Although many choose (or are required to) recycle, there’s still a lot of extra waste heading into the landfills. Much of this can be reused for packing material without it adding a lot of extra weight to the boxes. Unless you’re reusing peanuts and bubble wrap from a package you or someone else received, opt for reusing various other supplies as packing material.
Create a yarn ball
Say grandma has some yarn lying around that she no longer uses and you have something to ship that you’re worried is going to bounce around in a box during shipping. Take the yarn and turn it into a hard round case around the item to protect it from flopping around and breaking. Blow up a balloon to a size that is slightly larger than your item. Put glue in an old bowl, then throw in long strips of the yarn and swirl it around until all the strands are coated. Pull out one strand, wipe off the majority of the glue, then lay it over the balloon. Start doing this with each strand in a haphazard fashion until you have a lace-type design; however, don’t put any yarn on the bottom. Leave an opening large enough so you can fit the item through. Let the yarn dry for a day or two, then when the yarn is completely hardened, pop the balloon. Put your item inside the yarn ball, then put more wet yarn haphazardly over the hole so you enclose the item inside. Give it another day to dry before putting it in the box. The recipient can cut open the yarn upon receiving the item.
Use leftover junk mail, menus and fliers
You may get a lot of junk mail and menus where you live, at least I do, and they make really great packing material. They’re sturdy whether you’re wrapping them around items or balling them up and putting them in between. For hollowed out item, such as glasses or bowls, put some of the paper inside as well.
Use newspapers
Although not as sturdy as the aforementioned paper items, newspapers still make excellent packing material. If you’re like me and ship items across the country, use the front pages if possible. You’d be surprised how many people have opened up the newspapers to see what’s going on in the news in my area.
Reuse clean, empty food boxes
You obviously shouldn’t send food-tainted boxes through the mail, but if you have boxes from dry cereal, oatmeal, wrapped cookies and even dog biscuits, you can use them as packing material and boxes to ship the items in. One option is to cut the boxes apart and use the pieces as dividers inside the box; a second option is to leave the boxes intact and put individual items inside them, then place them in the shipping box so they don’t roll around. To ship items in the boxes themselves, choose a strong box, put the items inside, then tape up the open end. Wrap the box with brown paper (such as a paper bag) then write the address right on the paper.
It’s easy to purchase a box or packing materials, but why spend the money when you can use items you already have lying around your home that are just going to end up in the trash? Reuse these items and you’ll be helping the environment and your wallet.