One of the most important aspects of maintaining a good product and service is using the right packaging materials for the goods that you are selling. If your business is engaged in frequently sending orders to your customers through couriers, it is important to know the right type of packaging materials that you should be using. Choosing the right packaging material will ensure that your products will arrive safe and will minimize the risk of returns due to damages.
In this article, we will cover some of the most commonly used packaging materials and when you should be using them for your products.
Corrugated Boxes
The corrugated box is a popular choice because it provides a strong and durable packaging material. They are made from corrugated cardboard, which is a type of paper-based material, mostly recycled from other paper products. This type of packaging is extremely cheap and easy to use, but it does not provide much protection for your product during transit, especially if your products are electronics or glassware.
Corrugated boxes come in various sizes, so you don’t have to worry about the size of your product or its weight when you’re deciding on the appropriate box size for shipping.
Corrugated boxes have several advantages over other types of packaging materials:
- They’re inexpensive and easy to stack, which reduces shipping costs for you and your customers
- They provide an attractive presentation for your products
- Corrugated boxes are recyclable, which means they don’t add extra weight to landfills or oceans after they’ve been used once
Most businesses that use corrugated boxes for shipping their goods purchase them in bulk quantities, which makes them very cost-effective. You can also find smaller packs that contain just enough for one shipment or one week’s worth of sales at your store. You can connect with packaging retailers or manufacturers to have your corrugated boxes made into your specific size requirements and you can even pay an additional amount to have your brand included in the boxes themselves during manufacturing.
Foam
One material that you might have thought of when thinking about shipping your goods is foam. Foam packaging is useful because it protects your fragile items from damage during shipping. It can also be used to cushion heavy items so they don’t break or crack during shipment. You might have noticed that some fragile appliances that you buy are usually packed in foam first before being put inside a cardboard box to minimize movement and therefore make the product safer during transit. With the right amount of foam packaging, you can provide great customer satisfaction while saving time and money on shipping costs.
Foam packaging is made from polystyrene, a lightweight material that can help reduce the weight of your shipment by up to 50% compared to other packaging materials. It can be used for fragile items, such as electronics and glassware, and it’s easy to seal with a plastic bag or tape.
Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap remains to be the top choice for most businesses in shipping any type of goods to their customers. Aside from being cheap, bubble wrap also offers the best protection for any type of item without making the package very bulky. Bubble wrap is available in different sizes and shapes depending on what you want to ship.
Bubble wraps are a great way to package items since they provide both protection and cushioning for your goods. These days, many people prefer using bubble wrap instead of cardboard because they’re lighter and more durable than their cardboard counterparts.
The best thing about using these types of packaging materials is that they enable you to ship anything with ease. You can even use them if you need to ship fragile items like glassware or delicate items like electronics or electronics accessories like laptops or mobile phones.
Most online retailers and e-commerce businesses will choose bubble wrap as their primary shipping material because it’s cheap, lightweight, and easy to use.
Paper or Plastic Wrap
Paper and plastic wrap are one of the best options for protecting your goods in transit before they reach your customers. It’s also a great way to promote your brand, as you can use your business name or logo on the packaging.
Paper and plastic wrap aren’t just limited to shipping, you can also use them to pack your goods at your brick-and-mortar store as an additional branding exposure for your business.
For shipping purposes, there are many different ways you can use paper and plastic wrap.
Paper wrap is inexpensive compared to the other items on this list but they do have limited use. Paper wraps usually come in rolls with varying widths and thicknesses, so make sure you get one that matches the size of your products perfectly. Paper wrap is an excellent choice when you need to protect delicate items or those that are easily damaged by handling. It’s also an affordable option, making it an easy choice for many businesses.
The plastic wrap provides a good level of protection against moisture and air pollution when used in conjunction with other packaging materials like bubble wrap or foam peanuts inside your box or bag. Again, make sure you get a thickness and size that matches up with what you need and do make sure to overlap any edges for additional safety. Plastic wrap also offers a great deal of protection against rain and dust during shipping, but it can be harder to seal than paper.
Choosing the Right Packaging Materials
Shipping goods is a big job. The responsibility of getting your products to your customers, safely, on time, and at the right price is all on you. In order to do this well, you need to know how to select the right packaging for your products. Always consider the following when choosing what type of package to use:
- The size of the package
- The weight of the product
- The destination where it will be shipped
- The type of weather that your shipment is exposed to
- The type of product (this can affect what kind of packaging you need)
Of course, if you have a lot of kinds of items in your inventory, it is important to have different types of packaging materials as well to be sure that you can pack anything once an order is received. Be sure to not only choose the most cost effective solution but also the safest one to avoid returns.
