Box Fillers

Packing Peanuts? Or Something Else? A Not Top Ten List of Packing Ideas

Filling a box for shipping is important – that we all know intuitively, or from the experience of receiving a broken or damaged item. The packing peanut to the rescue!

Packing peanuts? Why the peanut? The long and impressive history begins with the Ace Edible Foodstuffs Company, who had developed a million useless items extruded into the shape of foodstuffs. The owner’s son, sensing an opportunity… OK. Actually the story is much simpler than that – it was industrial giant Dow Chemical who commercialized the 100% polystyrene peanut in the 60s. It was later, the 90s in fact, that recycled peanuts became commercially viable.

As box specialists, a look at the peanut led us to wonder, what would a list of packing peanut alternatives look like? Just as there is a diverse set of items that get shipped in boxes, there is, by necessity a diverse set of items that can protect those items during shipment. We’re not trying to upset the packing peanut lobby here – just food for thought that asks, ‘What are the options?’

Crack research of the packing industry yields the following:

• Butcher or Kraft – Packing supply firms sell large rolls of paper that can be hand-crushed and stuffed into a box for packing. This is a fairly affordable option that can protect items that aren’t especially fragile. It’s likely to be recycled/recyclable. And it doesn’t require a ton of space for storage.
• Bubble Wrap – If you’re obsessive about making these pre-filled sheets of plastic, air-filled bubbles go ‘pop’; this may be the only option. They do cost a little more and because the air is already in there. And it can take up some space. Our idea: bubble wrap filled with helium. That would have to save you on your shipping weight, right?
• Air Pillows – these are like the big brothers of bubble wrap. One big difference is they can arrive flat, for you to fill up with air. You can order them pre-inflated, too.
• Newspaper – Print is dying. Yes, we’ve all heard. People do everything online and digital, and everything tangible is passé. Forget about it! Some 40 million Americans read news in print each week. No doubt, there’s newsprint available if you’re looking for a limited volume box-filler.
• Raffia – You may have never heard this term. Or you may believe it has something to do with Jamaican culture. You’ve probably seen it though. It’s typically a collection of ruffled long strips of brown recycled paper. Fairly light, it works best when decoration is a primary concern and protection is not.
• Shredded Paper – Americans consume as many as eighty million tons of paper each year. A small, but growing portion of that paper is being shredded and becomes suitable for packing duty! Are you throwing away paper, or corrugate, that you could be putting to good use?
• Flat Polystyrene Sheets – You’ve probably seen these sheets. They come in varying sizes and thicknesses; sometimes flat, sometimes in a roll. And they work especially well for fragile items that can be hand-wrapped.
• Complimentary Gifts – Do you have marketing materials or swag that you could include with your package? You’re shipping Lucite collegiate mementos…could you wrap it in a complimentary team scarf?
• Egg Carton – Egg cartons and egg carton packing material is often 100% reclaimed and compostable material – such as newspapers. It can be an affordable option, especially if you’re reclaiming/reusing. Packing-specific purchases may cost a little more. As for the level of protection – well, it protects eggs.
• Tighter Fit – Yep. You may find that you don’t need packing material, but rather a tight fit between the box and the object it is protecting. The corrugate of your box and lack of movement may be everything you need. This can work to protect your product and may save you a little in packaging cost and shipping to boot!

What else? This list is far from comprehensive. Have you found creative, affordable or especially useful ways to pack your shipments? If you’d like to share them with us, drop us a line and let us know you packing routine! Hashtag it #BoxUp #PackUp on social.