# USPS and re-using boxes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339 "2006-01-31T13:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/1 "2006-01-31T13:51:48Z")
I do some business on ebay. Frequently, items I buy in the store come in handy-sized boxes for shipping my items. However, these are clearly commercial boxes. For instance, one that I currently have is from a set of Kitchen Aid sink brushes. As such, it has the Kitchen Aid name on it, pictures of the brushes on the front, etc. This is a great size box for shipping some items I have for sale, but hubby thinks the post office might not appreciate me slapping a shipping label on such a box and mailing it. Well, I’m not particularly concerned about whether they _appreciate_ it or not. I am concerned about whether it is legal. Any input would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/2 "2006-01-31T14:01:23Z")
When I reuse boxes for shipping I wrap them with brown paper to cover up commercial markings and previous shipping info. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/3 "2006-01-31T14:08:29Z")
I recently used USPS to send some things to **The Sausage Creature** , and noticed a sign up that said reused boxes needed to have any reference to products or companies blacked out with a marker. I was a little worried standing there with my reused box, but the gal at the counter took it as usual (small town). I _will_ follow the regulation next time. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/4 "2006-01-31T14:09:00Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > When I reuse boxes for shipping I wrap them with brown paper to cover up commercial markings and previous shipping info. I had thought about this. Certainly brown paper is cheaper than new shipping boxes. I just figured, why go to the trouble and expense of wrapping if I don’t have to? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/5 "2006-01-31T14:09:19Z")
I reuse boxes for shipping frequently. I always use an 8 by 11 sheet of paper on the top which I put the address and return address on (and which they put the stamps on). As long as they can clearly see the address, they don’t care where the box came from. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/6 "2006-01-31T14:19:58Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > When I reuse boxes for shipping I wrap them with brown paper to cover up commercial markings and previous shipping info. IIRC, the post office requests that you do not wrap your boxes in anything, not even plain brown paper. The paper can easily get caught in any one of a number of machines or conveyor belts and be ripped off. Then you’ve lost all of your shipping information! I’ve never had any problems re-using a commercial box as-is. I just make sure to use a full 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper for the address label. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/7 "2006-01-31T14:25:17Z")
I can’t speak for USPS but I reuse boxes all the time. AFAIK Canada Post doesn’t really care if your box has any references to brand or company names – the only things they _don’t_ like and request you cover up are bar codes, because they can confuse the scanners – to say nothing of the posties who scan them. Couriers (UPS, Purolator, FedEx, et al) are especially picky about stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/8 "2006-01-31T14:31:27Z")
I ship stuff in recycled boxes via USPS with logos all the time without a problem. I slap a a large “TO: FROM:” address label on the box and off it goes. The only other limitation I know of is that I have had boxes refused for if they previously contained alcohol (they said it was part of new homeland security guidelines). [Here’s what the post office web site says - so apparently they’ve been letting me slide re the marking out requirement, but I can’t find anything on their website about not using boxes that contained alcohol.](http://www.usps.com/send/preparemailandpackages/preparingpackages.htm) > [@](#): > > The Box > Choose a box with enough room for cushioning material around the contents. If you are reusing a box, cover all previous labels and markings with heavy black marker or adhesive labels. [Here’s one woman’s story](http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:kgFIFtQd_JQJ:sisters.bravemusings.com/entry/7942+reusing+boxes+alcohol+usps&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=10) > [@](#): > > Yesterday was quite a day! So many errands, so many ways to be annoyed with people who are supposed to be “assisting” you. My first debacle was at the post office. I was mailing very big packages. Because I had no boxes at home, I had raided the local ABC (Alcohol and Beverage Commission) store for some. Of course, they all had something about whiskey emblazoned on the side, but I had diligently crossed through that in magic marker, or so I thought. We took the boxes into the post office, where we were informed that the writing on the side had to be covered, and not just by magic marker. There was no offer of service or how we were to do that, considering that we were already standing in the post office. I noticed the boxes the post office sells, and we grabbbed those and started furiously repacking our boxes. All the while, I noticed other people bringing in boxes to be mailed. Many of those had writing on them. The postal worker informed me it was because our boxes had alcohol written on the side of them. No explanation as to why. I’m sure it has something to do with alcohol being a controlled substance, or some such nonsense, but no postal worker was forthcoming with that information. Do they even know why that’s not allowed? Better yet, do they even care? As I search the USPS website, the only information I find about mailing packages says the following: > > If you are reusing a box, cover all previous labels and markings with heavy black marker or adhesive labels. > > Duly noted. But if that was to be applied to me, shouldn’t that also have been applied to the lady who brought in a box with RUBBERMAID written on the side??? The most frustrating part was the postal workers’ willingness to point out what we were doing wrong, without stepping in to offer any solutions. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/9 "2006-01-31T14:39:48Z")
Thanks, guys. These answers are _extremely_ helpful. **Avarie537** , this is good to know about the brown paper, and it makes perfect sense. I know the USPS requests that you tape up all edges of flaps on boxes so that nothing catches on them, and it makes sense that the same problem might occur with brown paper. **astro** , I guess I’ll throw out the Sam Adams case I was saving. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/10 "2006-01-31T14:41:01Z")
My wild guess about the alcohol boxes is that since it’s illegal to mail alcohol via the USPS, it’s a Very Bad Idea to ship boxes that proclaim themselves as containing alcohol. Probably a cardboard box displaying a certain brand of (IIRC) bullets or some kind of explosive chemical would also not be wise choices. At the very least, you’d risk another postal worker/a postal inspector along the line seeing the box and having it stopped and opened for legal reasons. I suspect the postal worker she talked to meant magic marker wasn’t acceptable if you could see the logo through it, so gigantic black opaque blocks ought to have been fine. Alternate choice, turn the box inside out and retape it. ---
**Author:** ![metj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@metj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metj)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/11 "2006-01-31T14:42:21Z")
Sometimes if you slit one side of a box, you can turn it inside out and tape it back together. I do this often. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/12 "2006-01-31T14:44:00Z")
In most cases you just need all printing that might send a box to the wrong place black markered out. They need the destination to be clear and easy to spot and read. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/13 "2006-01-31T14:46:27Z")
I’ve reused boxes a lot. Basically, the PO wants you to remove or black out any address other than the one you’re sending the box to. In addition, anything that says “Fragile,” “Liquid,” etc. – needs to be blacked out (though they will ask). A black marker will do, as will removing the label. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/14 "2006-01-31T14:48:05Z")
There’s also an aerosol paint made especially for this purpose. It’s the same color as the cardboard box. Helpful if you reuse a lot of printed boxes. ---
**Author:** ![Jake4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@Jake4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake4)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usps-and-re-using-boxes/342339/15 "2006-01-31T15:50:56Z")
We use the mostly-opaque tan packing tape for this at work. Tape over (or just rip off if you’re lucky) all previous shippiong labels and postage and you’re good to go.