If you’ve just moved home or have just taken your belongings out of storage, you may find that you have a lot of boxes, bubble wrap and paper on your hands. Yes you can recycle your boxes, but, not all packaging materials can be recycled and around seven millions tonnes of it are still sent to landfill each year. There’s plenty of ways you can give your packaging a new lease of life after it’s served its primary purpose, and we are going to share with you just some of them!
Donate
There’s always someone moving home and what is one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure. Share your packaging items on local community groups on Facebook, or ask around your friends and family to see if they can make use of them instead. You may even find that some schools may take you up on your offer as children use them for crafting projects too!
Keep for Decorating
Plastic covers are a great accessory if you’re planning on doing any decorating at home. It will help keep your furniture and floor splatter free when painting and decorating. Plastic covers are also great in gangways to prevent wear and tear on your floor if you have builders or construction workers coming and going. Don’t worry if you don’t have plastic sheets though – cardboard boxes are just as good to protect your floor.
Get Inspired
Ever used Pinterest? If you need a little inspiration, this is the platform to visit! It’s full of all kinds of creative ideas, including ones on how you can get the most from your used packaging materials. You could also use packing materials for crafts or DIY projects. For example, cardboard boxes can be transformed into storage bins or playhouses for children.
Compost it
If you have boxes that are ripped and are relatively unsalvageable, why not shred them and add to your compost bin. Cardboard breaks down well if it’s mixed with food waste and creates a compost which is effective in keeping back weeds in your garden. Before you go ahead, don’t forget to remove any packaging tape or labels as these will not break down and can be harmful to wildlife. Cardboard is also great as liners for hanging baskets and planters as they retain water.
Reuse polystyrene and bubble wrap
Polystyrene and bubble wrap are also great around the garden. It can be used in the bottom of plant pots for drainage and is a much lighter alternative to pebbles or gravel. They are also great to use as insulation in sheds, garages or greenhouses.
Disposal
If you’ve exhausted all other options and the packing materials cannot be recycled or reused, dispose of them correctly according to your local waste management guidelines. Some materials may need to be taken to specific disposal centres for proper handling, so ensuring you do a little research is advised!
