MAKE SURE TO REMOVE LABELS FROM BOXES
Tis the season for boxes! Some weeks it feels like a revolving door of the familiar brown shipping boxes . I break down the shipping boxes for the weekly recycle truck. But how many of you remove the labels from shipping boxes?
MARE SURE TO REMOVE LABELS FROM BOXES here is why I make sure to remove labels from boxes
Maybe it’s an empty nest thing getting older) but on a random day I thought about the personal information that is clearly printed on the mailing label. And if you flip the box over you will likely find a smaller label on the opposite side of the box with similar details.
I was sorting clothing items for a donation drop when I took a second glance of the packaging details on the box.
But it made me think about my adulting children who live in apartment buildings.
I know. I kind of freaked myself out when I noticed that my name and address were printed on the box. Who has access to those details?
I know. This has the makings of a Netflix (Lifetime) movie.
Now, it may not be a big deal if my recycled boxes are headed straight to a waste management receptable. But my thoughts turned to our first house that backed to an alley. I hauled everything the night before trash day. But, thirty years ago we shopped at the mall not on the couch. Our trash was pizza boxes and a nine pound phone book.
EMPTY BOX SUGGESTIONS
So here are my two suggestions before you toss the retail boxes:
- remove the ship to address label or any other identifying details.
- Tell your college age or young adulting friends and family members.
Be prepared for the collective eye roll from your adulting kids. I am sure there will be either a group text or a Thanksgiving conversation about this week’s Tuesday Tip!
Along with a collective eye roll they may accuse you (me) of being an empty nester and/or watching daytime news.
For the record this is the only news guy we watch! John is married to my sister which makes him a saint when the two of us are together. He has a great following on Instagram just make sure to tell him his sister-in-law talked him up on Everyday Edits.
Maybe John will borrow my Tuesday Tip!
In this digital footprint world, we know data is stolen online. But if you read this book (he was on Oprah in the early 90’s) you will think twice about boxes with identifiers sitting in an alley or in a an open mailroom in an apartment building.
So in this crazy month of bright covered packages tied up with string make sure to remove the ship to address labels!
And when you have all of those boxes, with the mailing labels removed y you can decorate them and use them for storage like I id with these familiar retail boxes.
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Laura,
This is truly good advice! Trust no one! We always pull off labels and bar codes from packages and burn them. The evil ability of scammers is just mind boggling. We are mindful, cautious and very careful people and still have been scammed several times. No idea how these criminals were able to do what the did to us. Sometimes I get the feeling today, many people just accept it as something that may happen… willing to accept the risk for convenience.