Choosing the best shipping materials to protect your products is important. Packages are often tossed around, stuffed into crammed trucks and exposed to the elements on their route. To ensure that your products make it to your customers safely, it’s important to choose the best materials for shipping. With so many types of protective packaging options available, it can be difficult to decide which one is best.
While durability and effective protection is important, you also have to take into consideration the labor time and costs of production, the sustainability and the consistency of the various types of protective packaging options. For instance, look at the pros and cons of these popular shipping materials.
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Corrugated inserts are cost-effective inserts made from corrugated cardboard. They are made to fit inside shipping boxes to separate and protect products. Corrugated cardboard is made of three layers, which makes it very sturdy.
Corrugated inserts are environmentally friendly because they are biodegradable, which means that they will break down into natural elements when they are exposed to air, moisture or light. Corrugated cardboard is made from a combination of virgin fibers and recycled fibers, which makes it recyclable as well. These inserts are also less likely to break or tear during shipping than other packaging options.
Corrugated inserts are not custom-fit. As a result, the packaging process is often labor-intensive for this type of protective packaging because the objects to be shipped must be arranged in a way that fits the inserts.
Honeycomb mailers are lightweight, foam-padded mailers that are similar to bubble-padded mailers. Their padding protects objects from damage during shipping, and they are among the most cost-effective mailing options.
Honeycomb mailers are consistent and easy to fill. They are pre-padded, which means that the packaging process will be faster since you don’t have to add any extra protection for objects when you prepare them for shipping. Since they are lightweight, they are also easy to store.
Though honeycomb mailers have padding to protect objects, their protection is not completely reliable. These mailers are still vulnerable to crushing because they can get stuck under heavy boxes during the shipping process. They also carry the risk of being punctured or torn, and they can be vulnerable to water damage. In addition, they are not designed to carry large, heavy or multiple items, which limits the type and amount of products that can be shipped.
Bubble wrap and air bags are plastic fillers designed to prevent damage from collisions. Shippers wrap and tape bubble wrap around fragile goods, and they use air bags to provide cushioning around objects.
Bubble wrap and air bags are reusable and cost-effective. They can be used multiple times in the shipping process, and their low weight helps reduce shipping costs. These packaging materials are also versatile, which means that they can be arranged in various ways to fit around different products or objects.
While bubble wrap and air bags are effective at protecting objects from damage, they are not custom-fit or consistent. As such, each shipping job involves a labor-intensive process of arranging air bags or cutting bubble wrap and then wrapping and taping the objects to be shipped. These packaging materials are also bulky and therefore difficult to store, and they are not considered eco-friendly since they’re neither curbside recyclable nor biodegradable.
Molded foam is a packaging option that custom-fits the products being shipped. Here, the foam is shaped to fit objects perfectly, which makes it highly effective at protecting them during shipping.
The customized shape of molded foam makes it consistent since it fits the product without the need for extra padding, so it is easier to use and cuts down on labor costs.
Molded foam is very bulky, which makes it difficult to store. Another disadvantage to molded foam packaging is that it is not curbside recyclable or biodegradable, which means that it has a negative impact on the environment.
Foam-in-a-bag is a type of shipping packaging technology that molds to fit products. High-density polyethylene bags filled with chemicals mold around products to form inserts through a chemical process. When activated by the pressure of the product, the chemicals inside the bag mix together and produce foam that expands to fit around the item, creating a fitted protective insert.
The benefit of foam-in-a-bag packaging is that it is custom-fit to products and requires only moderate labor. Since the foam molds around products, it provides optimal protection. It requires some work to place an object on the bag and begin the molding process, but it is not labor-intensive overall.
Since each bag has to be molded for each product, this type of packaging is not consistent. Foam-in-a-bag packaging is also not biodegradable or recyclable.
Custom-molded fiber interior packaging uses interior fiber inserts to protect products during shipping. It is custom-fit to products, made from recycled paper and designed to be highly resistant to damage. It can protect a wide variety of products, and it keeps them in place for added stability.
Great Northern Fiber Interior Packaging™ is the best option for your shipping needs because it custom-fits your products. This customization makes for an easy drop-and-go packaging process that will save time and money on labor. The packaging process is consistent, simple, quick and easy. You only need to place your products into the custom-fit fiber insert, place the insert inside of a corrugated box and then place a second fiber insert on top of your products.
The top and bottom inserts provide durable protection for fragile and heavy objects alike, including stainless steel items. With other materials, stainless steel items can easily become dented during the shipping process, but inserts from Fiber Interior Packaging keep them safe and damage-free. Our inserts also keep products securely in place during the shipping process since they are customized for a precise fit. Our inserts are perfect for products such as jars, bottles, cans, power tools, small engines, outdoor equipment, exercise equipment and more.
Our fiber inserts are easy to store because they are compact and easy to nest, which can save a substantial amount of storage space. They are also made from environmentally friendly used corrugated cardboard and newsprint, which means that they are biodegradable and 100% recyclable.
If you’re ready to optimize your shipping process, contact Fiber Interior Packaging to learn how we can help. We will work with you to create fiber inserts that are customized to fit your products. When you choose our inserts for your packaging needs, you are choosing the best type of shipping packaging — one that is quick and easy to use, saves you money and time, and has a positive impact on the environment.
Fiber Interior Packaging provides a simple, cost-effective and sustainable alternative to other packaging options. We will tailor inserts to fit your products and keep them safe on their journey to your customers so that you can guarantee customer satisfaction. Get in touch with a specialist to tell us about your product and learn how we can help you ship it, or give us a call at 800.925.2626.
Climate change is having adverse effects on the environment. Consumers and producers are both making the switch to more eco-friendly practices and working to reduce their carbon footprint as it is the need of the hour.
A recent survey from First Insight and Wharton’s Baker Retailing Center of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers found 68 percent consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, this number is up from 58 percent from a survey taken in 2019. This shows the rapidly changing trend towards sustainability and eco-friendly products.
When it comes to the packaging industry, consumers are seeking environmentally friendly products to reduce waste that ends up in landfills.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency in 2018, the U.S. generated 291.4 million tons of trash. It is actually 12% of the total waste generated in the whole world, only for a region that houses only 4% of the total world’s population.
Do you know that 1/3 of this waste is packaging material of some kind?
This waste ends up in landfills where all ugly things happen. Toxic gasses such as methane and ammonia are released in landfills. These toxic gasses suffocate the natural environment and impact our ecosystems worsening climate change and causing numerous health hazards.
The awareness about this problem is rapidly increasing, causing more consumers to make eco-conscious choices to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
According to a recent Capterra research study, 75-80% of consumers say that they’re willing to pay higher prices, ranging from a little more to significantly more, for sustainable products in comparison to unsustainable products.
The consumer pressure for environmentally friendly products and services is mounting. Consequently, the demand for eco-friendly packaging is also increasing. Brands want to invent packaging that is recyclable, reusable or compostable as there is a high consumer demand for sustainable packaging that doesn’t end up in landfills.
As the demand for eco-friendly packaging skyrockets, brands are seeking sustainable packaging alternatives to meet their business and shipping needs.
This article is about the honeycomb mailer. It will explain what the honeycomb mailer is and how it is a better alternative to the famous plastic bubble wrap.
The honeycomb paper mailer is a new way to provide that extra cushioning that your product needs during shipping to ensure that it reaches your customers safely, without any damages.
Arka’s honeycomb kraft paper mailer is made out of a combination of recycled paper waste and FSC certified wood pulp, that is sourced from sustainably managed plantations.
The recycled paperboard provides a rigid structure that is both durable and waterproof, while the honeycomb paper interior provides a layer of cushioning.
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It is the honeycomb paper within the mailer that provides the cushioning that protects your product during shipping. The honeycomb paper mailer is a new innovative breakthrough in sustainable packaging that allows brands to ditch the plastic bubble wrap that is harmful to the environment and less desired by consumers.
Honeycomb paper is a lightweight, durable and a cost effective alternative to plastic bubble wraps.
It is manufactured using kraft paper material. These kraft paper mailers are actually inspired by the natural honeycomb core - just like the way it is inside a beehive. Isn’t that cool?
The honeycomb part is sandwiched between two layers of recycled paper surfaces and it acts as a protective cushion for your products.
Here are some of the advantages of using honeycomb mailers.
You must be wondering how on earth can paper packaging alternatives in a honeycomb structure be strong? The answer is all in its design.
Did you know that the honeycomb formulation is the same as that of the steel I-beam which is used in construction and civil engineering. The honeycomb structure material has a web of sheets or ribbons of material that are corrugated and then joined together in the same way in which I-beams are created - with the I-beams being stacked one upon another and the stacks being spaced apart throughout the web.
Now you might be thinking how strong can a packaging solution made from paper in a honeycomb formation be? The answer is stronger than steel, pound for pound, which is why paper honeycomb packaging is such an outstanding innovation.
Its strength lies in the design, with the honeycomb core and sandwich layers acting as a traditional steel I-beam, frequently used in construction and civil engineering applications.
The honeycomb paper mailer is lightweight and is great for companies to reduce their shipping costs while at the same time seeking the benefits of its strong structure and eco-friendly design.
Arka's recycled kraft padded mailers are made from recycled paper and FSC-certified honeycomb and are both compostable and curbside recyclable.
The recycled paperboard provides a rigid structure that is both durable and waterproof, while the honeycomb paper interior provides a layer of cushioning.
The recyclable material of the honeycomb mailer is good for the environment and also a perfect fit for brands that want to meet the needs of their customers that are seeking eco-friendly packaging solutions.
The manufacturing process of the honeycomb paper requires less paper and therefore the overall cost associated with it comes out less, making it a cost-effective environmentally friendly packaging solution for brands.
Just as the traditional bubble wrap which is made of plastic and harmful for the environment, you can package numerous items with the honeycomb paper mailer with the advantage of also protecting the environment.
It is a great option for products that are fragile and delicate items. Here are some of the items that are a great fit for the honeycomb paper mailer:
Here are some of the disadvantages of the plastic bubble wrap that is widely used to package fragile items:
When the plastic bubble wrap is discarded, it ends up in landfills and turns into toxic waste that is harmful to the environment.
Plastic bubble wrap catches fire easily and quickly due to the mix of plastic spheres and oxygen and it can be a major health hazard for users and employees in warehouses if the bubble wrap catches fire. It can also damage your product and cause financial loss due to damages.
Plastic takes forever to decompose and so bubble wraps stay in landfills forever, creating environmental problems which are adding to climate change.
Fresh solutions like honeycomb padded mailer boxes are the best solution to replace the traditional bubble wrap to meet the increasing demand for environmentally friendly packaging from consumers and also to protect the environment.
Going green with product packaging such as replacing the bubble wrap with the honeycomb paper mailer has innumerable benefits.
Here are some of the benefits of eco-friendly packaging:
Carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted when consuming fossil fuels. Whether you believe in global warming or not, you can reduce your CO2 emissions.
By using sustainable packaging you can cut down on the carbon footprint as you will not be contributing to the carbon dioxide emissions in the landfills.
Recyclable, reusable and biodegradable packaging is free of toxins and chemicals which are often a part of plastic packaging.
Arka has a great variety of eco-friendly packaging options including a great replacement for the traditional bubble wrap, the honeycomb paper mailer. Arka also offers top-notch custom shipper boxes and custom mailer boxes that boost business image.
Corporate social responsibility is when companies play a positive role in protecting the environment and make policies and strategies that have favorable outcomes towards social issues.
Today, brands are focused on contributing to the wellness of the environment as there is a huge consumer demand for it as well.
According to a survey, 77 percent of consumers reported that using materials that do not cause harm to consumers builds trust.
By seeking sustainable packaging solutions and using products like the honeycomb paper mailer over the traditional plastic bubble wrap, brands can do their part when it comes to their corporate social responsibility.
A survey conducted by Trivium packaging in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group not only showed that there is a strong relationship between sustainable packaging and consumer's purchase decisions but also the fact that sustainable packaging increases business sales.
The majority of the respondents considered environmentally friendly, recyclable packaging to be important. And they are willing to buy from brands that practice sustainable packaging.
Also, 74 percent said they are most willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, and nearly one-fourth said they will pay more even if the price difference is over 10 percent.
All the research data and statistics prove that switching to eco-friendly packaging is the step in the right direction for companies. It is also a great way to earn customer loyalty and attract new customers.
Times have changed now and companies need to do their part in protecting the environment to win the trust of their customers.
Eco-friendly packaging is a trend that all companies must adopt now. There are plenty of alternate eco-friendly packaging solutions available in the market that are actually much better and cost effective than the traditional packaging.
Adopting sustainable packaging will help your brand attract more customers and also enable you to do your bit in saving the environment.
Lastly, if you have any questions or need assistance in knowing more about Arka’s FSC certified eco-friendly products you can reach out to us at support@arka.com to know more.
Are you interested in learning more about Honeycomb Padded Mailer? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!