Amazon Recycling... But not in the way they think....

[BrokenolMarine]

I sometimes see Recycle printed on the boxes or the shipping receipts inside the myriad of amazon boxes we receive. We save a lot of money by ordering online from Amazon. We join Prime every year, not just for the free shipping, though we save a ton that way because we live in the boonies. We know our FedEx and Amazon Drivers by their First Names. (Jim/Paul respectively.) I have found some creative ways to recycle some of the stuff they send.

Of course I save the bubble wrap, I tightly roll it into round rolls, put a piece of tape on each roll and it goes into a (Rubbermaid) tub in the boathouse for later use to ship projects, make dog beds, whatever. We haven't had to BUY bubble wrap in quite some time. I did use ALL our supply once shipping a woodworking project to a friend, but it made it without a scratch... and after a week of Amazon Deliveries... we had more bubble wrap in the tub.

Large Cardboard Boxes sometimes get saved, I have a multitude of uses for the thick cardboard.

* I cut them and lay them flat on my work tables in the woodshop under the various machines to protect the table surfaces. When the cardboard gets nasty, I slice it into squares and it goes into the bin for the garbage pickup on Thursdays. A new piece of large cardboard goes under the machines. Mainly, the sanders, where I sometimes am wetsanding the metal or even wood. Makes a mess.

* I'll also save the larger boxes and either cut them for backer boards for the range target frames, or cut them for the Targets themselves. Like the tombstone targets. I take the commercial target and use it as a template, then cut out the repos with a box cutter. All they cost me is a few minutes. I'm going to shoot them and toss them. Work great.

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Another item that can be repurposed is that twisted brown paper they use as filler. Most people will toss that with the boxes to be put in the landfill. You guys have seen that in recent pics and don't even know it. I take that paper, untwist it, flatten it as best I can, then fold it to a manageable size. It later becomes cover for the workbench when I am staining, gluing, or painting. I'll cut the size piece I need and tape it to the bench top, then toss it when I'm done. If necessary, I'll tape down two layers.

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Again, my only cost is time. I had been buying rolls of craft or butcher paper over the years.
This is free, I save it when I can. Tina got a box yesterday with a long 40' piece coiled in the top to fill space. 40' by 18"
I was very happy to see it.

Recycle? I'm happy to.

[Mags]

We rarely get Amazon packages with bubble wrap anymore. Just filler paper for sometime now. During heating season, a little bit of the filler paper along with some fatwood is used to start the wood stove. Boxes small enough to easily flatten go into the Recycle wheelie. Larger boxes get saved away for use in landscaping in the gardens. Cardboard goes down with mulch and wood chips on top.

[rickhem]

I do the same with the cardboard.....or at least I did. My target frames have uprights that are roughly 30" apart, mostly designed to accommodate the 20" x 30" foam-core poster board that I can get at Dollar Tree for $1. I buy four, get change back from a $5, and staple them to the uprights. My actual targets get stapled onto those foam-core poster boards. They don't hold up to the weather all that well, usually just a few weeks, so I've taken to using leftover cardboard as well when the foam-core falls apart. At least the cardboard, usually from packages we get, can get added to the firepit when that gets too weather-beaten to hold staples anymore, which is only a couple weeks.
My current solution, which so far has been a huge step forward, is to use 20" x 30" Coroplast sheets. I bought these from a Michael's craft store, for $4.99 each. They are like cardboard made out of plastic. I attached these to the uprights with drywall screws and fender washers, so the wind can't blow them off. They hold the staples for the targets well, sometimes too well, and are impervious to whatever precipitation we get. Now my big problem is setting the taller frame back upright after the wind blows it over, but the boards are still 100% intact.

[MuddyWaters62]

I go around and pick up left over political yard signs. The last two election cycles have provided a tidy sum of signs on the little legs and presto, an instant target. I shoot on private property and I don't want to leave a mess for the owner. He gets grouchy enough as it is (90 yrs old). In the between times, I go to the local appliance store. They are always happy to let me have all the cardboard washer and refrigerator boxes that can cart off.

Muddy waters

[RetiredSeabee]

I have a different issue with Amazon packaging. They frequently send an order out in a plastic bag. There is always the statement on it that the packaging reduces waste. The problem is that the part that they shipped is damaged because they put it in a flimsy plastic bag. They do make the returns easy I think they keep the UPS stores in business. Every time I go to return Amazon orders there are other people doing the same thing.