The holiday shopping season has begun. With an increase of online ordering and shopping due to COVID-19, major retailers are offering sales now and into December.
Actually, data shows that 57 % of consumers plan to shop online more this year and spend about $80 more overall (online and offline) than in 2019. According to the survey, 45 % of consumers say they do more than half of their current shopping online – nearly three times pre-pandemic. (Source: Digital Commerce 360)
Shop Local
Support Portland’s small business community by shopping at local places to help keep money in the community. PDX SOS (Save Our Shops), Chinook Book and Zero Waste City Guide to Portland are resources to find brick-and-mortar shops, online offers and alternatives gift ideas.
An increase of deliveries brings an increase of packaging. Here's a cheat-sheet for what goes where.
Plastic-padded mailers: Garbage
Any padded envelope that’s lined with plastic bubble wrap should go in the garbage, never in recycling. Even if it’s paper on the outside, or labeled “recyclable” or “biodegradable,” it’s still trash.
Packing peanuts & plastic air packs: Garbage
No matter what they’re made of or how they’re labeled, all packing peanuts and air packs should go in the trash, never in recycling or compost.
Styrofoam: Garbage
All Styrofoam™ should go in the trash. (Or look for drop-off recycling locations.)
Paper or cardboard envelopes: Recycling
If it's made entirely of paper or cardboard it should go in your recycling bin. Tape, labels, or a plastic address window are OK. (But if it's lined or coated with plastic, it goes in the trash.)
More boxes than you can fit in your bin?
To save space, break down and flatten boxes before putting them in your recycling bin.
Still too many to fit? Tape flattened boxes together in one bundle, and lean them next to your blue recycling bin.
Bundles should be no larger than 3 feet in any direction, so the recycling truck driver can safely and easily lift them.
Save packaging for reuse
Padded envelopes, packing peanuts and air packs can be reused to protect fragile items, like holiday decorations, framed photos or art. Plastic padded envelopes can even be used as make-shift waterproof laptop protectors.
Cardboard boxes can be flattened and tucked away for the next time you need to mail or store something. Or offer them to neighbors for a move: Consider listing them on Nextdoor, Buy Nothing Group, or Craigslist.
And, don’t forget about Buy Nothing Day! The day after Thanksgiving can also be an intentional time to hit pause on purchasing.
