Shipping materials are necessary for companies that do business on the internet and ship products out to their customers. Your shipping materials may not always end up in the trash right away. There are several ways a customer can use your shipping materials to get the most use from them before they get thrown out. Here are three ways your customers can reuse your company's shipping materials around their backyard and garden. 

Raising Baby Chicks

When your customers end up with various sizes of shipping boxes from ordering products from your company, some of the larger boxes can be reused in various ways. Some customers may choose to use them to house and raise young baby chicks.

Because raising chickens in the backyard has become quite a popular pastime across the country, a large empty box makes a great baby chick brooder. The box can be lined with puppy pads, several layers of newspaper, or wood shavings to help absorb the chick's droppings while they live in the box. It is a good idea to tape up the flaps of the box to make the box's sides higher so the baby chicks don't jump out of their box. 

Baby chicks can live in a large cardboard box for several weeks with plenty of vitamin-enriched water and medicated crumble feed. They will need to be in this lamp-heated space until they grow larger and their full set of feathers comes in. Chicks can get quite stinky with their droppings collecting on the bottom of the brooder box, so it is a good idea to change out the lining material every day or two.

Make sure to provide two square feet of box space per chick. Then, when they are big enough after 4 to 5 weeks, the chicks can move outside to their coop.

Soft Nesting Box Materials For Hens

Many people raise chickens in their backyard for their nutrient-rich eggs and the enjoyment it brings. So, when your customers receive a shipping box full of shredded paper as padding, they can also use it to pad their hen's nesting boxes.

Chickens like to lay their eggs in a secluded, soft, and quiet spot where they feel safe. Nesting boxes can be made from old wooden crates, plastic bins, and even empty popcorn tins. The soft nesting materials that shredded packing paper becomes will protect the eggs once they are lain. Then, the shredded paper will soak up any chicken droppings or mud that may find its way into the nesting boxes. 

The great part about recycling shredded paper is that it is free for your customers to use. So, when the nesting boxes need cleaning out every week or so, it won't cost them anything extra.

Weed Barrier In The Garden

The cardboard boxes in which you ship your products to customers can also be re-purposed into a weed barrier in their garden. Your customers can break down the cardboard boxes and open them up flat to create a large weed barrier area. 

To prepare the cardboard box for becoming a weed barrier, soak the cardboard box in a tub or plastic bin full of water overnight. When the cardboard becomes saturated with water, spread it on the ground in your garden, leaving eight-inch spaces for any garden plants to grow. Continue spreading down other pieces of cardboard, overlapping them with each other one to two inches. This weed barrier process works best if the seedlings are planted first, then spread down the weed barrier.

When the cardboard dries in the sun, it will harden and create an impenetrable crust that weeds won't be able to break through. The weed barrier will also block out sunlight and moisture to further prevent weeds from growing.

Customers can use your shipping materials in these three ways to reuse them in a smart manner. Click here for info about shipping and moving materials.