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As one of Santas helpers, many of you are, no doubt, busy preparing parcels to send. You are most likely scrambling to find packing material. Hopefully, many of you saved items such as corrugated cardboard boxes and peanuts from packages of your own so you could reuse them for occasions such as this, making your packaging costs practically free. And reusing materials not only saves some dollars, but conserves valuable natural resources. If youve been asleep at the wheel and dont have packing material of your own, you may want to look into opportunities for free packing materials offered by local businesses. The Polystyrene Packaging Council of California reports that over a thousand Mail Boxes Etc. franchises all across the country have developed holiday programs to encourage the reuse of loose-fill polystyrene packaging chips, commonly referred to as peanuts because of their shape. (Please, dont try to eat them.) If you have too much packing material, you may want to donate your peanuts so others can reuse. The polystyrene must be clean and uncontaminated to be accepted in the Mail Boxes Etc. reuse programs as well as those established by other firms. Some local firms may also have other packaging material on hand, such as shredded paper or excelsior (wood shavings) and bubble wrap. Consider checking the Yellow Pages under Packaging Materials or Packing and Crating Services and make a few phone calls. If the establishment does not have a reuse program, suggest they start one for next holiday season. Beyond businesses participating in these reuse programs, check with neighbors, co-workers, friends. Many pack rats, who have saved every box ever sent to them and can no longer get into their garage, would probably be happy to share their wealth. Youll be doing them a favor just as they do a favor for you. Another packing option is newspaper. Instead of putting that large Sunday paper into the recycling bin for pick-up (or, worse yet, in the garbage) use it as packing material. You can even use it for gift wrap! Packaging waste is the single largest component of Californias, and the nations, solid waste stream. Reusing packaging material, therefore, is an extremely important way for you to make sure that the holiday season is not only one of giving and receiving gifts, but marked by a respect for the Earth. |
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