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!
34 Comments
Pam Warren
January 27, 2020 at 9:07 pmWe 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.
Imperfect
January 27, 2020 at 10:30 pmHey 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!
Kristen Lanum
February 3, 2020 at 10:58 pmIs Imperfect able to reuse the ice packs or insulation?
Imperfect
February 3, 2020 at 11:18 pmHey 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
Lisa BowensChapman
March 9, 2020 at 1:24 amI 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.
Imperfect
March 9, 2020 at 3:57 pmHey 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.
Big News: We Can Now Take Your Delivery Box Back! - The Whole Carrot
July 24, 2020 at 10:21 pm[…] you rather just reuse your box instead? Here are 4 impactful ways you can reuse an Imperfect […]
Gayle Kallmann
January 14, 2021 at 8:53 pmI 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?
Imperfect
January 14, 2021 at 11:53 pmWe 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.
Esther Rivier
October 4, 2020 at 12:45 amI’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.
Imperfect Foods
October 11, 2020 at 8:11 pmWe 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!
Suzanne Flaherty
November 11, 2020 at 11:18 pmI use mine for my recycling instead of my blue bin. It’s a win-win.
Imperfect
November 12, 2020 at 11:06 pmA recycling queen! ♻️
Andrea
May 14, 2021 at 12:48 amMe too!!!!
Sue
December 11, 2020 at 7:38 amThe 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!
Imperfect
December 23, 2020 at 11:24 pmSo great that you’re able to reuse the ice packs like this! Love it!
DonnaMarie
November 11, 2021 at 3:29 pmHow 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.
J'Etana deGaia
June 13, 2022 at 1:11 pmThanks for the useful idea!
Rene Jackson
January 11, 2021 at 7:27 amWe 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.
Imperfect
January 14, 2021 at 11:43 pmSuch a great way to reuse the ice bags!
Bo
January 28, 2021 at 3:30 pmI’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
Imperfect
January 28, 2021 at 7:16 pmSo berry hap-pea to have you in our wonky family 💚
MELANIE T.
February 23, 2021 at 11:47 pmI 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! 🙂
Imperfect
March 2, 2021 at 8:33 pmLove 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! 💚
Nope
March 15, 2021 at 6:54 pmI 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?
Imperfect
March 26, 2021 at 9:38 pmHey 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!
Dale
April 24, 2021 at 8:03 pmMy 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.
Imperfect Foods
April 24, 2021 at 10:31 pmOoh what a great suggestion for giving the boxes a second life! 📦💚
Glenda Steffee
May 13, 2021 at 4:38 pmI 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!
Imperfect
May 18, 2021 at 7:10 pmWe truly appreciate you! 💚
Andrea
May 14, 2021 at 12:49 amWe use them to store boxes we use for guinea pig hideys. And maybe to build a nice guinea pig castle!
Imperfect
May 18, 2021 at 8:04 pmLucky piggies! 💚
Rachel
September 15, 2021 at 11:59 pmWe 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.
Imperfect Foods
September 29, 2021 at 2:21 amThis is such an amazing way to make use of them! 💚