Shipping Supplies | Cactus Containers

Shipping Box Added Protection

foam corner protector
There is much more that goes into safeguarding the contents of a shipping box. The box itself is the primary external packaging. It needs to be able to support the weight of the contents and fully encase the product. It, however, often needs to be complemented by internal packaging material that will keep the contents stable and absorb shocks. Let us look at the different internal packaging materials that can be used to better protect your products while they are in transit.

Shipping box packing peanuts

Packing peanuts are a loose lightweight material that is typically made of polystyrene and other recycled content. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are used to fill up void spaces within boxes for shipping. They interlock and create a soft cushioning that works effectively in protecting contents from vibrations, bouncing, and other shocks.

Shipping box inserts

Also, referred to as separators, this type of internal packaging is used to stabilize items within a shipping box, keeping them from bumping into one another. Their specifications are usually tailored to the dimensions of the product, so they prevent movement within the box. When made from corrugated cardboard, they are a useful, affordable, and recyclable packaging material typically used for breakable items.

Molded foam

This packaging is custom fitted to the product being packed into the box. The product is inserted in the foam before being placed in the box. Due to its customization, it is highly effective in protecting items while in transit. There is no need for additional padding. However, this also means that it is not likely to be reusable and is made from material that is not recyclable or biodegradable.

Shipping box wrap

There are several types of materials that can be used to wrap products when packing them in shipping boxes. The most common is paper and bubble wrap. Paper is used to help stabilize the items within the box. It can be wrapped around items or crumpled and stuffed in between items and the walls of the box. It can also be layered at the bottom of the box to provide some additional shock absorption.

Bubble wrap offers a more cushioning effect thanks to the many air cushions created in its design. These air cushions provide extra shock absorption that helps protect fragile items. They are usually wrapped around the items when packing the box. Since they are so effective at cushioning items, there is no need to use additional padding. While protecting products, they remain lightweight enough not to impact shipping costs.

Increase Profit with Shipping Supplies

custom printed tape
It is standard practice in the business world to try and limit costs as much as possible to maximize profits. However, many are not as aware of how they can achieve this goal by more efficiently utilizing their shipping & packaging materials. Often, more attention is given to finding a packaging supplier that offers the best deals. Once you have the packaging materials on site, there still needs to be a strategy that will ensure efficiency and minimal waste.

Shipping supplies standardize packing

When designing and sourcing shipping supplies, you will have assessed the product you ship and what you need to ensure they are appropriately packaged and will arrive at their destination safely. It is important to create a standardized procedure that your employees can follow when packaging items for shipping. You can develop checklists and how-to guides that will direct them on how to safely package diverse types of items before they are sent out. This will eliminate confusion, ensure safe packaging, and speed up the shipping process.

Shipping supplies quantity

Keep checking on how much stock you have left of your shipping supplies. Ensure that you have ordered enough supplies well in advance of peak sales periods like Christmas and Black Friday. There may be other peak periods during the year, depending on the nature of your business. You will need more supplies on hand during such periods or risk not being able to send out orders in enjoyable time. Ensure that you place your order for these supplies early enough to avoid overwhelming your supplier when others businesses are making similar orders.

Shipping supplies schedule

Ensure that you give yourself enough time to pick out items ordered, package, label, and ship them out. Do not overwhelm yourself or your employees by insisting on same-day shipping. Be reasonable when setting timelines and ensure that you provide accurate information on your website so your clients are aware of how long this process will take. Too tight a timeline may lead to costly mistakes like poor packaging or mislabeling of boxes. Give yourself enough room to carry out orders in an organized manner.

Organize shipping & packaging materials

It can help to speed up the packing process by pre-packing items that are in the highest demand. That way once an order comes in it is just a matter of labeling and sending it out. You can also place goods that are most ordered close to one another in the same section so they can be quickly picked out for packing.

Reducing The Cost Of Your Shipping Supplies

No matter the size of your business, it always makes good business sense to try and keep costs low to maximize profits. Shipping supplies have become an increasingly large part of many business budgets thanks to the surge in e-commerce. More consumers are opting to make their purchases online and wait for their delivery at home. Here are some helpful tips that can be used to limit this expense.

Optimize packaging sizes of shipping supplies

When ordering shipping supplies like boxes, it is advisable to ensure the sizing is a good fit for the range of products you send out. The smaller the size of the packaging, the lower the cost of ordering boxes and the cheaper it will be to ship. Work with your box supplier to have your boxes customized for this purpose.

Using shipping tools and automation

For larger businesses that have many deliveries to effect, automation can help speed up the packaging process and reduce the need to have extra staff just for this function. There are distinct kinds of machines you can incorporate into your operations to take over such mundane and time-consuming tasks as taping and sealing boxes. These machines not only save on the expense of additional workers but can also limit your carbon footprint by ensuring minimal waste is produced. They can also help reduce incidents of workplace injuries by reducing the need for manual handling of shipping tools and make for more precise packaging that will impress customers.

Vary protection in your shipping supplies

While shipping supplies like corrugated boxes do much to protect products while in transit, not all products are made the same. Some are more durable than others and can arrive just as safely at their destination when less protective packaging is used. For instance, single clothing items can often arrive at their destination in the same condition whether in a box or an envelope. Only that an envelope would be cheaper. Consider the range of products you do send out and invest in a variety of options that will allow you to maximize your profit margin while still effecting safe delivery.

Buy shipping supplies in bulk

Buying your supplies in bulk can certainly help reduce costs as box makers and other suppliers are happy to offer discounts on large orders. However, do keep in mind the amount of storage you have on your premises for these supplies. You need to ensure there is enough space for storage while still accommodating other operations and the safety of your employees.

Large Shipping Box Preparation

Prepare for upcoming shipment with a small and large shipping box. When stocking shipping boxes that will be used to deliver orders to customers, retailers need to have them in an array of sizes. Having a good range of small to large shipping box sizes ensure that they can accommodate orders of varied combinations and send them out with less worry. It may seem like simply keeping a stock of large shipping boxes is preferable, but there are good reasons to also include some stock of small shipping box sizes.

Large Shipping Box: Protect Goods

When shipping items, you can expect some level of rough handling during transit. This could come from careless shipping employees or simply having the delivery truck drive over rough roads. It is never pleasant to receive your order when it is damaged. The business may even be compelled to make a replacement for whatever is damaged, which can add further costs.

Using boxes that are a tighter fit for the contents can reduce the chances of damage occurring as it reduces free space in which the contents can end up banging into one another and cause the box to topple over. Packaging items in a box with a closer fit and using filling is a good way to limit costs and the risk of damage in transit.

Large Shipping Box: Affordable

Shipping companies will charge for services based on the weight and size of the package. You can reduce your shipping costs by using boxes with a tighter fit that are lighter and smaller. A small shipping box size is also easier to handle by shipping employees. They are less likely to struggle with it and suffer accidents that would cause damage to the contents. While you should not make the box too small, it is advisable to ensure it is as tight a fit as possible.

Small Shipping Box: Save Money

When you include small shipping boxes in your order to the box maker, you will find that they are priced at a lower rate than bigger boxes. This means that having a varied mix when it comes to sizing will ensure you pay less for your order for boxes. The less material used to make smaller boxes automatically means lower costs.

Large Shipping Box: Easy Storage

Even though cardboard boxes do not take up much storage space because they can be flattened. A small box will still take even less storage space than a large shipping box. And because they are smaller, they are also lighter, making it easier to retrieve them from whatever storage area.

Tips on Lowering Shipping Supply Costs for E-Commerce

shipping and packing materials
With people now increasingly opting to make purchases online, more businesses are being forced to expand into e-commerce to remain competitive. Even with brands that have been staples, it is easy to lose customers if you do not make it possible for them to buy online. However, with online businesses, there is the added cost of shipping to cover. Here are a few ways businesses expanding in this way can keep these costs low through consideration of their shipping & packing materials.

Optimize Box Sizing

It is important to make use of boxes that just fit the contents. The smaller the box, the lower the shipping costs. Shipping companies now factor in size alongside weight when determining shipping costs. Minimizing this aspect helps lower overall shipping costs. Having a good variety of box sizes to work with can help limit this problem.

Packing Safety

Be considerate of the products you are shipping and how best to safely pack them. The more delicate the contents of the box, the more effort you should put towards ensuring they are not damaged in transit. This can mean having to use inserts, filler shipping supplies, and labeling the box as fragile. Keep in mind that if the contents are damaged, you may need to ship again at your own cost, making the transaction less profitable to the business. For more durable products like clothing and books, you can use cheaper packaging options.

Low-Cost Customization

There are various ways you can customize your box design so that it reduces the overall cost of shipping supplies. For instance, instead of making separate labels, you can have the box manufacturer directly print whatever graphics or information you want to communicate on the box. You can also customize the box dimensions to better fit the product, thereby further reducing shipping costs. Keep an eye on new technologies like recycled cardboard that can be used at a lower cost to make boxes. When new kinds of shipping & packing materials come up, sample them to see what effect they may have on your expenses.

Pick and Pack Fulfillment

Where your business tends to receive many orders from distant zones, you may want to consider adopting the pick and pack system. This allows for orders to be fulfilled from warehouses that stock your products at different locations. They become part of the online ordering system and are able to deliver products to clients at a faster rate and lower cost.

Packing Fragile Items In Cardboard Cartons

Full overlap carton
Online shopping has made it easier for people to get whatever they want from the comfort of their homes. No more need to spend hours wandering through different stores to find the right item. Now all that is required is access to the internet and the considered choice of search keywords. E-commerce has also helped as even small and medium-sized businesses can afford to make their wares available online.

It can however be tricky to sell fragile items online. This is mainly due to their delicate nature which means they can be easily damaged during shipping. If damaged, the business may remain liable and have to replace the item at their own cost. This can prove expensive and even damage their reputation. Even with packing these items in corrugate cartons, a little extra care has to be taken to increase the chances the items will arrive in optimal condition.

Choose The Right Box

When packing even fragile items, you need to ensure the right size and type of box. It needs to be a good fit that will not allow the contents to shift. And if heavy and fragile, you need to consider the thickness of the box walls. They should have enough fluting to ensure sound protection, but not so much as to add unnecessary cost to shipping.

Use Filler

Even with a well-fitting box, some items can have an odd shape that will leave voids within the cardboard cartons. Fragile items should be kept in a fixed position within the box. Hence the need to fill up this empty space and reduce the risk of damage. There are different packing materials you can use for this including packing peanuts and old newspaper.

However, for the best immobilization, you may want to consider foam or cardboard inserts. These are customized to fit the exact shape of the items and work best in securing them. Be sure to choose eco-friendly packing materials that are functional yet sustainable.

Labeling

It can also help to ensure your box is properly labeled. This will allow handlers to know that the contents are fragile and that they should take necessary precautions to avoid damage. Many stickers can also be applied, with captions such as “fragile”, “this end up”, and “keep refrigerated” being commonly used. If shipping internationally, you may want to consider labels that share the same message in different languages to ensure proper handling all the way.

Moisture Protection

Cardboard cartons can easily lose structural integrity if they come in contact with liquids. To help prevent such interference that could damage contents, it helps to create a barrier between the carton and such external threats. Judicious application of packaging tape can help here. You can also opt to include the use of vermiculite that helps absorb moisture and absorb impacts.

Five Types of Shipping and Packaging Materials

Custom Mailer Box
Quality packaging plays a significant role in how people view your products and your company. An attractive packaging design by a company appeals to a lot of people. How you package your products can be part of customer service. The shipment product mainly determines the packaging material. Standing out from the crowd can also add to your marketing strategy to attract and retain customers.

Let’s look at some of the shipping and packaging materials available.

Vacuum Packaging

When shipping perishables or products that need sealing, this is the ideal method to use. It is compact, making it suitable for packing food. It involves removing oxygen from a package to inhibit the growth of bacteria and mold. Shipping companies or individuals can transport food to a camp without it going bad. The healthcare industry also uses the method to preserve medical materials.

Corrugated Cardboard

This is the most popular packaging material and is for use by diverse industries. It’s made to endure weight, moisture, and pressure during shipping. You can customize it to suit different uses, sizes, and products. Any shipping box supplier should have this material. Corrugated cardboard offers convenience in shipping in addition to the fact that it can be recycled or re-used.

Shrink Wrap

This type of shipping and packaging material is wrapped on individual products that are part of a larger shipment. When you need to make products compact before a shipment, you use shrink wrap. You can also wrap other packaging materials together to make one compact package. The shrink wrap also protects shipments from damaging impacts during the shipping process.

Pallets, Boxes, and Crates

This is the ideal packaging material when shipping oversized products. The most commonly used are wooden materials, whose popularity comes from their durability and recyclable. They can also be made into different sizes to cater to a specific shipment need. They are used in warehouses to prevent damage to products in transit. You can find a shipping box supplier from referrals or by researching online.

Shock Mount Packaging

This type of packaging is made from materials that can withstand a lot of shock. They are used for shipping extremely delicate products. If you deal with goods that need extra care, shock mount packaging offers the best solution. The packaging is built with shock resistance capability and can protect products from any damage caused by common transit issues.

Depending on the type of products you want to ship, there are many shipping and packaging materials available in the market. However, the purpose should always remain to protect the products until they are safely in the customer’s possession.

The Importance of a Good Box Insert

specialty setup box Xbox

Many online businesses that ship products to their customers make a big mistake because they do not bother with finding a good box insert. It is happening every day. People order something from an online website. They wait anxiously for it to arrive. When it does arrive, people look at the box and begin to open it. When they open up the product inside, they realize that it is broken. This leads to a lot of headaches for different people.

The person that received the damaged product expects to get what they paid for and they contact the company they bought the product from. That company may try to blame the shopper and try to make them pay for it. Regardless of how it works out in the end, someone is out money, whether it is the customer, the shipper or the seller. All of this can often be avoided if a good box insert had been used in the first place.

What does the Insert Do?

Most boxes that are used to ship products are bigger than the product themselves. That means the shipper has to include some type of material to keep the items inside the box from shifting around during the shipping process. If a product is not very fragile and is not likely to be broken if it is shaken around, the type of packaging material does not have to be very protective. The more fragile a product is, the more important the packaging material becomes.

An insert is designed to fit around a product. If foam inserts are used, it can actually conform to the shape of the product. That gives the product even more protection. The product is held securely in place to prevent it from moving around. The insert protects the product from being struck by anything during the shipping. The result of the use of inserts is products that are delivered without any damage and no money is lost by anyone involved.

Businesses that are shipping products need to decide when it makes sense to use foam inserts or any other inserts in their boxes. The answer is often based on the cost of the inserts versus the likelihood that the product can be damaged during shipping. That cost has to include the value of a happy customer that receives a product that is undamaged. While it is not always easy to figure out when to use these in a business, it is often smart for online businesses to err on the side of caution.

How Custom Box Inserts Can Enhance Your Product

custom foam inserts
You might not think that box inserts can have much impact on your products. After all, isn’t it more about the products you sell and not the box that you provide them in? While it is true that you must sell a quality product in order to stay in business, custom box inserts can greatly enhance the feeling your customers get when they open your products. This is especially true if the product being sold is one of high value. Your customers would much rather open a box with beautifully colored, protective packaging rather than seeing the product they just spent a lot of money on flopping around haphazardly in a box.

Custom Foam Inserts- Color

You might not give much thought to the color of the custom foam insert that you purchase for your products, but it plays an important role. The foam is just as important as the box, not only because it protects your product from becoming damaged, but because the color can invoke certain feelings in your customers. Deep colors that invoke happiness, such as red, orange, or yellow are a great way to get the good feelings flowing when your customers open your boxes. If you are selling jewelry or anything of emotional value that is similar, deep shades of these colors, especially red, are very effective at invoking the right feelings when the box is carefully opened.

Custom Foam Inserts-Shape

Just as important as the color is the shape of the custom box inserts that you use. The shape should be one that cradles the product you are selling to ensure its safety during transport or even after it is in the hands of your customer. The right insert will protect all sides of the product, ensuring that it does not get jostled around in the box, and remains safely protected no matter where it may go. When you combine the custom foam inserts with a custom box that was made just for your products, you ensure that your items are well protected and provide the good feelings that customers desire when they open your boxes or when they give them as gifts to others.

Don’t overlook the need for custom box inserts for each of your products that have value, need protection, or just need a little bit of excitement added to ensure that good feeling whenever anyone opens the box.

The Advantages of Using Custom Printed Shipping Tape

custom printed tape

So you’ve boxed up your customers’ merchandise and it is time to seal the box. Now, you have a choice: you can go ahead and use that plain old shipping tape and make this the same old boring experience for your customer, or you can use something that your customers are going to remember.

Custom printed tape is a great way to catch your customers’ eye and possibly the eye of new customers. With many styles, colors, and materials to choose from, there is no doubt that you can find the custom printed tape that is perfect for you.

Custom printed tape can have your company’s name and logo printed on it for the whole world to see – it’s another unique opportunity to enhance your branding.

Printed custom tape isn’t just for the office. You can also create tape with your name and special messages; perfect for those packages mailed out during the holiday season. Your loved ones are going to be delighted when their packages are sealed up by custom tape printed with a special message just for them.

Custom printed tape is versatile and attractive, and comes in a variety of sizes and colors. It’s a great way to make an impact for your company or create a special moment for your family.

For more information, contact the experts at Cactus Corrugated Containers today.