Frequently Asked Questions

We can deliver or pickup boxes within the Bay Area approximately bounded by San Jose on the South, Novato on the North, and Vallejo, Concord, and Fremont on the East. We may be able to deliver or pickup outside of this area (but still within about a 2 hour drive from San Francisco) for an additional charge.

Our boxes get recycled anyway, do we really need to bother with getting them reused?

Cardboard recycling is one of the most comprehensive and successful recycling efforts. Large majority of cardboard placed into use is recycled thanks to efforts of businesses, governments, and individuals. While recycling cardboard is usually better for the environment than simply throwing the material out it is important to understand that recycling isn't free in terms of energy, pollution, or money. A significant amount of energy is required to collect, package, and transport cardboard to a processing facility, to convert cardboard into new products, and finally, to transport it back to store shelves. Although recycling processes improve every day, pollution is generated when processing cardboard. Finally, recycling programs are expensive and lose money in many cities.

While recycling cardboard often has a positive environmental impact, reuse is substantially more environmentally friendly. Reusing boxes requires little or no additional energy and has essentially no extra impact on our environment.

We realize that environmental impact is not the only criteria many people consider when deciding whether to throw away, recycle, or reuse their boxes. We want to make the decision make sense from the convenience, financial, as well as environmental perspective. To that end we offer a number of options to reduce your costs of dealing with used cardboard and perhaps even turn your used boxes into cash!

What condition are your boxes in? Are they good enough for my needs? Are they as good as new?

We typically get boxes from businesses who receive their shipments in boxes or recent movers. Most boxes have been used once or twice for shipping or moving purposes and are still in great condition - perfect for shipping, moving, and storage. However, the condition of each individual box will vary. Some boxes you receive might be nearly new and others might be in just good enough shape.

We considered having a thorough testing process to provide a consistent high-quality standard for boxes we sell, but rejected the idea. Part of the reason is that testing folded boxes is difficult and time consuming, which would require us to raise prices. However, the more important reason is that we believe that "acceptable" condition for a used box depends greatly on who uses it, how, and for what purpose. Any standard we choose would keep useable boxes from being reused while still not being selective enough for some customers or uses.

Our goal is to get as many useable boxes reused as possible. Instead of an arbitrary, restrictive, and difficult to enforce standard we have basic minimum requirements for boxes we accept and perform a quick visual inspection upon receipt to separate out clearly unacceptable boxes. We then give customers the option to perform a more thorough inspection OR receive additional free boxes to make sure their order fits their particular requirements. By keeping the process efficient we can reuse more boxes, keep waste to a minimum, and keep prices as low as possible which in turn encourages reuse and reduces the impact of those rare occasions when our customers receive a few boxes they do not like.

We'd like to explain in a little more detail why "acceptable" condition is so difficult to define for used boxes, but before we do we want to assure you that we'll do our best to make sure that our boxes:

• Do not smell
• Do not have residue from food, hazardous materials, etc.
• Are not wet
• Have all sides required to seal the box
• Have a large portion of their original strength

Whether the condition of a box is "acceptable" depends on what it will be used for, how it will be used, and the preference of the individual using the box. This preference is very important and difficult to define and is one of the reasons why any standard is likely to be both wasteful and insufficient. To some people a box is a box. If it can be taped together to look like a rectangle and feel sturdy they are happy if it's cheap enough. Other people want a box in nearly new condition; even the sight of lots of tape or a few labels makes them uneasy. Most people are somewhere in-between.

Higher quality boxes do offer additional protection and do make the moving process easier. Much of the stuff people pack doesn't require extensive protection; clothing or bedding for example. Most boxes, even after many uses, retain more than enough strength for all but the most demanding applications. Many people can safely move nearly all their belongings in average quality used boxes. However, used boxes do require more care and work. When packing one should take a few extra moments to take box condition into account when deciding what to pack into the box and whether to use additional tape to add strength. When loading the truck extra care needs to be taken to make sure weaker boxes don't end up below too many heavy items. While none of these considerations are difficult (and to some extent are required even with new boxes), moving is a stressful time and not everyone has time, interest, or patience to want to have these extra considerations to deal with to save a tree and a few bucks. The "acceptable" condition of a used box depends greatly on the individual situation and preferences. The same boxes that can be perfect for someone moving a small apartment across town can be clearly insufficient for someone moving a large house with many valuables across the country.

There are some situations when everyone should consider using new boxes. We detail some of them below. However, on the whole, we believe that all of our boxes are more than good enough for vast majority of moving, storage, and shipping situations. Customers with more demanding requirements are welcome to take advantage of our inspection options to make sure boxes they get meet their standards. Customers with less demanding requirements can save time and as well as additional money. By managing quality in this fashion we hope to maximize the number of boxes that get reused thus helping the environment as much as possible while keeping your prices low!

Do you guarantee your boxes? Can I inspect/exchange boxes? Can I return boxes?

While we believe all of our boxes to be useable condition (and many are in excellent condition) it is difficult to say whether each particular used box will be good enough for your situation. We offer two methods of dealing with this issue.

When your box order is dropped off or picked up you are welcome to inspect each box as thoroughly as you like and get any of the boxes exchanged on the spot (within reason of course, these boxes are used and will contain labels, markings, small tears, etc.) This option is best for situations that demand highest quality used boxes.

Alternately, you can elect to receive 1 FREE box for every 10 you order. This option is ideal for most situations. All boxes you get will meet our minimum standards; some will be nearly new, some will be in just good enough condition. While we believe all our boxes to be useable it is certainly possible that you will not agree in some cases. However, it is very unlikely that you will find that more than 10% of our boxes are not of sufficient quality. Getting free boxes saves the time and effort of a thorough inspection and offers better value to customers with everyday requirements. You are still welcome to have a quick look through the boxes and make a few exchanges on a large order. Alternately, if you find boxes to be in worse condition than you expected, you can change your mind and inspect every box forfeiting your free boxes.

Once you accept your box delivery or pick-up we offer no further guarantees about boxes nor can we accept exchanges or returns. We have no control over how boxes are packed, taped, transported, or used and therefore cannot offer any guarantees or be liable for any damage. We strongly recommend that you package valuables in new, high-quality boxes and follow all packing guidelines.

When should I consider new boxes? What are the downsides of used boxes?

Used boxes are a great way to save money while helping the environment, but it is important not to lose sight of the main reason you buy a box: to store or transport your valuables safely and efficiently. In some cases new boxes are the best and most economical way to do that. We recommend that you consider using new boxes in the following situations:

Irreplaceable Valuables or Expensive Items

Although high quality used boxes offer a great deal of protection, used boxes do not have the same strength as new ones. If you are packing expensive or irreplaceable items strongly consider purchasing a new box and having it professionally packed. This is especially true if you are packing heavy items. If you do end up using a used box make sure you select a box in the best condition, use extra tape to provide more strength, consider double-boxing, and keep the box clearly marked so that you can place it in a safe location when packing and unpacking.

Professional Movers and Shippers

Many professional movers will not insure contents unless they pack the boxes themselves and they often require that new boxes be used. Consider whether lack of insurance is worth the savings on boxes. Also, when using used boxes your writing and stickers is more likely to be ignored by the movers. They have no way of knowing if that Fragile sticker is from a previous move.

Keep in mind that you pay movers per hour and per pound and/or per cubic foot. Used boxes can be more time consuming for the movers because the may be in non-standard sizes and may take longer to carry or stack. Used boxes may take up more space since they will not stack as efficiently. Used boxes may also weight a bit more due to the extra tape sometimes required to seal them. If movers are doing the packing for you, extra taping may also mean that you'll pay them more for packing time.

Commercial shippers may void insurance coverage if new boxes are not used. Consult your shipper if you consider using used boxes for shipping.

Long-Distance Moves

The further your boxes have to go the more their strength will be tested. While used boxes are typically more than sufficient for even long distance moves, you should be more careful when packing for longer moves. Be more selective in picking proper boxes for heavier or more valuable items and consider purchasing at least some new boxes for your more valuable possessions. Also, pay more attention in how you load the truck making sure that heavier, higher quality boxes are on the bottom.

Your Packing and Unpacking Style

If you pack less carefully or are under stress you should considering using more new boxes. Although in most cases used boxes are just fine, sometimes they require more awareness and care on your part. With new boxes you simply need to select the proper size for the weight you are puting the box. With used boxes you may need to consider the box condition when deciding which items to pack in it, use extra tape to give strength, or take extra care when loading the truck. Although many people do this naturally, some prefer not to have this extra bother or may be under too much stress in the rush of moving to do this effectively. Used boxes are great, but if they endanger your valuables or your sanity they are not worth it.

Keep in mind that used boxes might not stack as effectively. If you are short on space you might need to select boxes of the same size or purchase more new boxes to save space in the truck.

Keep in mind that there will be more tape, labels, and writing on used boxes. This means that it will be harder for you to find your stuff, put boxes in proper rooms, or keep track of what is truly fragile when packing the truck. Most of these issues can be overcome by color coding boxes or using large new labels, but this does take more work.

Other

There are likely other situations when using new boxes can be more appropriate as well as economical. Hopefully with this information you'll be knowledgeable of benefits and limitations of used boxes and select the proper variety of used and new boxes for your move.

Do you carry new boxes? Can you recommend a place to get new boxes?

At this time we only carry used boxes. If you are interested in purchasing new boxes please consider our recommended source. With high quality boxes, guaranteed lowest prices, free shipping, and next day delivery to most locations, you will be very pleased with your purchase.