A result from the rise and advancements of e-commerce, consumers do their purchasing on the line for almost anything and all the time. This causes the items needed to be packed properly to ensure security when they land on the hands of their future owners. These packaging and shipping materials are commonly consisting of bubble wraps, poly mailers, and boxes.
So, ever thought of what you have always done to these materials when you unbox your newly purchased handbag, shoes, or even kitchen utensils? It is understandable that you have that rush of excitement when that package arrives and even more so when it’s time to unravel it.
And so you unpack them. Fresh, new, and literally from the manufacturer itself.
Hold on, what are you to do with the bubble wraps that you tore? The boxes you chipped? The poly mailers you ripped? You would probably think of throwing it away, just as how you always do when a new item arrives.
So, let us all acknowledge the elephant in the ecosystem. There are clearly better ways to dispose these fine materials that kept your items safe. On the other hand, you could even reuse it! Now let’s go into depths of how to correctly dispose, reuse and recycle these things.
- BUBBLE WRAPS
You can recycle them the correct way. Firstly, make sure to pop all of its bubble. Yes, it even sounds fun. Afterwards, find centers that accept bubble wraps and send them there. There is indeed another way that you could do to maintain its sustainability and that is to simply keep them for future use. However, do remember to not become a hoarder for every purchase you make and let this collection of bubble wraps of yours collect dust.
- BOXES & CARDBOARDS
With boxes being one of the most used packaging materials, it makes sense that it’s also one of the easiest to recycle. One of the biggest advantages of recycling boxes and cardboards aside from being easily recyclable, they can be other ways for one to reuse it.
Firstly, you should store your boxes somewhere dry until recycling day. You will actually need to be very careful about keeping it dry because there is no recycling market for wet boxes or cardboards. Next, you could make your boxes and cardboards for other great use! For example, you could use it to protect your floors when painting, make it a cat playhouse, make a DIY drawer divider, or keep them for your shipping needs.
- POLY MAILERS (PLASTIC FLYERS)
Poly mailers can be recycled alongside supermarket bags and other soft plastics in specialized plastics recycling containers. Like bubble wraps and shopping bags, it can be recycled at flexible plastic recycling drop-off facilities. Remove all labels from the poly mailer before placing them in the bin by cutting them out and discarding them in the ordinary garbage. Place the rest of the poly mailer in your local flexible plastic recycling drop-off location’s recycling bin. On the contrary, if your poly mailer is big enough, you can even use it as your rubbish bag in your own personal space.
In conclusion, when you recycle more, you are assisting in the stopping of the exploitation of natural resources derived from wildlife habitats. Not only that, you are also reducing the need for Mother Earth to grow, harvest, or extract new raw materials.
