As for the cardboard, it's easy to recycle, pretty efficiently. Plus you might look into this program: Https://givebackbox.com/amazon. Source: over 1 year ago

Do you think the item is in good enough condition to give to a friend for free? -- Try giving your items to friends and family. Otherwise, set the item at the end of your driveway and post it to Nextdoor and/or a Freecycle group on Facebook. If donating would make you feel better by helping someone else, take it to Goodwill, Savers, Salvation Army, a local library, a school, etc. Some donation centers even pick up... Source: about 2 years ago

At first, I thought OP's mention of "donation boxes" were actually these Give Back Boxes which would be filled with people's used items, but then OP clarified it to be mostly private label Chinese goods which makes more sense. Source: over 2 years ago

Inside.com is an internet community. Its like reddit or quora. The author of the article appears to be an american (went to ucla). So, dont think his opinion has any weight. How about something from a reputable. Source: over 1 year ago

Inside.com has a newsletter that keeps you up to date on the latest stuff, and there is a podcast called "Investing in AI" which also discusses a lot of the breakthrough stuff (from the perspective of investing in it). Source: over 2 years ago