Here’s everything about reusing Amazon Prime envelopes:
In general, it is perfectly fine to reuse Amazon Prime envelopes for additional shipments, and they will often perform quite well at the job.
In order to do it, you will need to remove any previous shipping information to avoid confusion with the new shipment.
You should also ensure that the old envelope is undamaged.
If you want to learn all about reusing Amazon Prime envelopes, then you’re in the right place.
Keep reading!
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How Do You Reuse Amazon Prime Envelopes? (4 Things)
If you want to reuse an Amazon Prime envelope for a new shipment, there are two things you need to do.
If your reuse is for anything else (like storing valuables when you move), then you can do as you see fit.
The first thing you need to do is remove the old shipping information.
If it is left intact, it can confuse the shipping system and cause your package to return to you.
You’ll find a lot of ways to go about that below.
When the old information is removed, you need to add the new shipping information.
You can do this the same way you would any other shipment.
Add your label with the appropriate information, and take the envelope to the carrier destination to initiate the shipment (such as to a FedEx shipping store).
#1 Remove the Old Label
The first thing you want to do is remove the old label.
Sometimes, that old shipping label will just peel off of the envelope, and everything is easy.
Other times, it won’t come off without tearing or damaging the envelope.
If it seems like any damage is likely, you can try applying heat.
Usually, steam is the best bet, and something like a clothing steamer will work very well.
The steam helps to loosen the glue so that the label can be removed without damaging anything.
That said, the rest of this list provides easier options if the label doesn’t just peel off.
Before getting to those options, your other way of removing the label is to dissolve the label ink.
Nail polish remover, toothpaste, and other solutions can remove label ink with minimal risk of damaging the envelope.
#2 Black It Out
This is probably the simplest way to remove old shipping label information.
You can use a permanent marker or anything else that is difficult to remove (such as white-out).
The goal is to render the previous label illegible to humans and computerized scanners.
To do that, you don’t need to completely blackout the entire label.
Instead, you can use diagonal lines to mess up the bard codes and cross out the existing shipping information.
Once you make the old label impossible to read, you can add a new label, and there will be no problems.
The carrier will be able to ship the envelope and get it to the correct destination.
#3 Cover It
In lieu of blacking out an existing label, you could simply cover it. This is your simplest option of all.
Place the new label on top of the old one, and be sure to cover all of the old shipping information.
If you need to tape the new label, be liberal with the tape to ensure it survives the shipping process.
There’s always a chance that the new label is not big enough to completely cover the old label.
If that happens, cover as much as you can and blackout the rest.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel here.
As long as the new shipping information is easy to read and the old info is not, you’re in a good place.
#4 Be Thorough
This is arguably the most important thing to remember.
Some items are shipped with multiple labels or barcodes.
These barcodes can serve any number of different functions, and they don’t have to be tied to shipping at all.
Regardless, you should cover or mark over (or remove) every barcode and label on the package before you apply the new shipping information.
If you leave something behind, it can potentially confuse the shipping system and prevent your package from reaching its destination.
When Can You Not Reuse Amazon Prime Envelopes? (2 Scenarios)
There are a lot of ways you can work out how to reuse an Amazon Prime envelope.
Are there ever times when it won’t work?
The short answer is yes.
If the Prime envelope is damaged or marked in a way that would create confusion with the carrier, it won’t work.
Most of the time, Amazon Prime envelopes are good for a couple of shipments, but there are cases to consider where that might not be true.
Additionally, if you’re looking to reuse non-Prime envelopes in these same ways, it might not always prove viable.
#1 The Envelope Is Damaged
It seems simple enough.
If the envelope has a gaping hole in it, it isn’t really suited for another round through the shipping industry.
In less obvious cases, envelopes can have damaged packing materials that would make them unsuitable for a lot of shipping jobs.
Always go over the envelope and satisfy yourself that it can withstand the rigors of carrying another shipment.
Even if your shipped item is small or light, the envelope itself can fail and create major headaches for you if it isn’t up to the task.
#2 It Is a Prepaid Envelope
This scenario doesn’t typically apply to Amazon envelopes, but if you’re trying to use these ideas for envelopes in general, then you might run into trouble.
A lot of prepaid envelopes (and boxes) are designed in ways that don’t make them reusable.
The most likely issue is that they contain confusing information across the envelope that is hard to cover.
For instance, a prepaid FedEx label has the FedEx logo all over it.
If you try to send that through USPS, it can create problems, and in many cases, the USPS will simply refuse to ship that envelope.
You can see how this would apply to other carriers as well.
All of that said, some prepaid envelopes and boxes might prove reusable.
You will have to cover the prepaid postage along with any shipping information since neither will be appropriate for the new shipment.
Really, this is a case-by-case scenario.
As long as you treat it that way, you can sort out when prepaid envelopes can and cannot reasonably be reused.
- Amazon Shipping: Intentional Delays?
- Amazon Package Arrived Open and Empty: 3 Crazy REason’s why?
- What Does Customs Clearance Completed Mean on Amazon?
- Amazon Says Shipping Now: Meaning?
- Amazon Says Package Has Left Carrier Facility: Meaning?
- Amazon Says Package Arrived at a Carrier Facility: Meaning?
- Amazon Not Taking Out Money of Order: How Come?
