A non-profit organization will send you a free shipping label to put on any extra boxes you plan to donate to those in need. It's two in one: throw away a box so you don't have to crush it for recycling and do some good things for those in need. A classic win-win scenario.

If your house is the same as ours—knocking on the door, and using a box of things you buy online—if the cardboard is made of gold, you might become very rich. For us, COVID has changed the way we shop and the purpose of our online shopping, which means fewer visits to physical stores, and more daily household necessities come through delivery methods. Although normal life has basically returned, we have not returned to the old way of reducing online shopping.

Of course, except for those late-night Amazon binge or cool things that you find from an Instagram ad or two and don’t need it. Don't let me start. Oh look, that cool toy that my 1-year-old must have has already shipped.

As the holidays approached, it became clear that there were more empty boxes around our house than we knew. I'm sure this is a problem we share with many other families, maybe including your family?

Obviously you should recycle the cardboard instead of throwing it away.

But now there is another cooler thing to consider first. A few days ago, my wife stumbled upon a post on NoCo Mom's Group on Facebook, in which someone made a great suggestion, and we will definitely use it.

There is a non-profit organization called Give Back Box that works with Amazon, Overstock, and dozens of other independent stores to give what they say is about 100 billion cardboard boxes made in the United States a second life every year.

With Give Back Box, you can put any used box you bought into clothes, toys, or any other household donations. You can apply for a free shipping label on their website, place it on the box, and send these donations to the nearest post office, UPS or FedEx location. Thanks to the Give Back Box, it will be shipped to the nearest participating non-profit organization.

You can also choose from their list of different institutions listed on their website and receive a $15 donation, get a sponsorship tag, and send your stuff directly to them.

This is a convenient and labor-saving way to help the unfortunate, while keeping your life away from the unwanted cardboard trapped by you.

Of course, this is always the preferred method. You can find and research some local non-profit organizations and their needs with a simple Google search, especially during the holidays. You may even often hear us talk about many of these issues on the radio. Why not call them, ask them what they need now, and see what help you can provide?

It is worth taking extra steps to use some old boxes and help some people at home. You never know who might encounter difficulties this year, whether it is a neighbor, a colleague, or even a close friend, otherwise they all seem to be together. The people you help may just be people you know, without even knowing that they need it.

Get the free shipping label to make a donation: GiveBackBox.com.