The Swiftpak guide to protective packaging for your business

When it comes to shipping goods, businesses are eager to ensure that their products arrive in immaculate condition.

Protective packaging plays a hugely important role in preventing damage to your goods during transit, and makes certain that your customers have an easy, stress-free experience when they purchase from your business.

To find the best packaging solution for your business, the first question to ask yourself is why you’re searching for protective packaging.

Does your current packaging protect your goods well enough? Are you having a high return rate of damaged goods? Are you getting negative feedback from customers and now you’re looking to introduce improved protective packaging for your business? Perhaps you’re unsure what protective packaging is the best for your product? Or, maybe you’re searching for a greener alternative?

Whatever your scenario, we can help. Read on to explore the world of protective packaging, and how to use it for your business.

What type of protective packaging is best for my product?

Keeping goods in pristine condition during transit is the key to success for many businesses.

If your products are being damaged during the transportation process, perhaps you’re using packaging that isn’t well-suited for your product.

When it comes to protective packaging, there are several categories that could protect your product, including:

• Voidfill
  Fills the space between the given product and package, using certain paper padding, air bags, foam-in-place, or loosefill. One of our most popular solutions is the Paperplus Papillon.
• Bubble wrap 
  For products of high value, premium bubble wrap is recommended as it retains air and protection for longer. For fragile items, small bubble wrap is recommended. It’s very lightweight and flexible, which means it can be used to separate several products in one package.
• Paper wrap
  A sustainable and protective wrapping system for all your packaging needs. Paper wrap is designed to substitute your traditional bubble wrap for an eco-friendly packaging solution.
• Edge guards
  Edge guards offer protection for products prone to corner and edge protection. Plastic and paper corner guards are used to prevent damage at product level, and are extremely useful for protecting materials including aluminium, plastic, and soft wood.
• Polystyrene
  An extremely lightweight and compact packaging solution, polystyrene can be used to fill empty carton ends, or customised to fit your product perfectly.
• Polyethylene
  Polyethylene can be used in the form of ‘L’, ‘O’ and ‘U’ shaped profiles, or as standard rolls in varying thicknesses. They offer protective cushioning for fragile items.
• Stratocell
  A low cost, closed cell polyethylene foam, Stratocell can be placed securely in areas needed for optimal product protection.

We’ve discussed this topic previously in a recent blog, which explores the best packaging solutions for your product.

Are there eco-friendly protective packaging options?

Yes! Sustainability is a huge area of concern for much of the world, and as a certified B-Corp it’s especially important to us at Swiftpak, which is why we offer a number of green packaging solutions that will protect your products and help the environment.

Products such as Paper Void Fill and our new Paper Wrap will keep your packaged goods protected from damage through transit in an environmentally friendly way.

At Swiftpak, we assist businesses in becoming more sustainable and help them to offset their paperwaste in a matter of clicks.

Not only do we offer a wide range of environmentally friendly product choices, but we'll also provide free, automated Packaging Waste Reports to help you reduce your footprint.

Protective packaging for Pharmaceuticals products

Due to their sensitive nature, a reliable and protective packaging solution is required for pharmaceutical products.

But what packaging products can help the pharmaceutical industry keep their sensitive products safe during transit?

• Paper Voidfill 
  Creates a soft and flexible paper cushion that’s placed inside the carton to protect your products, and is an effective way to prevent damages for medium and smaller sized goods.
• Stratocell 
  Stratocell is extremely effective with bespoke inserts. When cut to size, they are provide interior cushioning - perfect for shipping multiple products in the same package, such as plastic collection tubes or bottles.
• Tamper evident tape
  With the worrying threat of counterfeiting, tamper-evident solutions provide safety and security for your consumers.
  
  Products such as Reinforced Self Adhesive Paper Machine Tape are perfect for showing a package might have been tampered with. A tamper-evident taping solution which can also be used with any taping machine.
• Temperature controlled packaging
  Robust temperature controlled packaging for pharmaceuticals is a vital component of shipping highly sensitive products such as vaccines or drugs.

Protective packaging for Food & Drink products

Many manufacturers have turned to innovative packaging solutions to protect their perishable products, such as Food and Drink. Here’s some examples of protective packaging for the Food & Drink industry.

• T-Net protective sleeving
  Offers protection for awkwardly shaped products, such as bottles of wine, gin, and other glass products.
  
  T-Net protective sleeving is available in a variety of colours/sizes and is manufactured from polyethylene making it resistant to oil and grease.
• Temperature controlled packaging
  Reliable temperature controlled packaging for Food and Drink is a vital component of shipping perishable goods, such as meal kits.
  
  Looking for a natural, eco-friendly, temperature controlled packaging solution? Take a look at our Vegan Thermal Liner; an insulating, climate neutral packaging solution for your food delivery needs.
  
  Swiftpak supplies a range of temperature controlled packaging solutions for the food & drinks industry in any temperature range, including deep-frozen, frozen, chilled and room temperature.

Protective packaging solutions from Swiftpak

Well, now you know there is an abundance of protective packaging supplies to choose from! From green packaging supplies, through to bespoke protective packaging, there’s a packaging solution available for all businesses.

Ultimately, though, your ideal packaging solution is dependent on your product’s shape and size, fragility, shipping requirements and much more.

If you’re still unsure about choosing the best packaging solution for your business, don’t panic. Speak to our packaging experts, who will able to guide you through your options.