Do you keep all boxes, or just some of them?
Some people reuse boxes for storage, moving, or shipping later on, while others toss them right away to avoid clutter. There’s a balance between being practical and holding onto too much, especially when space is limited at home.
From a frugal perspective, how do you decide which boxes are worth keeping, and when it’s better to just recycle them?
What makes a box worth keeping and reusing?
byu/Packlane_com inFrugal
Posted by Packlane_com
9 Comments
I get rid of all unless storing something. I go on freecycle to get more if suddenly need.
I keep good, high quality boxes but any that are cheap or weak I toss
No cardboard ever gets saved.
All storage goes into clear and lockable totes/bins.
Cardboard holds odors and invites bugs and rodents.
Our local recycling center sells good moving boxes for 50 cents each. So I don’t hang onto much, knowing I can get them cheap if needed.
i usually keep boxes that are sturdy and versatile, like shoe boxes or smaller shipping boxes. if it’s got a purpose or can save me money down the line, i’ll hold onto it; otherwise, it’s straight to recycling.
We save a few boxes for gifting in the garage. Those are boxes with the color printing as those are not recyclable. Plain corrugated craft paper boxes go the cardboard bin.
The boxes for expensive items, like iPhones are great for gift boxes. Very sturdy and it fun to watch the expressions change in the recipient when that golden iPhone box holds a DollarTree cellphone charger and short thin charging cable.
Anything that can be used for later is staying
eBay seller here! My friends and family are conditioned to hold onto their boxes and packing materials for me, even the weak / cheap ones that get run through a cardboard shedder for padding materials. In exchange they bring me their items that need to be mailed knowing it will be packaged assuming a baby orangutan mistook it for a rattle and postage will be the carrier with the cheapest fast offering on PirateShip. Put those boxes on FreeCycle or a FB Buy Nothing group and they will disappear fast.
If it looks aesthetically nice and sturdy I will keep it to use for organization. I have some high quality looking shoe boxes that I use to help organize my dresser drawer of socks, underwear, bras, etc.