Reduce. Re-use. Re/Upcycle.
All the cool kids are doing it.
THIS - my friends - is more than just a stack of cardboard. It is a mountain of possibilities!
Just think. Maybe Home Depot will use some of that cardboard to ship a refrigerator which will - in turn - become an amazing fort - particularly if a matching dishwasher and stove are also on their way. Maybe Uhaul will transform some of it into moving boxes, which will subsequently be part of an art installment at MOMA entitled, “The Rise of Cardboard.” Maybe a die hard DIY-er will see Bob Villa’s (or one of his apprentice’s) post about creative ways to use cardboard and feel inspired. (Admit it - the world could use a little more Bob Villa!)
Actually, maybe Bob Ross would be a better choice. Bob Ross has his own Lego mini figure. And anyone who has their own Lego mini figure is legendary in much the same way that any song that Weird Al parodies is going (or has gone) platinum, if that’s still a thing. Although I’m not sure how to connect Bob Ross to cardboard. Post in the comments if you think of a way to bridge that gap.
The world also seems to need a whole lotta cardboard boxes. I know we received our fair share. At the house AND at the shop. To be perfectly honest, about 85% of our packages come from Amazon.
Can anyone else relate to that, or am I the only one who gets a whole lotta packages with A>Z arrows/smiles? (clever logo, btw). Most of our packages look a LOT like the one below. The one that has either scandalously been deposited in the trash can or lazily put in an already over flowing recycling bin. Either way: SHAME!
Have you ever wondered how many Amazon packages are shipped worldwide every day? I can tell you; it’s a LOT! Like 2.5 BILLION a year. And that was in 2019. Amazon ships so many packages that it was cheaper to launch their own Amazon Air airline then it would be to continue to use other company’s planes!
This is not a post about the benefits of shopping online at Amazon.com. I’m not going to rhapsodize about how Amazon has made it so much easier for people in rural areas (like Emporium) to get things they need/want. Neither am I going to discuss Jeff Bezos, The Washington Post, and/or the future of space travel. Or the disappointing lineup of shows currently available on Amazon Prime Video (maybe another post).
Everything we ship will be shipped using an inside-out Amazon box that has been stripped of any identifying information (such as home address) and put back together nicely. We may even box up merchandise from our brick and mortar store - when practical.
That might not always be possible; Amazon boxes can be massive. In fact, I feel like most of them are comparatively large.
Here’s what will happen:
We will only use clean boxes that have been stripped of any information identifying the previous recipient.
We will package merchandise in a box that is proportionate to the size of the items purchased.
We won’t package the precious little succulent in a 24’ x 18'“ box. If we don’t have a smaller recycled box, then we will - albeit reluctantly.
It’s all about global citizenship. It’s about the environment. It’s about doing our part to make our world better. Or at least trying to limit the Mercantile’s carbon footprint.
We ARE going to reuse boxes. We have been hoarding boxes for months with this in mind. Not just Amazon boxes. Any small(ish) box we can get ahold of.
We will reuse boxes - not only to ship products - but also to package in-store purchases. I know it sounds weird and/or un-businesslike. It definitely makes us look extremely frugal/cheap.
Save the happy little trees. Help us be cheapskates.
