Cutting shipping costs without putting items at risk of damage is a major consideration of both big companies and small home-based businesses to optimize profits. However, using inappropriate packing materials for your shipment can lead to high costs as well as damaged goods. It is thus important to be diligent when choosing supplies used for packing.
Using cheap supplies is not exactly the answer. Remember that items have different shapes, sizes and weights. One packaging material may work in protecting an item from damage but may not do the same for another. The key is to know and use the appropriate material for your item. Here are some tips on how to choose the right packing materials for your shipments so you keep your shipping costs down, your customers happy and improve your bottom line.
Void fill or packing materials are the stuff used to fill up empty spaces in shipping boxes to keep items from rolling in transit. There are various kinds of void fill in the market, each type with it’s own advantage and disadvantage depending on the item being shipped.
Air pillows
These are plastic bags filled with air and are placed on gaps between items and the sides of the box so there will be no movement. They come in varying sizes and are ideal to fill spaces between two packages when double boxing. Some manufacturers offer uninflated pillows which are filled with air using a pump when needed. These type saves on space.
Bubble wrap
One of the most common packing material around. It is made from two layers of polyethylene with trapped air bubbles in between. It can be used to wrap and protect a wide array of items including fragile and delicate goods. Bubble wrap are available in rolls of different widths and lengths.
Packing peanuts
While many abhor the use of these material because of the mess they make, packing peanuts can fill every nook and cranny and cushion your shipment to make it virtually indestructible. They’re cheap and can be recycled. There are also a “green” biodegradable variety which dissolve in water for the environment-conscious.