Can you reuse Amazon boxes to ship USPS? (5 benefits)

This article covers some important questions regarding Amazon boxes. Amazon delivers its goods in cardboard boxes and people wonder whether these can be reused and what contribution it can make to sustainability and the environment. The following topics are covered:

What are amazon boxes made of?
Can amazon boxes be reused?
Can amazon boxes be used to ship United States Postal Service (USPS)
Does amazon allow such acts?
Does reusing actually help in reducing the environmental impact?

Can you reuse Amazon boxes to ship USPS?

You can use Amazon boxes to ship to USPS. Amazon uses the same type of cardboard boxes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS).

In fact, almost all courier and e-commerce companies prefer cardboard boxes for shipments because they are safe to carry and have enough strength to hold everything in place and can be used for almost every type of goods. However, you need to be careful with the labelling.

Most boxes are made from cardboard which is made from recycled paper. Cardboard boxes can be reused several times and after that, can be recycled and composted.

Since cardboard boxes are made from natural, plant-based materials, these boxes have very little impact on the environment and are considered an eco-friendly option, much better than plastic packaging.

What steps do you need to be careful about while reusing Amazon boxes?

Let us explore some of the steps/points that you may want to consider while reusing Amazon boxes to ship to USPS:

Ensuring that the box in good condition
Ensuring that labels and barcodes are removed
Be careful of the size and weight of the boxes
Packaging the boxes correctly
Ensuring that unallowed items are not packed

Ensuring the good condition of the box

Yes, you can reuse Amazon boxes but for that you need to ensure that the box is in the right condition to be reused. If there is any chance that the box may have any damage or fault, it is better not to reuse it. Doing so will also put your shipment contents at risk.

Ensuring that labels and barcodes are removed

It is pretty natural that all the labels and previous barcodes are properly removed. If not, there could be complications like your shipment ending in the wrong address. Also, it is inquired that do you need to remove the Amazon logo?

No, you do not need to remove the Amazon logo or cover it in any way. But all the barcodes could be removed.

Be careful of the size and dimensions of the boxes to be reused

Another factor that you need to ensure is that for the reusing of boxes, you select the right size and dimension. Using either too big or too small boxes will not only compromise your shipment but will also take extra space which may create complications.

For example, if you have to ship a watch, you can not ship it in a cloth box as it will be too big for it. Hence, the determination of the right size is also very important.

Packaging the box correctly

You also need to ensure that the package is packed correctly. If not, the shipment can be damaged. This also includes the determination of the right size of box while also making sure that there is sufficient amount of cushioning and padding.

Also, you need to package the box correctly by using good quality and eco-friendly adhesives so that the box may remain intact and so do the materials inside.

Avoiding unallowed materials

As the proverb goes by, know your league. If you are going to reuse boxes to ship to USPS, you need to know which materials you are not allowed to use. Some of them are common sense such as ammunition or explosives but some of them are rather technical such as air bags or marijuana.

Does amazon allow its boxes to be used for other services?

Yes. Amazon uses the same type of cardboard boxes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS), in fact almost all courier and e-commerce companies prefer cardboard boxes for shipments because they are safe to carry and have enough strength to hold everything in place and can be used for almost every type of good.

Yes. Amazon has listed no specific instructions and restrictions that their boxes cannot be used for any other purposes. The boxes themselves, when they arrive at a customer’s house, become their property and they can use them however they want.

What might create a concern for amazon is that the customer may wrongfully attribute another company’s services to amazon due to the presence of labels that may be present but given the fact, amazon has not listed specific instructions means that they are not bothered by this

It may well be possible that amazon knowingly ignores that their boxes are being used to ship other couriers due to the fact that they are getting free advertisement out of it. You know, the benefits outweigh the risks in this case and this has benefitted the customer who faces no restriction from amazon or USPS to use amazon boxes to ship USPS.

What materials are mostly used in packaging boxes?

Most packaging boxes are made from cardboard. Cardboard boxes are made mostly from recycled paper. Therefore, it can be assumed that the main content present in cardboard boxes is cellulose which is extracted from the trees.

Cardboard is basically made from wood pulp so it is natural, organic and biodegradable. Now it might seem that this would trigger a lot of environmentally conscious people that is why no one is talking about it because it’s made from cardboard then it must be linked to deforestation but that is not the case.

The majority of the cardboard is actually made from recycled paper and this is why cardboard boxes are really good products as they reduce waste and are not responsible for any significant deforestation.

Can amazon boxes be recycled? How is it recycled?

Yes, definitely. As discussed earlier, amazon boxes are made of cardboard which is mostly made from old paper. Meaning that these boxes are already made of recycled material but what is better about them is the fact that they can be recycled at least 7 times.

Most amazon boxes today are recycled again and again and recycling them is pretty simple. Firstly it is separated from other types of paper and the inks and tapes and removed.

These boxes are then shredded and then treated with certain chemicals which break them down into fibre which are then combined again to form new cardboard.

Almost 50% of the cardboard can be recycled into high-quality cardboard again and the rest can be used for other paper products which means that nothing is wasted in this process.

What is the environmental impact of using cardboard boxes like Amazon

In simplest terms. Its impact is very low. The impact lies only in the area where trees are directly cut for making cardboard boxes but as we know that for the majority of the boxes used that is not the case and the fact that these boxes are non-toxic, biodegradable, recyclable and reusable means that their environmental impact is negligible.

Does reusing amazon boxes actually contribute to reducing its environmental impact?

Yes, reusing amazon boxes, again and again, reduces the need for new boxes and the fact that these boxes can be recycled means that currently there would be no need to cut any trees for these boxes if they are recycled again and again.

We know that these boxes can serve multiple purposes in multiple industries and in houses so it would feel wrong to just throw them away in landfills where they serve no purpose. So the most appropriate way to dispose of them would be to flatten them and put them in recycling trash cans where they will be sent to recycling facilities.

What are amazon boxes made of? Is the material organic and biodegradable?

Amazon is a US-based multinational e-commerce company that delivers every kind of goods to different parts of the US and the world. Amazon delivers its goods to consumers all over the world in its branded boxes which are made of cardboard.

For how long can you reuse these boxes?

Amazon boxes can be used for up to three years after which they become brittle and fragile and cannot be used to ship anything effectively. However, they can still be used for composting and other household work.

Can you compost Amazon boxes? (5 benefits)

Let’s say your cardboard box has been used many times and needs to be disposed of now. But disposing of it does not seem to be right. What other options can you explore?

Congratulations. You are at the right place. This section will discuss one of the best ways to deal with used cardboard boxes if you are not in the league (and you should not be) of disposing of them.

One of the most eco-friendly options that you can explore is to compost cardboard boxes. Composting is the process of making compost from waste. This compost can be used as a natural fertiliser that can replace synthetic fertilisers.

Composting is a green alternative because it offers a number of benefits that include:

Increased soil fertility
Increased water retention profile
The increased organic content of the soil
Better yield
Decreased use of agrochemicals

The composting of cardboard boxes can be done in two ways. One is called the hot method and the other is called the cold method.

As the names imply, the hot method involves a higher temperature that reduces the risk of harmful pathogens; whereas, the cold method involves the use of colder temperatures that do not emit the risk of harmful pathogens. Let us therefore, get into the details of the steps in which Amazon boxes can be composted.

How can Amazon boxes be composted?

The steps to compost Amazon boxes include:

Add Amazon boxes with other compostable waste
Choose a apt location
Selection of compost bins
Add alternate layers of brown and green matter
Let the material compost for some months
Extract the compost and use it as a natural fertiliser

Conclusion

It is concluded that yes, you can use Amazon boxes to ship to USPS. Amazon uses the same type of cardboard boxes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS).