Packaging Material and shipping are an integral part of every household and business. If you are a person who is planning to shift your house or workplace, you would be worried about the safety of your valuable items as you may fear that it may get damaged during transportation.
Nevertheless, packaging plays a significant role in e-commerce. If you are an entrepreneur, you will be aware of the fact that your product will be subject to pushing, pulling, dropping and rough handling during transit, therefore it is more likely to get damaged. If the product gets damaged before it reaches the customer, it affects your reputation and rating, and in turn, it will affect your business.
Ah! You already have enough anxiety in your life. So to save you from all these troubles and fears, protective packaging materials come to your rescue. Using these materials while packaging will protect your items in a significant way. Some of the essential packaging materials include:- packing peanuts, bubble wraps, stretch wrap, packing paper, packing tape and padded divider sets.
Therefore, in this article, you will get to know each of these packing material in detail and how to use it for different materials.
What Are Packaging Materials? And Why Are They Important?
As stated above, packaging materials are made to protect and buffer a product, to save them from potential damage and harm in the warehouse or during shipping.
It’s crucial as packaging is part of your brand. The very first impression a customer has, about your product is from the packaging. So, apart from protecting your item, packaging materials builds the credibility of your brand. And about 40 % of the online buyers are bound to take a picture or record an unboxing video of their favourite product to post it on a social media platform. Therefore, if your packaging is done right, and if the product reaches the consumer safe, you get extra advertising for your brand.
Packing Material: Packing Peanuts
As they are foam based, packing peanuts are also known as foam peanuts. They are known as peanuts as they resemble the shape of peanuts within its shell. And in size, it is close to unshelled peanuts in resemblance. Packing peanuts are used to create a cushion effect inside a carton box, so that fragile items stay safe inside it without dashing the corners during transit. It is used in bunches as a filler to occupy the void space inside the carton box. Therefore, these foam peanuts surround the product inside to protect it from damage. It can also be used in packing sharp items such as nails. The best way to use this packaging material is to fill the box with packing peanuts and then place the product and again fill the rest of the space with the remaining peanuts.
Packing Material: Bubble Wrap
One of the most useful material for packing supplies are the bubble wraps. These materials are made of continuous air-filled sacs that cushion the items that are inside. Apart from bubble wrap roles, even bubble wrap bags are available, which makes it easier to place things inside a secure folder, a few bubble wrap bags are available with an adhesive side to ensure that the item stays intact. And after a layer of bubble wrap, if you still feel that your product needs extra protection, you need not go in search of new packaging material; instead, you can use two to three layers of bubble wrap to give fragile items a perfect spot to travel. If you are using a bubble wrap for your product, you can rest assured that your products will reach your client sound and safe. It benefits you more than anything, as they prove to be a solution to both packing and protecting.
Packing Material: Packing Paper
Packing papers were initially made to store fish and meat, but now it is used in a variety of ways to pack different types of items. These papers are beneficial when moving supplies. It is very sturdy and thick, and not like the regular writing paper. It is versatile, and so it can be used on numerous materials regardless of its’ shape. These specialised papers are available in two subtypes as Kraft paper and Butcher paper. When used on heavy materials, it should be used in generous amounts to avoid damage. However, packing papers need packing tapes or adhesives to keep it intact.
Packing Material: Packing Tape
Packing tapes are adhesive tapes used for sealing and wrapping. It is available in both opaque and transparent forms and is generally two to three inches wide. Carton boxes in right dimensions are essential for proper packing of an object. However, even if there are right boxes, you will need packing tapes to secure the boxes. This way, the tape prevents the box from opening and spilling the contents.
Packing Material: Stretch Wrap
A stretch wrap is a highly stretchable thin film of plastic and is generally used to hold boxes on a pallet together during transportation and bulk storage in a warehouse. And it can also be used to bundle small items together. If you use this material in your packaging, it will ensure that your product has additional safety from dust, moisture and dirt. And it also reduces the chances for pilferage.
Packing Material: Padded Divider Sets
These are compartmentalised boxes which are padded and used to organise items that are shipped. They also come with padded covers to ensure extra safety. They are available in different sizes. And are ideal for holding small objects. As they are divided by tiny walls to form compartments, they are suitable for mailing a collection of items together. And so they prove to be very cost-effective.
Conclusion
Shipping and transporting items are indeed problematic. But with the right packing material, you can do it with ease and win over your customer. And you need not bear the loss of a damaged product neither do you have to lose your reputation.
