Packing & Shipping Retail Associates

Overview

Who is this guide for?

This guide is for employees of packing-and-shipping shops like UPS Stores, FedEx Office Centers, Staples Shipping Services, and similar businesses. Your responsibilities may include customer service, receiving, packaging and processing packages.

If you’re a retail associate at a packing-and-shipping center, and you’re asking yourself

  • Doesn’t shipping create a lot of greenhouse gas emissions?
  • What do we do with all the packaging waste?
  • How can I make a difference when I don’t make the rules?

… then this climate action guide is for you!

It might feel challenging to make a difference as a retail associate. There are a lot of rules to follow and customers to manage. You may not have much decision-making power. However, there are over 80,000 pack-and-ship employees in the US1 and collectively, your actions add up. For example, if each employee could save one cardboard box a week, that would save over 4 million boxes a year, which would save over 10,000 trees.2

How pack-and-ship workers can take climate action

  1. Talk to customers about CO2 offsets (when available): Empower customers to take climate action, which will let decision-makers know that climate is important.
  2. Pick the right-sized box: Select the right-sized box and use fewer packing materials.
  3. Shorten boxes to reduce empty space: Cut down larger boxes and reduce the amount of packing materials used.
  4. Pick the right-sized bag: Help reduce the amount of plastic waste.
  5. Reuse packing materials: Let customers know that they can bring their own packing materials for re-use. ⚠️ Check with store policy first

See below for more information on each action, as well as quotes from pack-and-ship employees.

✅ Action 1: Talk to customers about carbon offsets

If your employer offers carbon offsetting options for shipping, let the customer know about it. Every customer who chooses to offset their shipping will send a signal to corporate decision-makers: climate is important.

Even if the customer rejects the option, you are still normalizing climate conversations and helping to build awareness. Both FedEx and UPS offer carbon offsets for shipping.

Step-by-step

  1. See if your company offers offsets or other sustainability service options.
  2. If yes, incorporate it into your customer service script.
  3. Bonus action: Talk to your coworkers about the sustainability options. You may find that your office cares more about climate than you think!

✅ Action 2: Pick the right-sized box

Choose the right-sized box for the item so you won’t need extra filler materials. Any space left around objects being shipped must be filled to prevent damage. The more empty space there is, the more bubble wrap, packing peanuts, foam, or packing paper you need.

Step-by-step

  1. Measure the item’s length, width, and height
  2. If you are using filler, add an extra 2″ to the measurements
  3. Select the smallest box that will fit the item

Video demonstration: How to Choose the Right Shipping Box Size and Strength

✅ Action 3: Shorten boxes to reduce empty space

If the right-sized box is not available, you can shorten the box easily with a few cuts and folds. This will reduce the space left around objects, which reduces the packing peanuts, foam, or packing paper you need to protect the item.

Step-by-step

You will be cutting the flaps of the box and then folding them down so that the box is shorter.

Video demonstration: 3 Ways to Resize Your Shipping Box

  1. Assemble the box and place the item inside. The opening of the box should be facing up.
  2. Using the item as a guide, cut the vertical edge from the top of the item (plus 4” if using packing material) to the opening of the box. Repeat for each edge.
  3. Fold down each flap to the beginning of the new cut
  4. Pack and tape as usual

Worker story

“When I worked at a shipping store, the owner of the store often cut down boxes to better fit the item and limit empty space.”

✅ Action 4: Pick the right-sized bag

There are many rules about packaging items in plastic bags (especially with Amazon returns). You may not be able to reduce the number of bags you use, however, you can choose the smallest bag possible and help reduce the amount of plastic waste. This is especially important since most municipalities cannot recycle plastic bags and film.

Using smaller plastic bags can also reduce costs. We heard from one store owner who said that adding 12×18 bags in particular saved them a lot of money.

Step-by-step

  1. Check what size bags are available
  2. Use the smallest size appropriate when packing
  3. Bonus action: If your store only has 9×12 and 18×24, ask about adding a 12×18 option. Let the manager or owner know that it can help save money, especially for Amazon returns.

About plastics and recycling: Plastic materials are worse for the environment because they are difficult to recycle and made from fossil fuels. Film plastics like bubble wrap may say that they’re recyclable or have the recycle symbol on it, however, most municipalities do not have the ability to recycle plastic film. Film plastics such as bubble wrap are nearly impossible to recycle. According to the UN Environment Programme, 430 million tonnes of plastic is produced annually around the world, contributing to 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, the majority of those film plastics break down into microplastics.

✅ Action 5: Reuse packing materials from the public

Some shipping stores such as UPS accept bubble wrap and other packing materials to reuse. Some stores may reuse or recycle boxes as well. Find out if this is the case for your store, and if so, let your customers know and encourage them to help reduce packaging waste.

Step-by-step

  1. Find out if your store accepts packing materials for reuse by asking your manager or coworkers.
  2. If yes (used packing materials are accepted), ask if there are ways to let customers know. For example:
    1. During conversations and interactions with customers
    2. Signage or flyers with instructions on which materials are acceptable
    3. Placing a collection bin in a visible location
  3. If no (used packing materials are not accepted), ask if there are other ways to reduce & reuse packing materials.

Worker story

“As people pick up packages from the store you work at, mention that you can reuse them. I did this at the shipping store I worked at, especially when customers opened a package they received in the store. People may be excited to learn they can take materials to your store and know they will be reused instead of being sent to a landfill.
This also benefits the store because it doesn’t need as many new packing materials.”

More information

Impact

Climate & Environmental Impact
  • Reduce resources needed for packing materials (trees for paper, oil for plastic)
  • Reduce waste from packing materials
  • Reduce emissions from shipping by reducing the volume & weight of packages and by recommending lower-emission services
Worker & Business Impact

Pack-and-ship associates: Have a positive impact on the environment while at work

Employers: Save money on packing materials

Customers: Save money on packing materials and shipping fees

Contributors

Alyssa Sporrer, Dorothy Bayern, Melissa Hsiung. Special thank you to the UPSstore subreddit for feedback.

Sources

  • Business Service Centers in the US. IBISWorld. May 2024.

Footnotes

  1. IBISWorld. https://my.ibisworld.com/us/en/industry/56143/performance ↩︎
  2. Calculations based on estimates from Reuseabox: it takes about 5 trees to make 1 ton of cardboard, which produces about 1,950 average-sized packing boxes. ↩︎

Table Of Contents
  1. Overview
  2. ✅ Action 1: Talk to customers about carbon offsets
  3. ✅ Action 2: Pick the right-sized box
  4. ✅ Action 3: Shorten boxes to reduce empty space
  5. ✅ Action 4: Pick the right-sized bag
  6. ✅ Action 5: Reuse packing materials from the public
  7. More information