Interior Packaging

Online ordering has seen a huge growth over the last few years. Buyers are loving the idea of scrolling through products on their smart devices in the comfort of their own home or even their workplace. When doing online shopping, you think about the actual product, but you also think about your product being delivered safely and on time. Anyone who has done online shopping over the last several years has noticed that the packaging industry is also evolving. Where you used to see packing peanuts, you are now seeing air pillows to protect your product during the transit process.

Let’s dive into the different protective packaging options – which can sometimes also act as void fill packaging materials:

bubble wrapBubble Wrap
Bubble wrap is great for packing fragile products and protecting them during shipment. Different sizes of bubble allow for this wrap to be used in a variety of applications. Bubble wrap did not used to be so popular in places where storage was a problem. However, product innovation has changed the game. Bubble on Demand lets you “make” bubble wrap when you need it, as the name suggests! Bubble wrap can be recycled, but it is not biodegradable.

sealed air pillowsAir Pillows
Air pillows have come to make things better for those in need of protective packaging options and void fill, and they are recyclable! The pillows can be purchased pre-inflated or flat and filled as needed – so storage for these should not be an issue. Air pillows are easier to work with (avoiding messes that peanuts would cause) and also safer to work with (avoiding paper cuts that perhaps Kraft paper would cause). Being filled with air, these pillows are also very light, offering a lighter shipping weight.

kraft packaging paperKraft Packing Paper
A very commonly used void fill and protective packaging option, Kraft paper is completely recyclable and biodegradable. It is a great solution as it can be used as void fill where there is a lot of room, but more importantly, in smaller spaces where other void fill packaging materials are not even an option. Kraft paper does not cost as much initially, but it is important to remember that it does weigh more than air pillows, which will cause shipping costs to go up.

packing peanutsPacking Peanuts
Packing peanuts used to be a very popular option for product protection as well as void fill. Times have changed and people are now becoming more conscious about the environment. For this reason, the use of peanuts has drastically declined over the last few years. People may not know, however, that there are two types of packing peanuts: polystyrene foam peanuts and starch-based biodegradable peanuts. Polystyrene (or Styrofoam) peanuts are typically color-coded to inform if they are made from recycled polystyrene. Starch-based peanuts, on the other hand, can be dissolved in water.

As the packaging industry is evolving, so should your methods. Contact your local Nichols sales rep today to see which protective packaging option and void fill packaging material would be the best to fill your boxes and your needs. We are here to help!