The Dieline Awards 2011: Third Place- The eBay Green Box

Entrant: Office

Country: USA

Category: Books, Office + Supplies, Toys, Clothes, Accessories + Promotional

Description: Office developed a new set of boxes for eBay, as part of a pilot program to make shipping a little greener. The company gave away 100,000 shipping boxes to eBay sellers, and is encouraging re-use. According to eBay, if each box gets used five times, the program could protect nearly 4,000 trees, save 2.4 million gallons of water, and conserve enough electricity to power 49 homes for a year.

Friendly illustrations and copy emphasize potential benefits to the planet, and include tips for greener packing. A happy little bird asks, "Where to next?" -- and to track each box's journey, there's space to write a note so the next person to receive it can see just how far it's come. Each eBay Box is made with 100 percent recycled content, printed with water-based inks, and designed to require minimal tape. And once it reaches the end of its useful shipping life, it's fully recyclable. From the box's fine print: "Don't worry, it will come back as something nice, like a birthday card or movie theater popcorn bag."