After the holiday rush, leftover boxes, void fill, mailers, and wrapping paper can quickly pile up. Instead of tossing them, discover practical ways to recycle, reuse, and upcycle your packaging materials. From storing decorations safely to creative DIY projects, these tips help you cut waste, support a circular economy, and make sustainable habits part of your everyday routine.
The holiday season continues to drive a surge in consumer spending, with eCommerce playing a major role in gift-giving. As online orders grow each year, so does the amount of protective packaging materials that arrive in homes. After the last gift is unwrapped, it’s common to find boxes, cushioning, and mailers scattered across the living room floor—creating both clutter and an opportunity to recycle or reuse responsibly.
Giving Plastics the Gift of New Life
Not all protective packaging needs to end up in a landfill. While only hard plastics can typically be placed in curbside recycling bins, many supermarkets and big-box retailers offer collection bins for thin polyethylene plastics marked with resin identification codes 2 or 4.
These flexible plastics include cushioning, stretch wrap, and bags used for groceries, bread, dry cleaning, or newspapers. You can locate a convenient drop-off point near you through the Plastic Film Recycling’s website.
Once collected, these plastics are cleaned, ground up, and reprocessed into pellets that can be used to make a variety of new products—ranging from trash bags and automotive parts to footwear and new packaging—giving them a second life while supporting a circular economy.
From Parcel to Art
Recycled packaging materials can take surprising forms—even becoming works of art. Dutch artist Suzanne Jongmans uses materials like cushioning, inflatable wrap, and plastic sheets to recreate garments from the 15th to 17th centuries. Her creations include ornate bonnets and high-collared dresses, which are worn by models posing for portraits inspired by classic paintings.
Jongmans explains that her work pays homage to the likes of Rembrandt, Holbein the Younger, and Rogier van der Weyden, while also offering a contemporary twist: “The idea of making something out of nothing changes our look on reality,” she told Colossal, the arts and design website.
“The easiest way to keep inflatable wrap and air-filled plastic pouches out of landfills is to save them for next year or use them to pack up delicate ornaments and decorations."
Deflating After the Holidays
You don’t need to be a master artist to make a difference. One of the simplest ways to keep inflatable wrap and cushioning out of landfills is to save it for next year or reuse it to protect delicate ornaments and holiday decorations.
And for those looking for a bit of fun—or stress relief—there’s the familiar joy of popping inflatable wrap. Surprisingly, science shows it can have real benefits. In the 1990s, Kathleen M. Dillon, a psychology professor at Western New England College, published a study in Psychological Reports examining the effects of popping inflatable wrap.
Her research found that participants who popped two sheets of inflatable wrap reported feeling both calmer and more alert compared to those who didn’t participate. So not only can you give your packaging a second life, you can also enjoy a small moment of holiday stress relief.
Start giving your holiday packaging a second life
Reuse, recycle, or upcycle boxes, cushioning, and mailers to reduce waste, protect the planet, and even spark creativity around your home. Small steps after the holidays can make a big impact year-round—so gather your materials and make sustainability part of your routine.
