Why You Should Throw Away Cardboard Packaging
I’m here to remind you that product packaging is cardboard and cardboard should be recycled. Yes, even if it says Apple on it, even if it says Hermes on it, even if it says Gucci on it, it is cardboard and it belongs in the recycling bin.
Why do I not recommend that you keep cardboard packaging? There are two reasons that opaque cardboard is not a great way to store anything. First of all, you can’t see what’s inside. And if you repurpose a box for something that wasn’t originally packaged inside of it, multiply that by the confusion of thinking it’s one thing when it’s really another!
Second, especially if you’re using cardboard as storage in a space like a garage or attic, it’s not going to protect the items inside. Cardboard as a material is very susceptible moisture, temperature changes, bugs, and animals - all things that can damage or just plain ruin your belongings.
There are two exceptions to my rule of throwing away all packaging. The first is if you can truly repurpose that cardboard in a way that enahances your organizing systems. The best way to do this is to use boxes without the tops on as drawer dividers. It’s a free alternative to the store bought kind!
The second exception is if the box is for a high end luxury good that you intend to resell, and that is more valuable with the packaging. This applies in the long term to jewelry and watches. However, when it comes to shoes, purses, clothing, and accessories, you need to be planning to sell the item in a timely enough fashion that it's still basically new and the packaging would add value to that resale. Here I am talking about really rotating luxury goods, where you’re not wearing or using something more than a couple of times. I am not talking about trying to sell a pair of Louboutins you’ve owned and worn for five years, that have lots of scuffing on the soles and marks on the inside from your feet. With that kind of item, you may be able to resell it, but the packaging is not going to add to the value of that sale!
Do you know what is NOT an exception to my rule? Keeping cardboard boxes, especially from small appliances and electronics, in order to reuse them for moving! At first glance, this strategy seems like a great way to avoid wasting cardboard by using the original packaging instead of new moving boxes. However, it has a couple of serious downsides.
The first is the invisible cost. If you’re going to keep those cardboard boxes for future use, you have to store them. Do you have the space? And do you have that space where the cardboard will not be susceptible to those environmental factors that I mentioned above? There are always trade offs when it comes to deciding what we are going to store inside our homes.
The second is that professional movers would prefer that you do not pack anything in non standard sized cardboard boxes. The reason is that they pack boxes into the trucks tightly, both to save space and to prevent boxes from jostling and breaking the contents inside. Standard size moving boxes can be Tetrised together very tightly and quickly in the back of a truck. Random sizes of boxes are going to slow the movers down and work less well. And when you’re moving, the movers’ time is your money!
Now, I’m not a packaging hater. Cardboard packaging can be very pretty, and part of the purchase experience. And I do appreciate when vendors choose a recyclable material like cardboard over something that’s going to have to go in the landfill. But that doesn’t mean you need to keep it in your house after the purchase has occurred!
Please look around and get rid of any cardboard that's in your house. I promise you will feel a lot better!
LMW
