Green Christmas mailing tips -- Re-Use, Reduce and $ave some $$s

This time of year many of us have to buy, pack and mail gifts to friends and relatives across the country. I run 2 mail order businesses and have learned a few things over the past 2 years about how to ship for less and save some trees along the way. I emphasize re-using materials because most of the recyclable items in the USA are not re-cycled -- even if you put them in bins or color-coded bags, etc. The best and most efficient way to recycle something is to do it yourself.

1. Don't buy bubble wrap. Newspaper works perfectly well for most things that bubble wrap is used for. Newspaper isn't made from petroleum and it isn't ridiculously expensive like bubble wrap is. Wad up full sheets and stuff as much as you need to in between what you are shipping and the side walls of your box.

2. Re Use Boxes. There is a coffee place near me that has great boxes all the time. They save some for me. Don't re-use any boxes that have any type of food residue of course. Some of the box I get smell like coffee (eg. great) and they are the right size. If you live an area where there is imaginary recycling, you will find boxes already knocked down and bundled. You simply tape them up and you have a box again.

3. Ship book rate (media mail) when your gift qualifies. It is much cheaper than other rates but is available only for books. They may ask you if there is a note included with your book. If you answer "yes" your shipment will note qualify for the rate.

You can wrap books in paper grocery bags or other paper shopping bags (cut the center section and use that). It is heavy brown paper and the books will be protected from damage by it. Adds almost no weight and is very fast to use.

4. Use FedEx Ground for packages over 2 pounds. This one is just about cost. FedEx is less than USPS and has better service (tracking). FedEx Ground is a great rate and if you set up a FedEx account you can get another 10%+ off.

5. For dense heavy items, use a flat rate shipper -- available from UPS and USPS.

if you have any to add, I would welcome them.

:hi:

We usually spend several hundred dollars a year on cards. At least that money goes to MD Anderson cancer research. This year I went through our cabinets and found that over the years we have over-ordered and had lots of leftover cards we could use. So I didn't order cards and we are using old ones from years past. Saving us money and trees!

I wonder if you went through your closets at home (if you are unorganized like me) if you would find partially used boxes of cards that you could use up.

I'm also sending my Christmas letter (yes, the dreaded letter) through email to a lot of people this year to save trees and stamps.

One note: If you ship book/media rate, be sure to mail early. It usually takes a lot longer to get to the destination.

When I use it during the rest of the year it is not too bad time wise but at the Holidays media rate stuff gets the lowest priority.

come by my office and we'll gladly give you cardboard boxes! We always have a lot of them. And when we get in test kits or products with packing peanuts in them, we reuse them as we mail out things.