The complete guide to choosing, storing and shipping your protective packaging

The protective packaging is considered to be the direct intermediary between the consumer and the manufacturer. This is particularly important in a company's marketing strategy since it helps convey the brand's image and enhance the product. Moreover, this is why the giants of the industry or even the small producers invest sacred sums in the development of perfect protective packaging before putting their products on the market.

But above all, the packaging protects the product during production until consumption, passing through transport, distribution and storage. For all these reasons, the choice of product protective packaging should not be taken lightly. How to do it? 

Adapt your protective packaging to the category of products you are going to send

Different parameters must be considered to choose the most suitable product packaging. The first things to consider are the general characteristics of your products.

The type of product

At first, you will have to base your choice on the product type in question. There are 2 main categories of products: liquids and solids. The first product category corresponds to drinks, sauces, different oils, etc. On the other hand, solids include all tangible products. It can be a food product or an appliance.

To choose the protective packaging, it is also important to consider the specificities of each product: ingredients, method of preservation, etc.

The shape of the product

Be aware that size and shape are different things. For example, 2 products may be the same size but not the same shape. However, the protective packaging must follow the shapes of the product for optimal support.

The fragility of the product

The protective packaging must be selected, considering the product's fragility. Moreover, protection is one of the primary functions of packaging. For a fragile product, thinking of a more robust and shockproof material to withstand delivery and shipping will be necessary.

To assess the fragility of a product, it is necessary to consider the material with which it was designed. For example, products made from ceramic or glass will naturally be more fragile and sensitive to external aggressions. This can be crumpled paper, bubble wrap or cardboard wedging that we can develop.

Other questions arise once you have chosen the protective packaging that best suits your products.

How will you store these packages?

It is important to provide a suitable storage method for each type of protective packaging to preserve their quality.

First, store your packaging materials in a well-ventilated warehouse where the temperature stays between zero and thirty degrees Celsius. The humidity level should also be between 30 and 70% RH. It will be necessary to provide pallets or platforms to prevent your stocks from coming into contact with the ground. Make sure to put the pallets on a dry and perfectly clean surface. Your protective packaging must be safe from the elements, including dust, heat, and water.

Each time you remove a quantity of protective packaging, repackage the rest of the pallet.

How will you ship these packages?

It is essential to define beforehand the shipping method for your protective packaging. Also, be aware that there are strict regulations on shipping protective packaging.

Be careful to choose packaging that protects the products to avoid all possible risks. If necessary, provide secondary packaging to double the protection of your products.

It will be necessary to be meticulous in choosing a carrier to avoid unnecessary risks.

Note that there are two shipping methods: individually or on a pallet. For each, there are specificities to take into account.

How do I ship single products?

Shipment of products individually: prefer cardboard compositions offering excellent resistance to bursting.

How do I ship products on pallets?

Shipping on a pallet: Two cases must be distinguished: the carrier product and the carrier protective packaging.

The case of the carrier product

In this first case, the product supports loads of successive layers, and the packaging will only function as a protective envelope against external attacks. This requires a quality that resists shocks and perforations, so the bursting resistance of the packaging is important.

The case of carrier protective packaging

In the second case, the packaging supports loads of successive layers, and it must protect the products from external attacks. Therefore, it will be necessary to favor a quality adapted for good resistance to vertical compression (RCV) combined with adequate bursting resistance.

To maximize palletization strength and integrity, follow these simple guidelines:

• It is necessary to privilege the columnar superposition of the packages with a good alignment. As far as possible, avoid overlapping layers. The resistance of protective packaging is maximum in the corners. Crossing layers results in a 50% loss in stacking strength.
• If possible, avoid loads overhanging the pallet so as not to damage your packages during transport.
• Remember to position spacers to make the layers united for better hold.
• Put sufficient protection to prevent the strapping from damaging the packages.

Wrapping the pallet will provide better load retention and additional protection.

Consider closure and labeling

Remember to inform yourself about the regulations in force concerning each product category, particularly food products and those that are not. You also have to think about marking standards.

Closing your parcels

Think about how you will seal the package. The chosen system must provide all the necessary product protection while remaining practical and simple. For example, some products require a specific closing method to avoid bad odors. You can even think of several openings, depending on the final product's nature and mode of consumption.

Protective packaging labeling

Be aware that you must produce detailed labels to inform the consumer about the different components of your product. Therefore, when choosing the packaging, consider how to label your products: direct printing or printing on an adhesive strip. Either way, the label should be sufficiently visible and accessible. It can also be embossed on the material.

Remember to indicate perishable products' durability, storage temperature, etc. For non-perishable products, do not forget to indicate the methods of use, etc.

Opt for personalized protective packaging?

To give your products a real identity, opting for personalized protective packaging would be interesting. This kind of protective packaging can be a real marketing asset. According to the studies, personalized packaging would go a long way in attracting potential customers. Thanks to this type of packaging, you can reveal the values ​​of your product or brand without having to carry out major advertising campaigns.

Consumers and target customers will then be able to memorize your brand image more easily. In addition, there are many customization solutions today!