I think Priority Mail boxes are stamped "USPS" on the inside in an effort to prevent this type of activity. Before this practice by the post office I used to turn previously mailed PM boxes inside out and re-use them. I justified my actions by telling myself they've already been used at the intended rate and I'm being "green" by not tossing the boxes in the trash. Told myself I was recycling. I have quit that practice, however. Was it right for me to re-use those boxes? Probably not.

Priority Mail packaging "...is provided solely for sending Express Mail, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Global Express Mail and Global Priority Mail...". Seems pretty straightforward to me. Doesn't say "as long as you use the USPS, you're cool to use the boxes any way you see fit." They ARE giving them to you free of charge. Certainly you've priced shipping materials already...

Legally you probably can't do what you're thinking about. Beyond that it'* a question of ethics. Could you get away with it? Most likely. How far are you willing to compromise your integrity?

Note also that if you have a plain box that was previously used and has that red, white, & blue Priority Mail tape, or a PM sticker, or any other PM markings you will need to completely remove them or cover them up (duct tape, like Haro mentioned, works good for this). Even if they see remnants of the PM tape on your box they'll charge you PM rates. They can be jerks about that.

Also be aware that if you're shipping from coast to coast Priority Mail usually makes the trip in about 3 days - worth the cost in my opinion. With priority mail you also know what your shipping costs will be so you can quote your customer up front.

Boy, I'm long-winded today.

When I'm selling my school books for 1/4 the price that I bought them for because my school wont even buy them back I need every nickel and dime I can get

I've only done this for Amazon purchases btw. I don't use the boxes for anything else.

Although I do have one in my backseat to throw all my garbage in. lol

Are there other textbook stores in your town? I would almost guarantee there are. They will often times buy the books that your campus bookstore will sneer at. I took mine to a place called TextBucks and thought bought back every single thing I had.

I would also recommend buying your textbooks for the upcoming semester online, you can save A LOT of money. The most assured way of getting the right books is to go to your campus bookstore, find out what books you need, and right down the ISBN number off the back for each book.

Then go to a place like www.alibris.com and search by ISBN number. Youd be surprised at how much cheaper some of the books are, and shipping is very reasonable. I saved somewhere in the neighborhood of 100-150 bucks by doing this.

While I won't argue with the rest of your statement, this part here is where I draw the line. Re-using packing and shipping materials can hardly be construed as unethical or even marginally shady. If a product has already been used for it'* intended purpose, then it'* environmentally irresponsible NOT to re-use it instead of tossing it out. Nobody is being deprived of the expected revenue from that product, but it'* useful life is far from over.

I have and most certainly will continue to re-use packaging and packing materials and will challenge anyone to prove it either illegal OR unethical to do so. Now I realize that this is different than the original question and am not confusing the two. I just thought it should be stated.

In my line of work, I receive packages daily from legal, plain vanilla businesses. I would estimate that well over 50% of these packages are packed in re-used cartons or packing material.

OK, so now my rant has probably well overrun sensible guidelines, but I'll bet you get my drift about now, dontcha?

I couldn't agree with you more! I DO re-use shipping and packing materials, and there'* nothing wrong with that. But legally the boxes provided by the USPS for priority mail use remain the property of the USPS, even after they've been used. We're talking about the boxes provided by the post office only here. Yeah, I agree it'* a waste to not re-use them and we should be able to do so. Unfortunately there'* no provision in their legal statement to do legally use them for parcel post mailings. They can still be used for priority mailings.

Maybe I should start returning used PM boxes to the post office instead of throwing them away or saving them for another PM mailing. After all, they ARE their boxes!

Ahh, permit me a self-gratifying rant:
[rant] Welcome to the world of higher education. It doesn’t end with over-priced textbooks. Wait until after a few years after graduation and the alumni association starts calling you to ask for donations so you can “give back to the school that gave so much to you”…as you’re paying out of your pocket to send your own kids to college, just as you paid out of your pocket for your own education. I worked, served time in the military, and paid for my education myself – I was too stupid for a scholarship. My university never GAVE me anything. [/rant]

I feel your pain.

I'll continue your rant for you...lol.

...Plus the university book publishing system is generally a closed shop operation that reaps huge profit margins by encouraging...nay, pushing....professors to get out the next "edition" that may or may not have any changes of merit contained therein. Nowhere else in the real world publishing houses are there such large regular margins to be garnered for so little effort....

Next.....

The last classes that I took, the professors had no choice but to use the textbooks that school told them to use.

And don't even get a person started over how much more money athletics has to spend as opposed to the actual academics....

edited for on topic....

if its "recycling" I would do it. Now how you define recycled..well thats a gray area.