Boxes
Boxes are ideal for larger products or for batches of items you must send to the same destination. Even so, you’re not just looking for boxes that are the perfect size for your product. For example, do you need:
• Double wall boxes that don’t collapse when stacked?
• Foam lined boxes that cushion your product?
• Boxes designed to fit on timber pallets?
• Specialist boxes to hold manuscripts, books, bottles, DVDs or electrical components?
The point is that when it comes to boxes you have a wide choice of packing supplies.
Mailers
If you have small, fairly robust items, you may prefer to use mailers rather than boxes. Mailers are envelopes padded with fibres or lined with bubble wrap. They’re lightweight and easy to handle. Many are also self-sealing.
If you’re concerned whether a mailer provides sufficient protection for a product, imagine dropping the package from around two feet on to a hard surface. Ask yourself whether the contents will be undamaged. If your contents are too fragile to survive such a fall you may be better off changing your packing supplies and using boxes and interior padding.
Interior protection
If you use boxes for your packaging, you’ll almost certainly need interior protection.
• Paper gives you fairly basic protection but is usually suitable for simple lightweight products.
• Bubble wrap and inflatable bags offer good protection and are ideal for many items.
• Loose fill expanded polystyrene foam is a useful substitute for bubble wrap.
You may also want to add silica gel sachets to each box. These extract moisture and maintain a dry atmosphere to keep your products in top condition.
Tapes and strapping
Finally, once your product is packed, you need to seal the box. Your packing supplies should therefore include plenty of adhesive tape.
To speed up your operation, use tape dispensers. These also cut down on waste and prevent the tape creasing or wrinkling.
For heavy boxes you may need strapping and the tools to apply it. Strapping costs more than tape but the expense is negligible if you can stop the contents of a box spilling out during transit.
Packing Supplies at Post and Packaging. Shop for packing supplies, postal supplies, cardboard packaging and packing boxes at Post and Packaging, the UK's premier packaging supplies supplier, with free delivery on orders over £50 and large discounts for bulk orders.
