Packing parcels is quite a challenge and requires the right materials in order to prepare the package for sending. Most online shops, parcel fillers come in handy to ensure that the contents of your parcel are safe and that the products inside do not move around. There are many possibilities to apply parcel fillers, this is why we have prepared an overview of the products you can use for this purpose.
Paper parcel fillers
A large group of parcel fillers are products made of paper. These may be specially manufactured parcel fillers or waste left over from packing other products. Paper fillings can therefore be made of wrapping paper of various gram weight, from 40-90g/m2, which, when properly crumpled, can be used to fill the interior of a package. This is quite aesthetically pleasing and convenient to use, as the amount can be flexibly adjusted to the size of the space requiring filling within the package itself.
Paper fillers can also take the form of paper strips made from cut-up cardboard boxes. This solution is usually slightly thicker than the aforementioned wrapping paper, but the visual effect of such packaging and the mess created both in the warehouse during the packing process and at the home of the recipient of the parcel leaves much to be desired. It is, however, environmentally friendly, as mainly recycled materials are used and the paper filler itself can also be reused, so this solution has quite a few supporters.
Air pack fillers – air pillows and air mats
For some time now, air pillows have been of great interest to owners of many companies and those responsible for the packaging process in online shops.
These are products made from a durable film that are filled with air and, when inserted into the cardboard box, keep the contents in place. Thanks to the perforations between successive pillows right next each other, the right number of fillers can be conveniently peeled off to fill the parcel correctly. This makes it possible to use air fillers both when packing parcels that fit tightly into the outer packaging and when a larger volume of the box needs to be filled out.
Air cushion mats also work well as parcel fillers. Their appearance is reminiscent to that of bubble wrap, but the air tubes are considerably larger. This makes them ideal not only for filling the empty space in the box, but also for securing fragile items. For this reason. They are readily used by online shops selling glass and porcelain accessories, perfumes or paintings, which can easily be damaged in transportation.
Air-filled parcels are very aesthetically pleasing and clean, which gives a positive contribution to the seller’s image and quality. When a customer receives an air-filled parcel after unpacking it, he or she does not have to clean up the surrounding area of strips of paper, as it is the case when paper parcel fillers are used.
The use of air parcel fillers is also beneficial for warehouses where packaging takes place (see also: How to pack a parcel? – 3 tried and tested ways). Uninflated air fillers take up little space, and the right inflating devices allow them to be sized accordingly to the required dimensions. Additional waste is also avoided during packaging, making the packer’s work much more pleasant.
Other parcel fillers
In addition to these two filling methods, other solutions are also available on the market. For It is also possible to fill parcels by using so-called ‘skropak’, ‘flopak’ or ‘flupis’, i.e. loose products that resemble corn crisps in their appearance. These can be made from synthetic materials, or from natural materials such as ‘skropak’, which is much more environmentally friendly.
Environmentally-friendly-minded people are also more keen to choose a variety of recycled products to protect the interrior of the package. Thus, they can reuse bulk packaging, cardboard from goods retuned and even old newspapers. However, this is not an ideal solution, as the customer will not always understand that the filler used is recycled, but will be disgusted to receive a parcel filled with so called ‘rubbish’.
In a nutshell, the type of filler you will use for your online shop must be chosen not only in terms of securing the contents, but also in terms of the recipient’s reaction to the type of products used to secure the goods. If you choose them appropriately, the package filler will support your brand; if not, it will work against you. That is something worth considering.