In case you haven’t heard… We have Amazon on our minds here in Frisco. So an Amazon-themed article was obvious, right?
How many shipping deliveries do you receive per month? If you’re like me and shop online as often as possible to avoid more errands, your garage might be filled with empty Amazon boxes.
There are approximately 80 million Amazon Prime members enjoying the perks of free shipping. Recently I read that Amazon ships an average of 608 million packages each year, which equates to (an estimated) 1,600,000 packages a day. That’s a lot of cardboard boxes, even when you take into consideration that some of the packaging used is padded envelopes.
Good news for our planet, you can give your Amazon boxes new life in a variety of ways. Recycle, Reuse or Repurpose with these smart solutions for excess cardboard boxes.
Recycle
Residential recycling is easy in the City of Frisco. Curbside recycling occurs a once-a-week, and every resident receives a 95-gallon bin for this purpose.
My household is pretty diligent about recycling anything and everything which meets the criteria, so our recycling bin is pretty full each week. Things like milk cartons and other pantry recyclables tend to be bulky.
What do you do when there are too many cardboard boxes to fit in the curbside cart? Take your flattened cardboard to the Environmental Collection Center at 6616 Walnut Street. Operating hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (As a one-time courtesy, new residents receive a curbside pick-up of flattened cardboard moving boxes, so take advantage of that before lugging them all to the Center.)
Reuse
Did you know that your empty Amazon boxes can do more than just fill up the recycle bin? You can declutter and do good, all at once.
Amazon is one of many partners who work with Give Back Box to help you donate your used items to charity. It’s free for you, and the program works with any shippable, cardboard box – it doesn’t have to be an Amazon box. Here’s how it works:
1. Fill up your cardboard boxes with items you want to donate (except electronics).
2. Visit GiveBackBox.com and print a free shipping label.
3. Drop your box off at any USPS or UPS location. The boxes are routed directly to the nearest participating local charity organization.
If you don’t want to wait in line at the post office, you can go online and schedule a pickup. Then, just leave the box on your doorstep. If you register with Give Back Box, you’ll automatically get a tax receipt.
Repurpose
Grab yourself a box cutter and have some fun with your Amazon boxes! Pinterest saves the day once again with their many creative upcycling ideas.
Create a coloring box.
Or an easy drawer organizer.
Make a fabric-covered storage box.
How about a tunnels, roads, and caves playset?
Or maybe a cozy fort with stars.
If the above ideas are just too complicated for you right now, break down a box or two and save pieces of it for painting projects. Scrap cardboard comes in really handy for painting projects with kids.
How do you manage your excess cardboard boxes? Leave your ideas in the comments section below!
Useful Links for Recycling Programs in Frisco:
Chunk Your Junk Safe Disposal Events
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