
Keep That Bubble Wrap!
Save the bubble wrap to store your Christmas ornaments or to use in the future when you mail something.
Repurposing the Plastic Bags
I turn the bag inside out and cut off the top half. It works great to store recipe booklets or health information, etc.
Share in the comments your own tips for reusing packaging.
I especially like the idea of using the padded bags for plant starts. Clever. Of course, since I’m an online seller, I endorse your suggestion of checking with your seller friends. I use a lot of bubble wrap, styrofoam packing peanuts, and air pillows, plus I keep various sizes of boxes on hand.