How to Protect Items When Posting

Whether you’re selling your old belongings online to make space or running your own business, a critical part of the process is making sure that your items reach their destination in one piece. Packages can often get dropped or bent during shipping, so you need to ensure that the product is fully secure and protected before you drop it off at the post office or hand it to the courier. There are several tips you can use for keeping your items protected from damage during posting. We take a look at some of the best tips.

Don’t leave any space

If the item you post is delicate and can easily get damaged, any extra space in the box you’re using to post the item is a definite problem. The object may rattle around and become damaged when transported in a van or moved around the warehouse. Pack out your box with packing material and avoid leaving space for items to move around and potentially become damaged. 

Bubble wrap

Bubble wrap was once thought of as the best way to protect items from damage, especially delicate items. However, bubble wrap is often made with a large amount of plastic, which isn’t good for the environment. Some environmentally friendly alternatives to bubble wrap include bubble paper, biodegradable packing peanuts, shredded paper, paper wrapping and paper hive wrap. These alternatives provide a more sustainable and plastic-free way to protect delicate items when packed in boxes. Biodegradable packing peanuts and shredded paper are used to fill the space in a box around a breakable item. Biodegradable starch packing peanuts are compostable and completely dissolvable in water; they’re an excellent alternative to plastic-based packing peanuts. Shredded paper can also be recycled along with the other paper-based packing materials suggested. Paper wrapping, paper bubble wrap and hive paper each wrap around the item to provide direct protection on the surface. Hive paper has specially designed shapes which add space and air between the item and the box. Paper bubble wrapping is exactly what you might think; bubble wrapping that is made from paper instead of plastic. If you want to focus on being environmentally friendly, try to opt for an alternative to plastic bubble wrap, there are plenty of options out there. 

Tube packaging

Cardboard posting tubes are the ideal packaging for posters, documents, and prints. They stop the item from being folded and damaged. When the recipients get their poster or print, they can flatten it back out very quickly and won’t have any problems with permanent fold marks. Tube packing is very versatile and can be used for a number of other items, not just documents or prints. Crayons, cosmetics and clothing can all be sent out in tubes; their unique shape helps to minimise empty space in the packaging. Cardboard posting tubes are also recyclable and environmentally friendly.

Sealing your packaging

All items should be well sealed to avoid the box or package coming open during transit. Sellotape is a good way to seal items within a box or packaging. However, parcel tape is slightly better as it provides a bigger surface area and additional protection. Another way to seal items for shipping is to use environmentally friendly packing tape. This tape can be recycled. You can also print your company logo or business name on the tape to improve brand awareness. This tape is specially designed for sealing boxes securely and providing added stability and structure to the packaging. Printing your own logo on the packing tape is a great way to advertise your business and add something extra to your packaging. 

Labelling

Protecting an item when posting isn’t just about making sure it isn’t damaged. You also need to ensure that the item successfully arrives at the intended destination. Printed labels can avoid any handwriting issues; make sure the font can be easily read and is large enough to see the recipient's name and address at a glance. Labels should be in an obvious place on the packaging, and key information needs to be protected in case of any rainfall. If you’re reusing old packaging, make sure you carefully remove all traces of the previous labelling to avoid confusion.

Resources:

• Presentation Boxes - Drupal
• Soap Boxes - GitBook
• Kraft Gift Boxes - Hype.News
• Postal Cardboard Tubes - The Dots
• Mailing Tubes - The University of Texas at Austin