6 Essential Shipping Supplies for Small Businesses

 Having the right shipping supplies helps minimize errors during your logistics process while ensuring your products reach customers in pristine condition. They help you make fair warnings about the package contents and secure products from damage and losses while also delivering a unique unboxing experience. You can customize these essential shipping supplies with brand colors and logos to market yourself and ensure you stand out from competitors.

1. Corrugated Boxes

Corrugated boxes are a popular packaging option for small businesses. They're available in a variety of sizes, styles, shapes and colors, which ensures there's an option that's suitable for your products and fits your brand image. The composition of corrugated boxes makes them sturdy and ideal for shipping fragile items and items of varying weights.

You can customize the size and shape of corrugated boxes to fit oddly shaped and sized items. Custom corrugated boxes provide a snug fit for your products, which prevents them from shifting and moving during transit. They also help minimize shipping costs because of their light weight and the fact that more custom boxes can fit into a delivery vehicle.

2. Poly Mailers

Poly mailers are a cost effective alternative to corrugated packing boxes and are best suited for non-fragile items like clothing, plastics, books and shoes. They're made from polyethylene, a weatherproof and moisture-resistant material, and feature a tear strip that delivers an easy unboxing experience. Poly mailers are durable and lightweight shipping supplies that protect nonperishable products from damage typically caused by inclement weather, moisture, dirt or dust.

Poly mailers help you save costs in several ways. For starters, they are more affordable than corrugated boxes and add negligible packaging weight, which helps minimize shipping costs. Poly mailers occupy limited space and are available in a variety of sizes, styles and colors, customizable to promote your brand. They also appeal to many customers because they're an eco-friendly packaging solution that's recyclable and may be reused. 

3. Void Fillers

Void fillers are used to prevent products from shifting, moving and breaking during shipping. Additionally, they absorb vibrations, shocks, bumps and impact to help ensure products reach clients in the best working condition.

They are necessary for both fragile and non-fragile shipments because they improve the presentation of your products to customers, improving your chances of making a positive first impression. Void filling materials may or may not provide cushioning to your products.

Different types of void fillers help you guarantee safe and convenient shipping.

  • Bubble wrap: Bubble wrap is the most commonly used void fill or cushioning material used to keep goods safe during transit. Bubble wrap is made from two layers of thin polyethylene film with numerous air pockets — or bubbles — of different sizes and shapes. 

  • Kraft paper: This natural brown recyclable paper is crumpled to occupy extra space in packing boxes. It can also be used to wrap individual fragile or delicate items, providing them with an extra protective layer during shipping and handling.

  • Air pillows: These fillers are sealed-off pouches of air made using thin sheets of plastic film. They're available in various sizes and shapes to fit different applications, including shipping fragile products that are easily scratched.

  • Packing peanuts: These small, lightweight pieces are used to prevent motion and absorb shock during shipping. Today, starch-derived packing peanuts are more popular than traditional materials because they're biodegradable and recyclable.

When using void fillers, avoid overfilling the boxes

4. Packaging Tape

Packing tape is an essential shipping supply that keeps boxes, poly mailers and other packaging materials sealed tight. Not all packing tape is made the same — you must sift through several options to pick the type of tape that fits your applications. For superior protection of your package contents, use thick, high-quality tape made with either acrylic, hot metal rubber or natural rubber. These ensure boxes remain sealed during transit and prevent moisture from damaging the contents. Self-adhesive and water-activated paper tape are available for a very strong seal and is a more environmentally friendly option.

You can customize packing tape with your company details, logo and colors to ensure you stay on brand. E-tape is an easy-to-use and cost-effective sealing tape with quality adhesive. An e-tape dispenser minimizes off-track issues, reduces noise and protects workers from injury with a unique and safe blade.

5. Packaging Labels

When shipping specific products, you may need to label them to let carriers know the nature of your products. You might need standard packing labels reading “Fragile,”  “Hazardous,” “This Side Up,” “Handle With Care” and “Do Not Stack” to help prevent damage to fragile products and protect the people handling these products during shipping. Direct thermal labels or transfer labels are also used for shipping labels.

You can also use packing labels to communicate safety information about handling hazardous materials and instructions for product use. Clearly printing shipping addresses and instructions support efficient and accurate deliveries and may reveal to clients when products are tampered with or roughly handled.

6. Plastic Wrap

If you want to protect the exterior of your products from scratches, scuffing, tampering and moisture, you need plastic wrap. Plastic wrap is a durable type of plastic you wrap around your products to keep them airtight and ensure they're delivered in pristine condition. There are two types of plastic wrap suitable for different applications:

  • Shrink wrap: Shrink wrap is a packing material made from PVC or polyolefin plastic with minimal elasticity used for wrapping individual items. When a product is covered in layers of shrink wrap, it's heated to shrink the plastic film, making it tighten around the product. It's ideal for small businesses packing products such as games, books and food. 

  • Stretch wrap: Stretch wrap is a polyethylene plastic film used to secure pallets in warehouses and distribution centers. It's applied to these large shipments manually or using turntable machines for optimal efficiency. It is also available in 3-inch and 5-inch mini rolls for wrapping small bundles and parcels.

Get All Your Essential Shipping Supplies From Compack USA

You can make sourcing your essential shipping supplies easier by getting them from one reliable supplier — Compack USA. We supply all your essential shipping materials, including cardboard boxes, plastic and poly mailers, packing tape, packing labels, void fill, shrink wrap and stretch wrap. With over 40 years of experience providing businesses with shipping materials, we understand exactly what you need to ensure your products reach customers undamaged.

Choosing packing supplies from us helps you improve packaging operations, save on shipping costs and reduce your environmental impact. The right array of shipping supplies can make a transformative difference in your shipping process, and we're here to help you achieve success. Contact us today to learn more about our products and how we can support you.