Wondering what to do with your Imperfect box after you’ve unpacked your groceries?
Sure, you can always recycle it, but when it comes to preventing waste, it’s always best to reuse things whenever possible. So, if you’re looking to reduce waste or just want to get creative, here are a few ways to give more life to your Imperfect box!
Use it to sheet mulch your yard
Sheet mulching is an easy way to use your old cardboard to build a better garden. By creating a lasagna of compost and old cardboard, you build a new type of soil that won’t dry out and is rich in nutrients. It will also help your soil retain water better and suppress weeds. It’s an ideal way to help turn your lawn into a garden. What are you waiting for?
Get crafty!
With a pair of scissors and your imagination, you can turn your old cardboard into fun and useful things like postcards (who doesn’t like a handwritten thank you letter these days? ), coasters, and more! You can also use those craft instincts to create a fort for a cat or dog in your life.
Organize your closet
Many of us are trying to get organized these days, and sometimes all it takes is a few boxes to finally tidy up those books, clothes, or gear you’ve been piling in the corner. Try cutting up your old cardboard to create easy dividers for your drawers. With a little bit of spare cardboard and some creative upcycling ideas, your living space can be more functional and less wasteful than ever!
Share with a neighbor
We know it might sound a bit odd, but you honestly never know who else in your community might need a cardboard box to move, organize, or build the world’s best homemade halloween costume. Try offering your boxes on Craigslist’s free stuff section, Nextdoor, or Buy Nothing. Alternatively, try talking to a local food pantry or nonprofit to see if they could use your boxes. Through our work with food banks we were surprised to learn that many of them spend a lot of money on new cardboard boxes to distribute food to their clients, so you never know what a nonprofit might be lacking until you ask. Your used boxes could enjoy an ideal second life as vehicles for giving back!
We run a small pantry and we use the produce boxes to transport cold items. The insulation that comes in the box is great to help keep frozen food cold, especially in the warm weather. We use the ice packs that come in the boxes for so many purposes.
Hey Pam! Thanks so much for sharing this with us. We’re happy to hear that you’re helping give our boxes and ice packs a well-deserved second life at such an impactful organization. We appreciate your generosity and support!
Is Imperfect able to reuse the ice packs or insulation?
Hey Kristen,
In areas where we deliver our boxes via our drivers (as opposed to a shipper like FedEx) we absolutely are able to reuse them. You can learn more here:
https://www.imperfectfoods.com/recycling
I get mine delivered by Fedex so not able to returned so I was thinking of ways of using the cardboard. I am likely going to use some when I am able to get out in the garden. Anyway, I sell honey and eggs at the farmers market and usually use a cooler but then I remembered the box. It was perfect for all of the egg cartons and I even reused the ice pack.
Hey Lisa! These are all fantastic ideas for reusing your box. Thanks for sharing! We’re so happy to hear that you’re getting new life out of your boxes and ice packs.
[…] you rather just reuse your box instead? Here are 4 impactful ways you can reuse an Imperfect […]
I have kept the (good) boxes, insulation, and the ice packs from my deliveries and would love to donate them…my garage is bulging! I live in So Cal between Barstow and Victorville. If any nonprofits are nearby I would love to donate as much as possible! Also would like to know if you taking back boxes, ice packs, and/or insulation yet?
We definitely encourage you to reach out to your community to find out if there’s a need for those donations! Also at this time, we are still not taking back packaging, but will let everybody know once we are doing so again.
I’ve used my insulated bags and freezer bags for camping trips or trips to the beach. Wondering if you are accepting used boxes and gel freezer bags again tho? I only have use for so many.
We do have a packaging return program, but we’ve paused it due to current public health concerns. Hopefully, we’ll be able to start that back up again, but in the meantime, we encourage you to recycle or compost your boxes and recycle those bags where #4 plastics are accepted!
I use mine for my recycling instead of my blue bin. It’s a win-win.
A recycling queen! ♻️
Me too!!!!
The ice packs are stored in my deep freezer. When we have long power outages the ice packs are divided between the refrigerator and upper freezer keeping everything colder for much longer. After the electricity is turned back on, all ice packs get returned to the deep freezer. The boxes are great for the compost and for building up the garden soil. I really like everything about your company! Thank you!
So great that you’re able to reuse the ice packs like this! Love it!
How do you build up the garden soil with the boxes? Obviously, I’m a gardening novice and I can use all the help
You can give. Thanks and take care.
Thanks for the useful idea!
We go fishing quite often and when we do we always had to buy ice to put the on fish in the cooler. I gathered up my ice bags from the freezer and use them in place of the melting ice. Cheaper in using ice packs this way. And they are washable to refreeze for our next fishing trip or even a picnic.
Such a great way to reuse the ice bags!
I’m a new customer and so far I love the deliveries I’ve got 2 so far so I’m looking forward to using some of the boxes in the compost and the ice packs on fishing trips thank you
So berry hap-pea to have you in our wonky family ????
I give my boxes, box liners, and ice packs to a friend who participates in her church’s food pantry. Until I can give them more, they ask their participants to bring their boxes back with them to their next visit (the lines are much longer than usual these days.). Hopefully they remember to refreeze their ice packs! Your tip for layering garden plots sounds promising! And it’s time to box up everything my daughter left behind when she moved out and reclaim the space for myself! 🙂
Love that you’re able to find a second home for your packaging to some members of your community who can really put them to great use! ????
I love that this is your way to turn the tables away from YOU taking back the boxes and ice packs like you used to. No matter how many people reuse them in a creative way, it’s still wasteful the box has a single life anyways.
Perhaps quit wasting resources like this dumb article and pay people to make better business decisions to uphold your corporate responsibility?
Hey there! We had to stop that program due to the pandemic, but stay tuned because we’re bringing that program back soon in all markets!
My family and friends have happily accepted the insulation and ice packs, but they can take only so much, so glad to see on the site that you’re now taking back the insulation packs as well. The boxes go on to good use by offering them up on NextDoor. They’re always scooped up.
Ooh what a great suggestion for giving the boxes a second life! ????????
I teach piano lessons in my home and find that many parents are involved with coaching or leading teams, clubs and youth groups. They love my used boxes and ice packs for taking refreshments to soccer practice or delivering items to bake sales, etc. No need to “return” someone’s personal dish or cooler and the boxes are so sturdy they often get “reused” several times before they are damaged. When that happens, they know where they can get more! And, with their busy lives, several parents have also begun ordering deliveries from Imperfect. After all, if the nice piano teacher likes it, it must be Good!
We truly appreciate you! ????
We use them to store boxes we use for guinea pig hideys. And maybe to build a nice guinea pig castle!
Lucky piggies! ????
We used our boxes in place of landscape fabric when we xeriscaped our yard. Sounds weird, but it’s worked just as well for us as the plastic did. Last time we used the plastic it ripped within a year,; so far the boxes have kept out way more weeds then the plastic did.
This is such an amazing way to make use of them! ????