If you care about the environment, you’re probably thinking about how and where to recycle Amazon packages. After all, Amazon ships its products using layers of plastic, bubble wrap, and tinfoil, much of which goes to landfills.
The attitude of Amazon toward the environment is crucial. This juggernaut of a brand can have both beneficial and potentially harmful effects on the environment.
Previously, the corporation co-founded the Climate Pledge, a pledge to reduce business carbon emissions to zero by 2040. Despite its green promises, Amazon has yet to demonstrate considerable actual action in sustainability.
According to Oceana, 22.4 million pounds of garbage did end up in oceans and rivers. Given that the e-commerce industry surged during the outbreak, we might expect that waste also skyrocketed. However, this does not have to be the case.
So, how do you recycle old Amazon packing materials so that it doesn’t cause adverse effects?
Cardboard boxes are one of the simplest types of Amazon packaging to recycle. As long as the cardboard isn’t wet or damaged, most local recycling services and facilities will accept it.
Amazon also often uses air pillows as packaging material. Because air pillows are composed of plastic film, they can be difficult to recycle. The company suggests recycling this via a local municipality. Make sure to pop those pillows before discarding them.
Foam sheets can also be recycled. Because they are primarily made of LDPE, they can be re-processed at facilities that handle plastic films. However, foam sheets are an excellent choice for keeping items in your attic, basement, or other humid areas because of their mildew resistance.
What about plastic bags & shrink-wraps? Although many recycling facilities now take them, it is difficult to recycle them. However, it is not always easy to find one that accepts them, so you can repurpose them as bin bags.
The same is true for gift bags. Some gift bags with plastic-coated paper or embellished with glitter cannot be recycled. However, Amazon is progressively using recycled, biodegradable gift bags.
Dry ice packs are also difficult to recycle. Because they contain toxic chemicals, they require particular handling practices. This is why it can be difficult to locate a recycling center that would accept this type of packaging.
However, there are some packing materials for which you do not have the option of taking them to a recycling site. Foil insulating bags, for example, cannot be disposed of in a landfill and must therefore be reused. Typically, they are used to keep frozen food products in the refrigerator.
