It seems like we are constantly winding up with boxes in our household. Something gets purchased and shipped, and voila… another box that has me feeling guilty. (I won’t even begin to discuss the guilt of those boxes that arrive packed full of shipping peanuts and bubble wrap or are obnoxiously overpackaged.)
One of my best friends, Kev, recently moved from the west coast, and he and his partner, Will, spent a small fortune buying moving boxes, then labored over what to do with them afterward. Another friend’s husband nearly loses sleep over all of the boxes at his work that wind up in the trash on a daily basis.
But what if there is a better way? Well, there is. A relatively new site Boxcycle.com is working hard to help us find boxes we need and sell those we don’t. You can search for boxes in your area or list boxes that you are willing to part with, before they have to hit the recycle bin. And isn’t it the most environmental choice to reuse rather than recycle?
I absolutely love this idea. It’s the exact reason eBay, Craig’s List and Freecycle are so successful, but with a very environmental, targeted offering. You can actually buy and sell boxes, so yes, there is a cost involved, but isn’t that a win-win situation? You can buy them for much less than brand new, and you can sell them and earn a little money if you have some to get rid of. And the environmental impact?… well, it keeps them out of landfills and in that beloved “reuse” category.
It would be great if business owners and employees would get in on this action. Imagine NOT driving past a dozen dumpsters a day and seeing them overloaded with cardboard boxes! And if you’re moving and need boxes, do a search. If you just need boxes, do a search! If you have a bunch to sell, get them listed!
So send your unneeded boxes on an adventure. In the words of Dr. Seuss, “Oh, the places you’ll go!”
This looks like a really great resource, thanks!
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KiwiLog – yes, if it gets used it certainly will be!
Happenings – thanks for the mention!
Yeah, terrific post. I’ve been posting my moving boxes on Craig’s List and had great luck with people who can use them!!
I attempted to use BoxCycle for my recent move. I agree, great idea for helping people recycle or reuse boxes amongst themselves. Unfortunately, a lot of the places I visited didn’t have enough boxes for the move, so I was running around town, trying to make the appointments with the businesses on top of everything else I had to do. Great idea, but not well suited to a busy person like me.
Ultimately, I got the rest of my boxes from UsedCardboardBoxes.com. Great boxes, great prices, and UPS delivery was free. It saved me a ton of hassle, and the moving kit I bought had everything I needed, including tape. It really made a stressful time much easier, for me anyway. I recommend them to everyone I know now. Hope that helps!
Elaine – bravo to you! What a great choice over recycling, isn’t it!?
Bob – Boxcycle is definitely new and so that is why I’m hoping to help spread the word. That’s also why I would love to see big businesses and industries get involved. And thanks so much for recommending UsedCardboardBoxes.com too… any resource is a great resource!
What a great site and great post! We recently moved and I had the fortune of a generous friend who lent me OODLES of plastic containers from a store she once owned. It really cut down on the boxes we used. We did wind up buying a lot, but I also listed them on Craigslist. I feel guilty when I even put a random box in recycling since a box is so useful, but really….how many can you have!? I love that people are coming up with these ideas! I hope they are successful.
I am so glad you mentioned Freecycle. Our family loves this service and the organization’s endeavors to keep so many items out of our landfills. See my recent post on my blog: http://tiny.cc/OrganizingLife
Frannie – I hope they’re successful too. At least we should list them “somewhere” (Craig’s List, Freecycle) or find them a use to assure that the recycling can is the last option!
Abbie – I would love to see businesses and industries get involved too… I can’t even imagine the volume of boxes that wind up in the trash on a daily basis!
I believe in reuse. Thankfully, there are many companies that believe in it too! I use BoxSmart. In addition to buying and selling used boxes they employ over 500 mentally and physically challenged in over 20 non-profit sorting and assembly facilities. Now that’s what I call socially responsible!
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