Taking a cue from interoffice envelopes, eBay is looking to cut the carbon impact of shipping between its members by offering recycled, multi-use shipping boxes.

The online auction giant is testing the waters with a preliminary batch of 100,000 eBay boxes which are designed to be durable enough handle several trips. Let’s hope it takes off, because according to the company:

By our calculations, if every box gets reused at least five times, we could protect nearly 4,000 trees, save 2.4 million gallons of water and conserve enough energy to power 49 homes for a year. We’ve also left plenty of space on the boxes for you – and everyone else who receives the box – to write a personal message to the next person in the chain, giving every box a life of its very own. The history of each box can also be tracked through a virtual community where buyers and sellers can connect online.

And when it comes time to retire the boxes, water-based inks and FSC-certified corrugated cardboard make it all the more recyclable.

Image credit: eBay