New Articles

Parcel Packaging Tips: All You Need to Know

parcel

Parcel Packaging Tips: All You Need to Know

With the COVID-19 outbreak, people are pushed to shop online. It’s great for business owners that their business is still growing. While shipping companies also benefit from this, there are also downfalls.

According to Route’s data, there is a 19.1% increase of items that were damaged during delivery in 2020. No one wants to receive damaged items. When they do, customers either blame the seller or the courier company for it. And sometimes, they blame both.

Parcels can be damaged due to plenty of reasons. While this is true, you should still take an extra step to ensure the safety of the item before it is delivered. That’s why we have here some parcel packaging tips to prevent damaging the items during delivery.

Why is Packaging Important? 

Some customers use a parcel delivery box to protect their packages, especially when no one is at home to receive them. You can easily detect these parcel boxes. Usually, they are installed near the owners’ porches, gateposts, or driveways. 

Additionally, these drop boxes are made from steels that are weatherproof. This feature guarantees that the parcels are safe inside. Items can be placed at the top part of the box. Closing the hatch will trigger the parcel to slide down to the cabinet. For extra safety, the cabinet has a safety lock that can only be accessed through a key.

With these delivery boxes, buyers can receive their parcels safely.

But that is to say that every customer doesn’t have a parcel drop box at their homes. When you’re delivering an item, it’s hard to assume you can safely leave the parcel at their doors. Additionally, items for delivery have a long way to go before they get to the customers. You should make sure that there are no damages to the items when they reach the customer.

That’s why good packaging is important. Customers don’t want to receive damaged or incomplete items. When they do, sometimes the courier company takes the blame for it. Bad reviews mean you lose potential clients to avail of your shipping services. Customer satisfaction is a top priority, especially for shipping companies.

Learning how to package the items properly helps in improving the shipping process of the company. It not only makes your customers happy, but it also allows them to continue availing themselves of your services.

What are the Types of Packaging Materials?

Before we discuss parcel packaging tips, it’s important that you know what types of packaging materials are used. Don’t worry, there are only two of them.

External Packaging

Corrugated packaging material is often used for heavy items such as appliances. On the other hand, lightweight items can be put in flyer bags. These bags can only carry products with 4kg of weight and below.

Internal Packaging

Internal packaging is materials that are used to cushion the items inside the box. They provide additional protection for shock absorption. These materials can include bubble wrap, cardboard, airbags, crumpled paper, styrofoam, and foam pellets.

Parcel Packaging: Tips for Couriers

A courier’s job is not only limited to distributing parcels to their respective buyers. Couriers are also expected to deliver the items undamaged and without delays. Because of this, the packaging of items is an essential part of making deliveries.

In order to prevent damages to the products you will deliver, you should consider these packaging tips. These tips also help you provide high-quality service to your customers.

Consider the Hazards of Delivering the Parcels 

Before you wrap the items, you need to consider first the possible scenarios when the parcel is in transit. These hazards are unavoidable. This means that there’s nothing you can do to stop them from happening. What you can do, though, is to prepare for when they happen to prevent damage to the items.

There are numerous factors that can affect the parcels when they are out for delivery. First and foremost, you have to understand that the road is not always smooth. There will be bumps along the way. Because of this, packages tend to collide. And when this happens, punctures, abrasions, and shocks occur. 

For this matter, you should make sure that the internal packaging of the parcels is enough to cushion the items.

Another risk is exposure to different temperatures. When the weather is too hot, remember to use shrink packaging material to combat the heat. This kind of packaging material can withstand 30 – 77 degrees Fahrenheit. 

What it does is that when heat is applied to items with shrink packaging, the shrink wrap tightens around the item. This also protects the items from dust and moisture, and some even have UV protection features.

Be Aware of the Items You’re Shipping 

It’s important that you are aware of the kind of item you are going to deliver. Some items such as fragile items require extra care to avoid mishandling them. When you’re packing an item for delivery, be sure to keep in mind the size, weight, and value of the product. 

Weight

The weight of the product determines what type of packaging material will be used. You should use a stronger packaging material when you’re wrapping up heavy products. The strength of the box is usually found on the manufacturer’s stamp.

A double or triple-layered corrugated cardboard box can accommodate heavier items. A polyurethane bag, however, can be used to pack lighter products.

Size

77% of customers said in a 2020 survey that the size of boxes relative to the size of the product is important. This is because they wanted to reduce the impact of packaging on the environment. That’s why you should measure the exact size of the item before you put it in their respective box.

Value

You should know if the items you’re shipping are of high value. Usually, these products are identified as fragile. You can check in the special instructions if the client indicated the fragility of the items. Shipping high-value products can be tricky and require extra precaution.

When you’re packing fragile items, you can use two boxes for extra protection. One box would fit the item and another larger box that can fit the first box. Also, don’t forget about the internal packaging to cushion the item. This will prevent the items from shifting inside the box, reducing the risk of damaging the items.

Don’t Forget to Fill Empty Spaces Inside the Parcel

Fillers or internal packaging is an important aspect of parcel packaging. When you don’t have enough filler material in your packaging, your items will shift inside the box. This can cause damage to the items. While this is true, overfilling a box can cause it to burst in the middle of delivery.

Manage the right amount of fillers that you put inside the box. When choosing the size of the box to use for the items, don’t forget about the space for the fillers. You should allocate at least 2 inches (5 – 6 cm) of space for the fillers. The type of fillers you can use include:

-Bubble wrap

-Foams

-Cardboard

-Paper

-Airbags

-Packing peanuts, and

-Styrofoam

Separate the Items

Items should be packaged separately. When you put multiple items inside a single package, chances are they will bump into each other, damaging both items. That’s why separating them into multiple packages is the best way to prevent this.

Make Sure to Seal the Parcel Properly

Different types of items need different kinds of seals. For example, boxes can be sealed with 2-inch (5cm) tape. Whereas polyurethane bags have their own adhesive tape to seal light items such as T-shirts. 

When you’re using a polyurethane bag, make sure that you have sealed it properly. Sometimes, the tape opens up in the middle of delivery. When this happens, any form of liquid can enter the package and damage the items inside.

On another note, you should avoid using straps and strings. These types of seals can cause compressions, which can damage the product inside the box. 

One of the most common sealing methods is the three-strip sealing method or the H taping method. This type of sealing method keeps the flap on the boxes closed during delivery, which prevents goods from accidentally opening. 

It is a fairly easy step that only requires applying enough strips of tape to the center and edge seams of the box. Don’t forget that heavier items require extra tape to keep their seams tight. 

And, that’s it! The box is secure and ready for transit.

Conclusion

The pandemic may have increased online shoppers, but it also opened up new challenges for shipping companies. One of the challenges is to deliver the packages safely and unharmed. Appropriate packaging is an important part of a courier’s job and should not be taken for granted.

Shipping companies should take the extra mile to overcome these problems. Their main goal, still, is to continue being competitive in the shipping industry despite the recent pandemic.

product

“It’s What We Have Always Done”

One of the advantages of BoldtSmith Packaging coming into your facility is having a fresh set of eyes take a look at the current packaging process and designs. Specifically, eyes that have been in thousands of manufacturing facilities for products ranging from pancake mix to motorcycles.

No matter what the product is or what the packaging is, there are six words we commonly hear. “It’s what we have always done”. When we hear this, the majority of the time we are able to uncover substantial cost savings! A few of these potential packaging optimization opportunities are outlined below:

1. Packaging material, freight or labor savings

2. Product damage reduction

3. Packaging consolidation

4. Process changes

Packaging has a way of being “grandfathered” in at a lot of companies. For example, a company develops a packaging solution for a product where the forecasted annual quantities were 50,000 units per year and shipping palletized into Whole Foods. Since that product was introduced 5 years ago, it has now been picked up by Walmart, Amazon and Target. Annual quantities are now over 8 million!

The company has exhausted all potential opportunities to increase margins through optimizing its processes, materials, and waste related to manufacturing the product. However, the packaging that was used at Whole Foods when the annual quantities were 50,000 is in fact the same packaging being used today at 8 million units per year. How could that be? Because, “It’s what we have always done”.

When you read through that, what packaging came to your mind? Corrugated boxes? Clamshells? Bottles? Pallets? That’s great! Packaging means something different to every company. For one company, it might mean gusted pouches going into a master carton that is palletized and stretch wrapped with corner boards and slipsheets between each layer of cartons.

How many different packaging materials and processes were just listed in that example? Were those materials and processes selected based on data and testing with a goal of maximizing profit, reducing damage and increasing customer satisfaction?

Or are they being used because “It’s what we have always done”?

Reach out to BoldtSmith Packaging and we will come into your facilities to identify what opportunities exist. From there, we will design, test and implement optimized packaging concepts!

Check out this case study on how we saved a customer over $6,000,000 in packaging costs!

This post originally appeared here. Republished with permission.

ship paperboard global trade packaging

Protecting Your Product: 10 Necessary Shipping Steps for Your Business

Packaging is essential when it comes to your product, for both protection and presentation. Consumers expect to receive a certain quality of packaging with their product, especially as the popularity of social media reviews and unboxing videos continues to rise. Not only does the packaging need to keep your product intact throughout the shipping process, but it needs to be easy to reuse if a customer wants to return the purchase and must safely ship it back.

To protect your deliveries, you need to utilize high-efficiency shipping materials customized to the product size.

1. Pack Efficiently

The efficiency of your packing determines the state of your product when it arrives at its destination. There are important questions to consider when selecting the box size. How fragile is the product? Does it have sharp edges? The product should fit in the box easily without leaving much airspace around it. Consider air pillow packaging to secure the product snuggly and limit excess space in the box. At the same time, you must avoid over-packing the box or container with too much cushioning. Cushioning can include:

-Airbags

-Bubble wrap

-Packing peanuts

-Foam or cardboard inserts

Avoiding wasted space in the box enhances efficiency and helps customers receive their purchases in good condition.

2. Choose the Right Packaging Materials

For products that require cushioning, it’s critical to choose packaging materials that are specialized for protecting your specific product. Styrofoam peanuts might work for most shipments, but more fragile materials might need to be bubble wrapped or supported through air cushions.

If the product needs to be kept cold, gel packs are an affordable and effective alternative to dry ice. It’s also essential to choose a high-quality tape to seal the box. You need industrial-strength, water-activated and pressure-sensitive tape, so your parcel doesn’t split open during shipment.

3. Select the Right Box

The box you use for shipping goods is directly responsible for how protected and well-presented the product is on arrival. A new or gently used box is essential for maximum security, and it needs to be structurally designed for the specifications of your product.

Customized boxes specific to your product are a worthwhile investment for secure shipping and intact delivery. Consult experienced shipping and packaging experts to determine the cardboard grade and fluting that best protects your products.

4. Add More Wrapping for Longer Distances

Generally, the farther your package is traveling, the more protection it needs. If you’re shipping internationally or to a far-off domestic location, there are more opportunities for your package to be dropped or mishandled. Adding an additional layer of wrapping, ensuring the product is secure in the box and using extra tape can make sure the product arrives safely.

5. Don’t Wrap Items Too Tightly

While a secure fit is critical to keeping your product safe in the box, it’s vital to avoid packaging items too tightly. Avoiding tight packing is especially important if the items are fragile glass or soft and impressionable. Too much pressure on the product can cause the product to break, crack or alter its shape. Items should be secure but devoid of tension.

6. Wrap All Items Separately

If the package you’re shipping contains multiple products, you’ll need to wrap them separately to avoid their shifting within the box during transit. Individual wrapping and cushioning should result in your products being gently secured within the box so they can’t move around or hit each other with any force.

If any items in the package contain liquid, provide a layer of plastic packaging around all items to avoid moisture damage if anything leaks or breaks.

7. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Using packaging that is eco-friendly and made from recycled materials or can be reused in the future for your shipments has various benefits for the company and the customer.

Consumers are likely to support and shop again at businesses taking steps to reduce their environmental impact. As a company, there can be an initial cost to change your packaging habits. But using recyclable packaging reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves on raw materials and manufacturing energy expenditure.

8. Design Packaging for Returns

Occasionally, customers may be dissatisfied with a product and need to ship it back to your business as a return. Creating packaging that can be unpacked and repacked enhances the consumer experience and ensures the product will still be intact when the product returns to you.

9. Label Your Package Clearly

Successful shipping requires a successful delivery. No matter how well you pack your product, if the labeling isn’t clear, then it might not arrive at the desired destination in one piece or at all.

If the package’s contents are delicate, mark them as fragile on all sides so the parcel will be handled with extra care. For big or small businesses who ship many fragile items, investing in a stamp to mark all boxes going out of the facility as fragile is good practice.

10. Parcel Insurance Coverage

No matter how well you package and protect your products before shipping, things are ultimately out of your control once it’s out of your facility. Consider insurance if you are frequently shipping fragile items or products that are not easy to replace. There is always a possibility of goods getting lost or damaged in transit, so having a financial security net can benefit your business.

In addition to adequate insurance coverage, consider implementing package tracking. Understanding tracking software and how technology is improving last-mile logistics gives you an element of control over the transport of your products and helps you ensure your goods are being delivered on time.

Final Thoughts

Human error is a significant factor when considering safety in shipping. There is no way to eliminate the risk involved as long as people are handling the packages. That’s why mitigating the amount of damage done to a product is necessary to consider before shipping.

As a business owner, you must decide how to package goods with these various elements in mind. Online consumers have high expectations regarding the condition of the product on arrival and the expediency of its delivery. The right packaging materials and custom cardboard boxes can mitigate many risks involved with domestic and international shipping to improve customer satisfaction and retention.

___________________________________________________________

Cory Levins is the Director of Business Development for Air Sea Containers

packaging

China’s Packaging Materials Market Is Slowing Down Due to Weak Demand

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘China – Packaging Materials – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The revenue of the packaging materials market in China amounted to $69B in 2018, going down by -6.1% against the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price). Over the period under review, the total market indicated buoyant growth from 2008 to 2018: its value increased at an average annual rate of +2.5% over the last decade. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period.

Based on 2018 figures, packaging materials consumption increased by +17.4% against 2016 indices. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2017 when the market value increased by 25% year-to-year. In that year, the packaging materials market reached its peak level of $73.5B, and then declined slightly in the following year.

Production in China

Packaging materials production in China totaled 63M tonnes in 2018, waning by -8.3% against the previous year. The total output volume increased at an average annual rate of +2.9% over the period from 2008 to 2018; however, the trend pattern indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded over the period under review. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2009 with an increase of 9.3% against the previous year. Over the period under review, packaging materials production attained its maximum volume at 69M tonnes in 2017, and then declined slightly in the following year.

In value terms, packaging materials production stood at $73.1B in 2018 estimated in export prices. In general, the total output indicated a buoyant increase from 2008 to 2018: its value increased at an average annual rate of +2.9% over the last decade. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. Based on 2018 figures, packaging materials production increased by +24.2% against 2016 indices. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2017 when production volume increased by 32% year-to-year. In that year, packaging materials production reached its peak level of $77.5B, and then declined slightly in the following year.

Exports from China

In 2018, the exports of packaging materials from China stood at 2.9M tonnes, going up by 4.7% against the previous year. Overall, packaging materials exports continue to indicate a buoyant expansion. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2014 with an increase of 33% year-to-year. Over the period under review, packaging materials exports attained their maximum at 2.9M tonnes in 2016; however, from 2017 to 2018, exports remained at a lower figure.

In value terms, packaging materials exports stood at $3.1B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018. Overall, packaging materials exports continue to indicate a buoyant increase. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2014 with an increase of 36% y-o-y. Exports peaked in 2018 and are likely to continue its growth in the immediate term.

Exports by Country

Viet Nam (183K tonnes), Iran (136K tonnes) and Bangladesh (127K tonnes) were the main destinations of packaging materials exports from China, together accounting for 16% of total exports.

From 2008 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of exports, amongst the main countries of destination, was attained by Bangladesh, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, Viet Nam ($223M), the U.S. ($158M) and Iran ($118M) appeared to be the largest markets for packaging materials exported from China worldwide, together accounting for 16% of total exports.

Among the main countries of destination, Viet Nam experienced the highest growth rate of exports, over the last decade, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Export Prices by Country

In 2018, the average packaging materials export price amounted to $1,073 per tonne, surging by 4.2% against the previous year. Over the period from 2008 to 2018, it increased at an average annual rate of +1.9%. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2011 when the average export price increased by 11% against the previous year. The export price peaked at $1,145 per tonne in 2012; however, from 2013 to 2018, export prices remained at a lower figure.

There were significant differences in the average prices for the major foreign markets. In 2018, the country with the highest price was India ($1,471 per tonne), while the average price for exports to Bangladesh ($788 per tonne) was amongst the lowest.

From 2008 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was recorded for supplies to India, while the prices for the other major destinations experienced more modest paces of growth.

Imports into China

Packaging materials imports into China totaled 2.3M tonnes in 2018, picking up by 3.4% against the previous year. Over the period under review, packaging materials imports continue to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2017 when imports increased by 13% against the previous year. Over the period under review, packaging materials imports reached their peak figure in 2018 and are expected to retain its growth in the immediate term.

In value terms, packaging materials imports amounted to $2.2B (IndexBox estimates) in 2018. The total import value increased at an average annual rate of +1.6% from 2008 to 2018; the trend pattern remained consistent, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2011 when imports increased by 15% y-o-y. In that year, packaging materials imports attained their peak of $2.3B. From 2012 to 2018, the growth of packaging materials imports remained at a lower figure.

Imports by Country

The U.S. (422K tonnes), Sweden (309K tonnes) and Taiwan, Chinese (168K tonnes) were the main suppliers of packaging materials imports to China, together comprising 39% of total imports. These countries were followed by Indonesia, Russia, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Finland, Canada, South Korea and New Zealand, which together accounted for a further 37%.

From 2008 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of imports, amongst the main suppliers, was attained by Canada, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, the largest packaging materials suppliers to China were the U.S. ($390M), Sweden ($293M) and Japan ($146M), together accounting for 37% of total imports. Taiwan, Chinese, Russia, Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, Finland, South Korea, Canada and New Zealand lagged somewhat behind, together comprising a further 33%.

In terms of the main suppliers, Canada experienced the highest rates of growth with regard to imports, over the last decade, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Import Prices by Country

The average packaging materials import price stood at $982 per tonne in 2018, remaining relatively unchanged against the previous year. Over the last decade, it increased at an average annual rate of +1.1%. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2010 an increase of 15% year-to-year. The import price peaked at $1,120 per tonne in 2014; however, from 2015 to 2018, import prices stood at a somewhat lower figure.

There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major supplying countries. In 2018, the country with the highest price was Japan ($1,286 per tonne), while the price for Indonesia ($630 per tonne) was amongst the lowest.

From 2008 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Australia, while the prices for the other major suppliers experieznced more modest paces of growth.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform