Greener Holiday Packing & Mailing

If you’re shipping gifts to friends and family, you can keep it green with the following tips:

Do use recycled boxes and heavy envelopes instead of buying new at the post office. Note that some shipping places don’t accept boxes with lots of oddball writing on them. You can fix this quickly with one sheet of plain brown recycled wrap.

Don’t use polystyrene packing peanuts – they work well at protecting gifts, but are a huge eco-problem because they’re made from non-renewable resources.

Do use biodegradable packing peanuts – they dissolve in water and can even be composted. Get some at U-Haul.

Don’t use old newspapers IF your gift might get ink marked. However, shredded newspaper is handy for gifts that are enclosed in a separate gift bag or box.  Shredded newspaper will provide better overall protection than crumpled, but you’ll need lots of it.

Do use this Padding Paper – it’s 100% recyclable and has a, “Honeycomb-embossed corrugated texture that gives it impact-absorbing qualities when wrapped or folded around delicate items.”

Don’t use bubble wrap, if you can help it. If you do want to use it, make sure you send your pal a note about how to reuse bubble wrap.

Do send gifts that don’t need protection. A scarf, for example is an eco friendly gift to send because it takes up less box space and needs no protection. Dishes and baked goods are going to be harder to pack up.

Don’t mail gifts if you don’t have to. If you buy online, you can ship right to the recipient. While you don’t get to pick the packaging, this does cut down on your carbon footprint.

What other ideas do you have for greener shipping and packaging?

[image via stock.xchng]