Shipping & Packing Materials | Cactus Containers

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.