By Carolyn Lund
Our cities are inundated in Amazon shipping boxes!
The Sierra Club's Marin Group and SF Bay Chapter Zero Waste Committee have signed on to a petition asking that Amazon offer a pilot pickup program in Marin County in which delivery trucks would pick up Amazon boxes and plastic mailers on subsequent deliveries and return them to Amazon warehouses for reuse.
Reuse eliminates the need to manufacture new boxes. It conserves natural resources (timber, water) and causes no pollution. eBay sellers and independent mail services have been reusing Amazon boxes for years.
Today very little cardboard is recycled in the U.S. because it's not economical. Used cardboard in Marin County continues, for the time being, to be collected, sorted, bundled, and (if possible) shipped to China for recycling; however, China has signaled that its imports of used cardboard will cease in the near future.
This year Amazon will deliver an estimated 4.6* million customer orders in Marin County, packed in 3.4 million boxes and 1.2 million plastic mailers. Most of this packaging is destined for the Novato landfill. All Marin residents and businesses pay for the disposal of Amazon packing materials in their refuse collection fees, whether or not they use Amazon.
It's dawning on all of us that the government is not going to be a leader in instigating change — it has to come from the ground up.
Once we can demonstrate widespread support from Marin County residents, cities, and businesses (we're looking for at least 10,000 signatures on the petition), we will ask Amazon to pick up and reuse its boxes and plastic mailers in Marin County.
Add your name to the petition online here.
Want to get involved in this campaign? Contact Carolyn Lund at carolynelund@yahoo.com.
This petition has been endorsed by:
- Marin County Board of Supervisors. A letter from the president of the BOS has been sent to Jeff Bezos asking for a pilot pick-up program.
- Nine cities, towns, and community districts in Marin County: Novato, Ross, San Anselmo, Mill Valley, San Rafael, Fairfax, Belvedere, Larkspur, and Muir Beach. Four cities have sent letters to Jeff Bezos asking for a pilot pick-up program.
- Five of Marin County's largest employers: College of Marin, Marin Healthcare District (Marin General), Glassdoor, Community Action Marin, and Township Building Services.
- The refuse hauler for Southern Marin, Mill Valley Refuse.
- Numerous Marin businesses: Hadley Construction, Louis Thomas Fine Men's Apparel, Strawberry Shoe & Watch Repair, Encore Consignment, Cafe Acri, Tony's Shoe & Luggage Repair, Tiburon Mail Service, Servino's Restaurant, Tiburon Thrift Shop, Ruth Livingston Studio, Vogue Cleaners, Brooks Tree Care, Mike's Bikes, and Belvedere Land Company.
- Marin County environmental groups: Sierra Club Marin Group, Sierra Club SF Bay Chapter Zero Waste Committee, Redwood High School Environmental Action Club, Seniors for Peace, 350Marin, Resilient Neighborhoods, San Domenico School Green Team, Children For Change, and Environmental Action Committee (EAC) of West Marin.
Photo courtesy Drew Stephens via Flickr Creative Commons.