Woman shares incredible online order hack: 'Keep those return shipping costs down'

Next time you get groceries or a fancy salad, you may be leaving the store with a secret bonus item. One creative woman showed how she turned a Sweetgreen bag into a "mail-ready package."

The scoop

TikTok user Harvested Days (@harvested.days) offers her hack for shipping returns or items when you don't have a shipping box or package at home to use. They show how to turn an old grocery bag into a "mail-ready package" with just some tape and scissors. 

@harvested.days No shipping box? No problem. 📦 I turned an old paper grocery bag into a mail-ready package for my return and it worked perfectly! Just cut off the handles, flatten the bottom, pack it up, seal the top and slap on a label. Budget-friendly, low-waste and no last-minute run to the post office for supplies 🙌 Save this for the next time you've got a return and nothing to ship it in! #DIY #SustainableLiving #EcoFriendly #reducereuserecycle #shipping ♬ original sound - Harvested Days | Garden + Life

The clip shows a "budget-friendly, no waste" method for shipping without buying new packages or going to the post office.

They start by cutting off the handles of an old paper shopping bag and folding the bottom into the shape of a package. Next, they simply pack their return, fold the top down, seal it with some tape, and affix the label. A little reinforcing of the bottom of the package and some extra tape on the label make it a package sturdy enough for its return trip. 

How it's helping

Reusing packaging is a great and simple way to recycle right from home while saving money and trips to the post office. 

By using old bags or shipping boxes when you sell your old or unworn clothes, you can not only recycle packaging, but you can also give clothes new life.

Finding creative ways to DIY your packaging can be a great way to help limit the amount of waste you send to the landfill. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Containers and packaging make up a major portion of municipal solid waste (MSW), amounting to 82.2 million tons of generation in 2018 (28.1 percent of total generation)." 

If you are able to avoid buying new boxes and envelopes by reusing some, you can help make a small dent in those massive numbers. 

What everyone's saying

Followers loved this hack. Some had seen it done before, and some were impressed with the ingenuity and planned to use it themselves. 

One TikToker said, "Great hack! This likely helps keep it lightweight to keep those return shipping costs down." 

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Others chimed in to share what types of bags they've used before that work well, with someone else saying, "I would also turn it inside out." 

Another user said, "This is super helpful, will be doing this."

Finally, someone simply said, "Love this idea!"

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