Tell us what you do to help make your business more environmentally friendly

[community_team]

In celebration of Earth Day, tell us what you do to help make your business more environmentally friendly.

[funkyfreshmike.2013]

I fly in my private jet all over the world except when there's a photo op- then i hop on a bike or electric scooter to show the world how eco-friendly i am.

[divwido]

# 1 way to help STOP PRINTING INVOICES to put in the package.

Recycle more waste less.  Reusable, no throwaway.

Stop buying fast food from places that put your meal in styrofoam.

We need  to ban styrofoam-that stuff never dies.

[acrc3113]

By selling elsewhere and avoiding shipping.

[popblox]

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@divwido wrote:

# 1 way to help STOP PRINTING INVOICES to put in the package.

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^^^ This. I stopped printing invoices about a year ago when I realized I'd never even glanced at an invoice from one of my eBay purchases. I also started printing 4 shipping labels per sheet and added a custom SKU to each one, which kept me from having to print the pick list. I do have to print the labels to PDF, then arrange them in a "collage-making" app, but it's worth it IMO.

[resvte_40]

We need to reduce removing plastic at all and need to recycling as much as we can

[varebelrose]

"I also do some creative acquisition of used padded envelope and abandoned flat rate boxes on the counters at the post offices I frequent. Hundreds of damaged flat rate boxes have been cut up to create my patent pending triangular protector sleeves."

The post office frowns on that, and technically it is illegal.

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/How-do-I-Use-or-Reuse-Boxes-Properly

[jayjaspersgarage]

"# 1 way to help STOP PRINTING INVOICES to put in the package."

I disagree.  I print my packing lists on the lower half of recycled paper where the printing does not reach.

The number one way to reduce environmental impact is to have fewer children.  End of story.  That has nothing to do with ebay but some people in general don't believe this fact.

[jayjaspersgarage]

"I also started printing 4 shipping labels per sheet and added a custom SKU to each one, which kept me from having to print the pick list."

I print pick lists on the lower half of recycled paper where the original printing does not reach and just cut it off about an inch below the packing list info.  No wasted paper.  When I buy something on ebay it is usually an investment and I appreciate the invoice to be included to keep for the time when I resell it.

[jayjaspersgarage]

""I also do some creative acquisition of used padded envelope and abandoned flat rate boxes on the counters at the post offices I frequent. Hundreds of damaged flat rate boxes have been cut up to create my patent pending triangular protector sleeves."

The post office frowns on that, and technically it is illegal."

Actually it is not illegal to pull a clean damaged box put of the trash at the post office.  People misaddress the flat rate boxes that are FREE to everyone in the first place and leave them on the counter.   Our local post office has a counter in the lobby near the bulk of the P.O. Boxes where people leave bubble envelopes they open rather than trash them.

I think what you might be referring to as technically a misuse of USPS boxes would be when people use small flat rate boxes to protect items they ship in padded flat rate envelopes or the thin ebay non-padded envelopes.

As for abandoned generic used padded envelopes I hope you don't think grabbing them off the post office counter to recycle them as bubble wrap or extra padding let alone to mail something is wrong.  It is recycling.  I haven't paid for a new padded shipping envelope for over three years. 

The first three years I sold on ebay (2011-2013) I was still working for a large corporation that had a bin full of used padded envelopes for employees to pick from as needed.  We probably received over 250 padded envelopes per month during the summer rush (construction) and perhaps 175 a month in the winter.  There were several ebay sellers at my branch office that appreciated the accessibility to easy recycled padded envelopes.  I set that system up as the G.M.  because it saved the company money over time.  It was located close to the entrance of the lunch room out in the warehouse.  Eleven years of diverting or delaying the inevitable demise of those 26,000 envelopes in landfills was the least I could do.  

[krazzykats]

Use paper instead of plastics! 

I cutup a few used cardboard boxes, to use as weed barriers in the garden.   🌻

[krazzykats]

[krazzykats]

What to do with those old stained banana boxes?

[krazzykats]

Newspapers can be recycled into the garden too!

[popblox]

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@jayjaspersgarage wrote:

"I also started printing 4 shipping labels per sheet and added a custom SKU to each one, which kept me from having to print the pick list."

I print pick lists on the lower half of recycled paper where the original printing does not reach and just cut it off about an inch below the packing list info.  No wasted paper.  When I buy something on ebay it is usually an investment and I appreciate the invoice to be included to keep for the time when I resell it.

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Well, unless you could just eliminate the use of the lower half of the paper and not print anything at all, which is better for the environment, right? 100% recycled paper has an environmental advantage, but still raises greenhouse gas emissions by using fossil fuels and has a max overall waste reduction of only 39%.

For me, it’s more about the printer wear and tear and ink. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals in ink/ink cartridges can lead to soil and water pollution when left in landfills. The plastic in the cartridges can take thousands of years to degrade and, even then, they continue to pollute the soil.

But it’s really all about personal preference and what we each feel is required to operate our businesses effectively 🙂

[nuclearomen]

"recycling" is a pretty big lie that people fall victim to believing actually happens pretty easily. In reality majority of "recycle" materials go into a warehouse where they sit forever until they find someone who take some or into landfill. China use to take the bulk of the worlds plastic waste, they closed the door on that 2 years ago. Either things can't really be recycled or the cost is too high and/or the properly equipped facilities to recycle specific plastics etc... are few and far between. Truth, regardless if one believes it or not. 

What I do, is I do not throw away materials that can be reused / repurposed. This especially includes BOXES for shipping, bubble wrapping, and cardboard that can used for other purposes like storing, fillers for shipping etc... Just because a box was mailed through a delivery carrier doesn't mean it's justified to be thrown out, it can be used again as long as it meets your shipping purpose. Same with things like bubble wrapping, filler paper, packing peanuts, air bags etc... everything gets reused/repurposed.