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Online auctions exemplify "the three Rs" of the green movement. Many sellers recycle or sell previously used goods, new owners reuse the old goods, and theoretically at least, consumption of new goods is reduced. But beyond the goods, there are also several ways to incorporate the green R verbs into the whole shipping package. And often, the greenest package choices are also economical ones.
Reduce
When it comes to the art of packaging, reducing materials is perhaps the most difficult of the R actions. Experience and clever thinking are often required to use less, rather than more, packaging material while still adequately protecting an item. However, generally, you can reduce packaging material by packing smarter, including using tape only where needed, using light weight filler and selecting the appropriately sized box for an item.
Reuse
The two remaining Rs are easier. "It really comes down to reuse and recycle," says Dee Berry (eBay username river2bit), co-owner of the eBay store, Respectfully Green. Berry and her daughter's Washington-based online auction business focuses on natural, organic and previously owned items. Berry and her daughter sell everything from beeswax to bed frames and are "respectfully green" right down to their packaging choices. For example, Berry uses mostly reused shipping materials by enlisting friends, neighbors and the local post office to collect previously used boxes and other supplies, such as bubble wrap, for use in their business.
If you require more boxes than you, your friends and neighbors can collect, you may be able to still reuse and save money by purchasing previously used boxes from "UsedCardboardBoxes.Com": http://www.usedcardboardboxes.com. The site specializes in providing previously used boxes for moving, but also offers commercial shipping boxes for large (1,000 or more) orders of the same size box. They also purchase large quantities of quality used boxes from businesses.
When reusing boxes, it is important to be mindful about not mixing boxes marked for particular delivery companies and services. A news story on TheDenverChannel.com recently reported that a Colorado man was warned by the United States Postal Service (USPS) for reusing a USPS Priority Mail box inside out for regular shipping. According to the Denver News report, the USPS provides Priority boxes free of charge for customers using Priority Mail shipping, but does not allow use or reuse of the boxes for other services.
According to guidelines for packaging on the web site of another major shipping service, the United Parcel Service (UPS), customers may use reused boxes for UPS shipping if labels, hazardous materials indicators and other shipping markings are removed.
Inside the box, Berry says she often reuses old newspapers as a green way to pack less fragile items. What is the best way to place newspaper in a package? "Wad it up," says Berry.
For packing fragile goods, Berry says she uses reused bubble wrap or popcorn and prefers not to use plastic loose fill or "packing peanuts." If you use packing peanuts, cornstarch peanuts are a green, biodegradable option.
The Plastic Loose Fill Council (PLFC) operates the Peanut Hotline, a national reuse program for plastic packing peanuts (often referred to as foam peanuts by consumers) with 1,500 collection sites throughout the United States. You can locate the nearest collection site by visiting the PLFC website or by calling the Peanut Hotline (1-800-828-2214). PLFC collection sites do not accept cornstarch peanuts because they are not as durable for commercial reuse and recommends they be separated out for home reuse. If you are a business that uses a lot of packing peanuts, you can receive free plastic peanuts and potential business foot traffic by registering with PLFC as a collection site.
Recycle
As opposed to reusing a product in its original form, recycling typically means taking an old product apart and using the materials to construct a new one. Berry says one of the reasons she favors newspaper as a packing material is that "once it gets to the other end, it can be recycled." If not reused, a cardboard box is also often easily recycled through local recycling programs. You can also support recycling programs by choosing to purchase recycled products, such as recycled paper, for your business.
Once your package is wrapped up with the three Rs, it is time to ship. Customers can lower the carbon emissions associated with shipping by choosing ground shipping over express service. Berry also adds that she reduces the environmental impact of shipping her items by combining trips and driving to her local post office that is two miles away instead of driving forty miles to use alternative shipping services.
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