When you consider the life cycle of packaging, you’ll notice that it’s usually quite short. An item is packaged sold, and delivered. Each packaging consumes material and energy, and after use is usually ripped up and tossed into the recycling bin. You can extend the life of packaging by reusing it once, twice, or several times, reducing the demand for the consumption of new ones. That’s definitely worth some cookie points because it’s such a simple thing to make to help the environment.
We’re all aware of the need to reduce single-use plastics, whether we’re bringing a reusable bag to the supermarket or shopping at a zero-waste store.
As we all strive to live more sustainably, retailers are beginning to pay attention to what customers want, with many stores now offering paper bags or plastic-free items.
Here’s how to properly dispose of your post packaging, from boxes to bubble wrap.
Bubble Wrap
If you’re ordering a fragile item, your package will normally come wrapped in bubble wrap to provide that extra protection.
The good news is that bubble wrap is recyclable, even if it can’t be recycled in a wheelie bin. Instead, check your local supermarkets: the larger branches frequently have a recycling drop-off point for bubble wrap, as well as plastic bags and film.
Cardboard
You can recycle any cardboard in your household recycling bin, regardless of whether your delivery comes in a cardboard box or sleeve.
Keep an eye out for parcel tape, which is not recyclable. Before you recycle your cardboard box, try to remove as much of it as possible.
Packing Peanuts
What do we do with the packing peanuts? While they are commonly made of foam polystyrene, which can be recycled in some places, they are not accepted by most curbside recycling programs. If your municipality doesn’t recycle packing peanuts and you don’t want to toss them out, here’s what you can do:
Look for local recycling facilities: Packing peanuts and other polystyrene goods may be collected or recycled at a site near you.
Padded Envelopes
Padded envelopes are lined with bubble wrap. You cannot recycle them since you can’t separate the lining from the outside packaging. But you can always try to reuse these as much as possible with other things like keeping your fragile items in place when moving.
Paper
There are a few different types of paper that you can include in your online orders.
At home, brown wrapping paper is recyclable. On the other hand, you shouldn’t mistake brown wrapping paper with colored wrapping paper. It is typically not recyclable due to dyes and non-paper additives like glitter.
Surprisingly, shredded paper isn’t recyclable at home. You shouldn’t place shredded paper in your domestic recycling bin since the little particles can clog recycling centers’ machinery. Rather, transport it to a specialized recycling center or compost it at home. You might be able to use the shredded paper for small animal bedding if it’s clean.
If you don’t have any packaging material yet, you may always use shredded paper. It also acts as a good cushion to protect your mail from knocks. Simply shred any paper that you are designating for recycling. Make sure to avoid using any pay stubs or documents that contain personal information. If you don’t have a shredder, don’t panic. You can do it by hand by folding some paper and cutting it into strips using scissors.
A Sustainable World
You’re gonna have to think twice before putting an item’s packaging into the trash the next time it arrives at your door.
Consider methods to repurpose the material or look for local institutions that will recycle it. These types of actions can go a long way toward assisting us in transitioning from perceiving plastic products as one-time use to seeing them as reusable resources and reducing plastic waste in the environment.
Here at Euromercato, we don’t only provide you with quality products, we can also assure you that we use sustainable packaging that you can recycle.
