How to Choose the Right Boxes and Packaging Supplies
Packaging supplies are materials, whether reusable or for single-use, used in packaging operations, such as containers, sacks, boxes, filler, wraps, pallets, cones, bags and items such as labels, tags, packing slips and plates affixed to the product or inserted into product packaging.
When it comes to boxes and packaging supplies, one of the first things that come to mind is moving. You can move with ease, sit back, relax and let removalists do the job. However, if you are working in a warehouse where you organise various products for shipment, then you’ll need to use boxes and packaging equipment like wraps, labels, pallets for your daily operations.
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Types of Shipping Boxes and Other packaging Supplies
There are different types of boxes and packaging materials and choosing the right ones is vital for your business. You can find a wide range of boxes and packaging supplies and select what you need. With the right supplies on hand, you can organise shipments quickly, easily and effectively and here are some of the options you may consider.
Cardboard Boxes
Cardboard boxes are light yet sturdy boxes and are very convenient for shipping or moving as they can withstand different content during transport. They are designed to provide maximum safety for your products and prevent packaged goods from banging around during transport and protect them from vibrations and shocks.
They can be used as a bulk shipper as well, delivering many similar products in one box. Thanks to the durability of the material, they are reusable and recyclable. They can be cut to any shape or size easily, taped, glued and stapled any way you like.
Lightweight packaging boxes are a good choice in situations where the container’s weight is taken into consideration for products that are transported over long distances. Thanks to their light weight, they are easy to handle and transport from one destination to another. They can be loaded quickly into a vehicle or offloaded and stacked up easily.
Paperboard Cartons or Boxboards
This is the thin, lightweight carton most often used as food packaging, for items such as breakfast cereal, crackers, for retail boxes for shoes, toys or else. Also, boxboards can be used for cores and tubes, partitions, displays and graphic boards. It has non-packaging uses as well and can be used for children’s arts and crafts.
Paper Bags and Sacks
Paper bags are used to carry groceries and/or retail products, while multi-wall sacks that contain cement and flour are used for collecting leaf, yard waste and organics, such as food scraps.
Egg Cartons
Known as well as egg boxes or egg trays, these cartons are used for transporting whole eggs securely. They are commonly made from moulded pulp, recycled paper, clear plastic or polystyrene foam. They have dimples in which the eggs are stored securely.
Envelopes
Envelopes can be made of different sorts of paper or plastic or a combination of both. Also, they can have different measurements, so you need to make sure to choose the right ones for your needs.
Additional Packaging Materials
Ensuring the safety of a shipment includes properly cushioning and immobilising the products for transit. You will need items such as plastic stretched film, styrofoam, bubble wraps, weight scales, measuring tape, duct tape and more.
How to Choose the Right Packaging Boxes for Your Needs
The type of box you will need depends on your business needs. If you are in the packing and/or moving business, or if you are shipping heavy products, then cardboard boxes are your best choice. For smaller products, you can use paperboard boxes. Also, they can be customised in many different ways and look great on store shelves.
Your product and/or any special considerations it has can influence your choice of shipping boxes or other packaging solutions. Food products, medicine or other perishables, have to be protected from temperature and humidity changes, so you need to make sure you create a sealed and protected environment for them.
Clothing and handmade goods, on the other hand, require shipping boxes that can keep them snug and unmoving while leaving enough space for void fill or another padding. When it comes to breakable items, they need many layers of protection. You want to keep them snug, but not too much as you don’t want any tension or pressure on them.
If needed, you can combine multiple boxes. That being said, you can use a cardboard box to pack sensitive electronics and use a paperboard carton as an overwrap. Also, you can use egg boxes as padding while shipping items in cardboard boxes. There are numerous ways in which you can use packaging boxes as they have evolved for almost every requirement of the packaging industry.
How to Pack a Box for Shipping
Choose the right box, place the items inside and fill up the space left between them with foam padding and packing peanuts to prevent them from shifting inside the box. Then apply at least three strips of tape evenly and cover all seams and flaps on the top and the bottom. For massive boxes, you can use strapping. In the end, stick a label on a flat surface on top of the box, so the courier can scan the barcode easily. It’s always a good idea to have an additional label printed and placed inside the box if the outside gets damaged during transit.
