Free Moving Boxes in Tucson, AZ – Where to Find Them

Say you already penciled in your moving day with and hired your choice of the Tucson moving companies, now there’s just the actual packing to do. You want to save money, but you’re thinking you might need to shell out for moving and packing supplies. You can prevent your impending relocation from taking a toll on your finances by searching for second hand but perfectly usable cardboard boxes around Tucson. Why buy moving boxes when the local liquor store or the recycling center is giving boxes away for free? Here are a list of places where you can get moving boxes in Tucson, AZ.

Groceries and Supply Stores

The grocery or supply store in your neighborhood is usually a great place to get moving boxes for free. Places like this usually have products delivered to them regularly, so they are likely to have more boxes than they know what to do with. Call the nearby store in advance (just before closing time is best) or ask the manager or a worker there if you could take some of their boxes that would otherwise be recycled or thrown in the trash.

Boxes that would be great for moving are banana and apple boxes. These sturdy containers can protect your fragile items and can sometimes come with covers. If you’re looking for bigger boxes, try calling some of the large retailers, like Whole Foods Market or Walmart. These high-volume stores regularly receive bulk deliveries of huge boxes. Luckily, these places are in abundance in Tucson, AZ, so just try any of these locations below:

Whole Foods Market

Dillons

Safeway

Walmart

Target

  • Tucson El Con Mall: (520) 917-0116; 3699 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85716
  • Tucson North: (520) 202-1501; 4040 N Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85705
  • Tucson SW: (520) 295-1277; 1225 W Irvington Rd, Tucson, AZ 85714
  • Tucson Broadway: (520) 745-8001; 5255 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85711
  • Tucson NE: (520) 290-1711; 6500 E Grant Rd, Tucson, AZ 85715
  • Tucson NW: (520) 744-3553; 3901 W Ina Rd, Tucson, AZ 85741
  • Tucson SE: (520) 296-4290; 9615 E Old Spanish Trl, Tucson, AZ 85748

Lowe’s

Home Depot

Pharmacies and Convenience Stores

You can also try asking your local pharmacy or convenience store for boxes as they, too, receive regular shipments. People usually tend to go to the big box stores first for moving boxes, so the advantage of approaching places like Walgreens or CVS is that there’s less competition! These places are great for finding boxes that are somewhat smaller in size. Trying calling the below locations in Tucson and ask:

Walgreens

CVS

  • CVS Store #7867: (520) 323-0012; 5100 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716
  • CVS Store #10307: (520) 514-4301  6310 E. Broadway, Tucson, AZ 85710
  • CVS Store #9302: (520) 760-9188; 8920 East Tanque Verde Road, Tucson, AZ 85749
  • CVS Store #7855: (520) 751-8523; Golf Links 2601 South Houghton, Tucson, AZ 85730  
  • CVS Store #7859: (520) 299-7390; 6370 North Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85718  
  • CVS Store #91: (520-721-7631; 8705 East Speedway Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85710
  • CVS Store #9277: (520) 615-4800; 6895 East Sunrise Drive, Tucson, AZ 85750
  • CVS Store #10184: (520) 624-4591; 825 E. University Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85719  
  • CVS Store #9274: (520) 320-1184; 615 North Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85711
  • CVS Store #9207: (520) 622-4853; 865 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85719
  • CVS Store #9272: (520) 296-6222; 7499 East Broadway, Tucson, AZ 85710
  • CVS Store #9273: (520) 744-1054; 3785 West Ina Road, Ina And Thornydale, Tucson, AZ 85741
  • CVS Store #9374: (520) 807-2288; 1900 West Valencia Road, Tucson, AZ 85746  
  • CVS Store #7876: (520) 323-3923; 3832 East Speedway, Tucson, AZ 85716
  • CVS Store #9232: (520) 299-9195; 4748 East Sunrise Drive, Tucson, AZ 85718  
  • CVS Store #9211: (520) 297-8397; 6488 N Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85704
  • CVS Store #10742: (520) 622-8009; 2385 N Silverbell Rd, Tucson, AZ 85745
  • CVS Store #7841: (520) 407-2127; 4365 North Oracle Road, Tucson, AZ 85705
  • CVS Store #9336: (520) 731-3098; 7901 East Golf Links Road, Tucson, AZ 85730  

Coffee Shops

Local coffee shops, particularly Starbucks, are another great source of (medium-sized) moving boxes. Deliveries may not be as frequent in these places as they are at the larger stores, so it would definitely be wise to call in advance if you don’t want to waste your time by showing up when boxes have already been sent to recycling. Here are some of coffee shops that you can call to get free boxes in Tucson:

Starbucks

Other Coffee Shops

  • Crave Coffee Bar: (520) 445-6665; 4530 East Broadway Boulevard, Tucson, AZ, 85711
  • Cartel Coffee Lab on Campbell: (480) 621-6381; 2516 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719
  • Cartel Coffee Lab on Broadway: (480) 621-6381; 210 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85701
  • Savaya Coffee Market – Williams Center:  (520) 747-3200; 5350 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85711
  • Savaya Coffee Market – La Encantada: (520) 638-5511; 2905 E Skyline Dr #287, Tucson, AZ 85718
  • Savaya Coffee Market – Synergy Plaza: (520) 203-8099; 2959 N Swan Rd, Tucson, AZ 85712
  • Savaya Coffee Market – Tanque Verde: (520) 392-8650; 6540 E Tanque Verde Rd, Tucson, AZ 85715
  • Passe: (520) 624-4411; 415 N 4th Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85705
  • Civano Coffee House: (520) 441-7400; 5278 S Civano Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85747

Liquor Stores

Boxes from liquor stores handle glass bottles and are, therefore, very sturdy, so they would be perfect for moving your fragile items. You can usually find small to medium boxes at these establishments, and some of them, such as Plaza Liquors, leave them out for just anyone to take. Again though, it’s best to call ahead. Ask the employees if they can part with their boxes that have lids. Here are some liquor stores in Tucson that may be able to provide you with free moving boxes:

Bars & Restaurants

Like grocery stores, bars and restaurants receive multiple deliveries throughout the week, and, like liquor stores, these places often receive a lot of fragile items. This means that you can get high-quality boxes from them! Try asking these restaurants in Tucson if they have any boxes they can give away:

Neighborhood Recycling Center

You can always go to any of Tucson’s Neighborhood Recycling Centers to go through previously discarded items that may help you out on your move. Not only can you find boxes here, you can get packing supplies as well, such as newspapers you can use to wrap and protect your valuables with. Tucson has 7 recycling centers within its limits. Click this link for the locations of each.

Craigslist

Check the free section of the Tucson Craigslist. From time to time, you can find listings of people giving away moving supplies, boxes included, for free. These are usually people who have recently moved into the area and would be glad to be rid of these moving items as they no longer need them. Be on the lookout for free moving boxes, pallets, packing materials, etc. You may even find some perfectly decent furniture for your new home as an added bonus!

Save Money on your Tucson Move with Free Boxes

There you go! Armed with this list, you won’t have to spend unnecessarily on brand new boxes or even packing material for your move. Don’t let this list limit your search for moving boxes in Tucson though – you can try asking any establishment near you that you think would have a surplus of boxes from the influx of products coming into their store. And when you’re all unpacked and settled at your new residence, pay it forward by giving your used moving boxes to the next person who needs them.