From Guest Blogger Brooke Chaplan: Components That Keep Green Materials Safe During Shipping

With a beautifully-designed product, creative product descriptions and stellar customer service, packing and shipping items is one of the last steps in the process that delivers your goods to your customer. You should be paying as much attention to your shipping as you do to the rest of your business.

Encapsulated Air

Bubble wrap is a type of packaging that makes use of encapsulated air. There are other methods where air is encased between large sheets that are sealed together into one bubble. This packing material is meant to keep lightweight items protected inside the shipping container. The item can be wrapped in bubble sheeting or a package of air is placed between the item and the side of the container.

Double Boxing

Some items might be shipped more than once inside its own package. To ensure the package gets to its destination in good shape, the original package can be placed inside a larger one. A space of 2 to 3 inches should be left between the package and the exterior box, which is filled with packing materials like bubble wrap.

Cooling Blankets

Some items like building materials need to be kept at a cool temperature while shipping. That can be a problem if the freight ends up traveling through a state that experiences high heat.  Some companies, like Powerblanket, know that some materials need to remain at a certain temperature to be used correctly. Cooling blankets can be wrapped around the materials to ensure they are kept at the correct temperature throughout the entire shipping process, which is vital for some materials.

Loose Fill

Packing peanuts can be used to fill a box for shipping. This method is usually used for non-fragile items since the item may shift during transit. A fragile item can migrate through the peanuts and end up too close to the exterior wall of the packaging. It could end up damaged. Peanuts can cause static electricity and should never be used for electronics.

Polyethylene Foam Sheeting

This sheeting material is lightweight and soft, which will keep items from banging around inside the box. It’s great for providing extra cushioning against damage from the exterior too. The cushioning properties are perfect for providing surface protection.

Foam-in-Place

A chemical mixture can be sprayed around the object to create a mold around the item itself. There aren’t any extra pockets of air that would allow the product to bounce around in its package. It supports corners and protects delicate edges. It’s great for fragile items that could break easily.

You don’t want to lose your products to breakage before they get to the customer. Using the correct packing material is an important factor when shipping anything to a client or customer.