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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.

Sustainability is a hot topic. Everyone is talking about it, and companies are trying to get ahead of the curve by making sustainability part of their core business strategy. Whether you are handling your logistics on your own or you needed help from large logistics operators, a sustainable supply chain can only be achieved if you as a business owner decide to make the necessary changes. 

Supply chains are complex and interconnected. That means that even small adjustments can have big impacts on your organization’s concern for the environment. To help you start thinking about how you can make your supply chain more sustainable, here are some practices that you can start today.

Embrace reuse and recycling

You know the saying: Reduce, reuse, recycle. The more you can reduce the amount of waste your business produces, the better off your supply chain will be as far as sustainability is concerned. Here are some ways that you can apply reusing and recycling to your supply chain:

1. Embrace the reusing and recycling mindset – The first step is to look at what you already have on hand, whether it’s old pallets or boxes that have seen better days. If you can repurpose these resources into something new that adds value to your company and reduces costs, why not?
2. Consider checking your operations for possible reusable items: Next comes reusing materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. For example, think about all those plastic bottles used for storing water — rather than throwing them away if they’re not used, use them again! There are plenty of other reusables out there like old pallets and cardboard boxes that can be repurposed into new things such as shipping materials or packaging materials.
3. Find ways to use recycling to save money for your business: Finally, if you find yourself with excess supplies at any stage in your supply chain — whether it’s at the factory floor or back office — don’t just throw them away; instead use them for any of the projects that you may be working on at the moment. 

When companies start realizing the benefits of reuse and recycling, they will see an increase in their bottom line from reduced costs from buying new materials and a decrease in waste production.

Change your supplier relationship model

The most sustainable suppliers in the world are not just those who have zero carbon emissions or water use, but also those who have a positive impact on their communities and environment. As a result, companies should not just focus on their bottom line when choosing their suppliers, but also on how their suppliers operate in the community.

Many companies are now choosing to buy fair trade coffee and other products from small farmers instead of large corporations that do not practice sustainable practices. In addition, some businesses have created policies that promote environmentally sound practices in their supply chain.

Small businesses can work with suppliers to improve their sustainability practices. The following questions can be used as a guide in determining if a supplier is practicing sustainability in their operations.

1. Does the supplier has a plan to significantly reduce their carbon footprint?
2. Are they using renewable energy sources like solar panels?
3. Do they implement measures to reduce waste?

If you want your brand to reflect your care towards the environment, you have to work with other businesses that share the same values.

Adapt sustainable practices in your whole supply chain

The more sustainable your practices are, the more likely you are to have less waste and more efficient processes that save time and money. The less time it takes to get products from suppliers to stores, the less money it costs to make them. Here are some sustainable practices that you can replicate in your business:

1. Improve efficiency – To improve efficiency, companies need to keep an eye on their production processes and make sure that everything is running smoothly. This will enable them to reduce costs by reducing waste and improving productivity. If you want to be more sustainable in your supply chain, start by taking a look at your current systems and processes and see how you can improve them.
2. Use sustainable materials – One way that companies can help reduce their carbon footprint is by using sustainable materials when making new products or building new facilities. Sustainable materials include recycled content, paper made from plants instead of trees (biodegradable), and biofuels made from corn stalks or other sources rather than oil-based ones like gasoline).
3. Reduce Energy Use – Reducing energy use in your company not only helps the environment, it also helps lower your costs. For example, if you need to run an air conditioning system at peak times, you may be able to save money by switching to a newer model that uses less energy during those times.
4. Use Renewable Energy Sources – Renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind power are becoming increasingly popular in the world of business because they are good for the environment and good for your bottom line. While these sources of energy aren’t always cost-competitive with fossil fuels, they can still make a difference when it comes to reducing carbon emissions or cutting down on operating costs over time.

Optimize your supply chain

Making your supply chain more optimized means that all parts of your business work together to reduce costs, increase efficiency and improve customer service. This includes

1. Improving inventory management. You want to get rid of excess inventory by selling it at the lowest possible price or through other methods like drop shipping. You also want to make sure you don’t have too much inventory on hand that you’re unable to sell at a good price or promptly.
2. Incorporating new technology into your business practices. Using e-commerce platforms can help you keep track of inventory levels while also allowing you to sell goods directly from your website instead of going through third-party retailers.
3. Partnering with an effective logistics company – an efficient logistics company can do a big difference in giving you the most effective way to manage your supply chain. Be sure to only partner with an operator who understands the needs of your business.

Optimizing your supply chain can help you achieve these goals by focusing on reducing waste and increasing efficiency while reducing costs. This can be done by making changes within your business that’ll create better outcomes for both employees and customers alike. This is not an easy task. It takes a lot of time and energy, but if done properly, it will pay off in the long run. 

Work with a sustainable logistics company

If you are one of those businesses that rely heavily on logistics operators for your business to thrive, you must be working with a logistics company that promotes and practices sustainability. Many logistics operators do this by making sure that they are compliant with government standards on the engines of their vehicles and by even using renewable energy sources. Making sure that they practice recycling in their day-to-day operations will also make a big difference in the long run.
We at Soul Logistics are proud that even though we are considerably new in the industry, our business is on the right path toward building a business that cares about the environment. If you want to know more about our advocacies for the planet, send us a message at info@soullogistics.com.