Whether you are a huge retailer or running a small mom-and-pop shop, the packaging is important. It determines whether your customer will receive their product and whether or not they will appreciate it. Your mailing boxes need to be unique and stand out at all times. Here are 7 packaging tips you should definitely consider.
Pick The Right Box
Choosing the right box for packaging is important. Most people love saving money by recycling old boxes. Yes, it’s always a good idea to recycle but you need to make sure the box doesn’t have any water damage, tears, rips or holes. Keep in mind that after the first shipment, boxes lose at least 60% of their strength so you need to consider this when recycling an old box.
Depending on the type of product you are shipping, you need to choose something with double walls for top-notch integrity. The walls of the box refer to the part with the flutes between them. If you look down on the box by holding the flaps straight upwards, there are tubes or holes in between the sheets of cardboard. These are known as flutes. A box with more flutes is thicker and stronger. These boxes are quite important when shipping extremely heavy or fragile objects.
Remove Old Labels And Barcodes
You need to make sure that your package ends up at the right destination. Therefore, you need to cover up the old shipping labels to make sure the package ends up at the right place. You should know that this happens quite often. If a box has been reused many times, it’s quite easy for it to end up in the wrong destination, if the old shipping labels are still there. Besides the old labels, you need to remove the other labels that don’t apply and add your new printed labels.
For instance, if there are hazardous material or lithium battery labels, it’s time to remove them before packaging your new products. Remember packages with these stickers need to be handled and sorted differently. They may also require specific paperwork. For instance, if your package is stuffed bears, they are not considered hazardous. However, if they are shipped with a hazardous sticker, they will be processed as such. Your packages might be held back until the right paperwork is available or the mistake is corrected by the sender.
Wrap Items Individually
If you are shipping fragile items, you need to wrap them separately. You can use bubble wrap, newsprint or foam sheet to avoid scratches. A plastic sleeves packaging supplier will be able to cater for your wrapping needs. Wrapping items separately prevents constant hitting during shipping to avoid damage. If you put two items together and wrap them together, they will be protected from the other items in the packaging but they are not protected from each other.
User Proper Cushioning
When you pick up a box and hear things shifting inside, there is a problem, unless you’re shipping LEGOs. Without proper cushioning, there will be severe damage to the items inside since nothing protects them from the edges of the box or any outside force applied to the box. Make sure you use proper cushioning in the box to prevent items from moving freely inside the box.
You can use different types of cushioning such as thick kraft paper, Styrofoam and peanuts. They keep the items in place and protect it from the edges of the box. There is also proper padding in case heavier items are placed on top of the box or if a heavy box slams into the packed box when going down the conveyor belt. When it comes to heavy objects, you need to be very careful when choosing the right type of cushioning. Peanuts will not be too helpful in a box carrying 70-pound dumbbells. For heavy objects, you should use boxes with multiple walls or Styrofoam.
Use The Right Type Of Tape
Don’t skimp on tape when it comes to packaging. Choose a good brand of tape specifically made for shipping. Don’t settle for masking tape, duct tape, scotch tape, painters’ tape or any other tape used for craft services. They are not strong enough to hold the packages together. Also, they may interfere with the scanning equipment used by the carriers so they are not acceptable.
The best tape is heavy-duty brown tape. It is strong enough to hold flaps down and cover the seams. Strapping tape is perfect when banding the same size of boxes together. Check these DHL box sixes to get a good gauge of box shipping sizes. It comes with a small twine found on the inside to hold the package together perfectly. When using strapping tape, you should tie it around the box and fasten it properly to itself to create a proper hold. If you need to close the box properly, clear tape is the best choice. You should be able to find these tapes at the local store.
Most carriers recommend relying on the H-tape method to seal a package. Here, you place a strip of tape over the seams on both sides and down in the middle. Make sure the flaps meet without any gaps in between for the best results.
Leave The Paper Wrap Inside The Box
Most people take boxes and wrap them in brown paper before writing the address on them and taking them to the closest shipping store. Yes, this might be nostalgic, but it’s not recommended since mostly everything is now handled by machines.
The problem with using paper wrap is that most shipping stores rely on thermal labels for shipping and postage. If a package is caught on the conveyor belt or another box that wasn’t closed or packed properly, it can tear off the label or paper. There is nothing else to do when this happens thereby the package will be abandoned.
Use One Address Label With Complete Information
When processing the shipping label online, all the content labels should be filled in properly, especially phone numbers. The carrier needs to have an idea of who to contact in case there is an issue with the package. If there is no phone number to contact the recipient, you can leave your own number.
Make sure you have the right destination address including the apartment and suite numbers and your return address should also be accurate and complete. Using the right address makes the whole process faster. Even better, you can count on an accurate delivery. If you need some assistance, use the local pack and ship store to help process the label accordingly.
