Why We Reuse Our Packaging – and Have Done for Years

One of the things customers regularly comment on when they receive an order from Mimitoys is the packaging.

Your parcel usually arrives in a box that has clearly had a previous life. It may have another company’s name on it, or simply look like it has already made a journey or two.

That is intentional.

Reusing boxes rather than throwing them away

I have been reusing packaging at Mimitoys for years. I keep suitable boxes and packing materials that arrive with our own deliveries from my suppliers and I also collect good-quality packaging from other businesses around me. These boxes would otherwise be discarded.

If a box is clean, strong and capable of protecting an order properly, I see very little reason why it should only be used once.

Many of the toys and puppets we sell arrive with little or no individual packaging themselves, so reusing existing cardboard boxes for customer orders is a simple way of avoiding unnecessary additional packaging.

A small way of reducing waste

The EU's new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) puts a greater emphasis on reducing unnecessary packaging and encouraging reuse. The new rules are being introduced gradually, but the direction is clear: use less packaging and make better use of the packaging already in circulation.

For me, that doesn't mean a sudden change. Reusing suitable boxes is something we've been doing for years. There is no complicated environmental programme behind it. It is simply something that has always made sense to me.

A perfectly usable cardboard box does not suddenly become waste just because its first delivery has been completed. Using it again extends its useful life and reduces the need for me to continually purchase brand-new boxes.

We still make sure every parcel is packed securely and that the contents are protected. Reusing packaging never means compromising on getting your order safely to you.

It also helps us keep unnecessary costs down

There is another practical benefit. Packaging costs money.

Buying new boxes for every order would add another expense to running an online toy shop, and ultimately business costs have to be reflected somewhere in the prices customers pay.

By reusing good packaging that is already available, we can avoid spending money on something that does not need to be new in the first place.

You may have noticed our message already

We mention our use of recycled and reused packaging in our order information and packing sheets because we want customers to know that an older-looking box has been chosen deliberately, rather than being an oversight.

Over the years, plenty of customers have noticed and commented positively on it.

With increasing attention now being given across Europe to reducing packaging waste and encouraging packaging reuse, it is nice to see something we have been doing for years moving further into the mainstream.

So if your next Mimitoys order arrives in a box that looks as though it has been somewhere before, it probably has.

And, with a little luck, perhaps you can find another use for it too.

Myriam Doyle

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