Your Complete Guide to Proper Packaging for Books, Electronics, Brochures, and More for Shipping

 

There are many items you can send through the mail in the UK, but different items benefit from various forms of packaging and packaging materials as well. Luckily, you can take your pick from a whole range of packing materials nowadays, from standard cardboard boxes to postal bags, special packing tape, heavy-duty boxes, padded boxes, bubble wrap, and a lot more. So, the question is: which materials are appropriate for which item? Here’s your complete guide to proper packaging for books, electronics, brochures, and more for shipping.

• Books

Books can easily become damaged, especially at the corners and binding. If you are in the business of sending books to customers, you can make use of padded envelopes for small books, and for large books, you can make use of corrugated cardboard book packages. When packing books, it’s best to have a clearance of 2.5 centimetres on every side of the box or container.

• Projectors or cameras

There are special considerations if you are sending projectors or cameras as well. You should, for instance, detach the lens and any additional component or piece, and if you can, use the original packaging from the retailer. The container should also have material for cushioning the item; the cushioning material should be about 5 centimetres for adequate protection for the product.

• Electronics

For electronics, take note that batteries are often prohibited. If you are sending a small item such as an ebook reader or a satellite navigation product or GPS, surround it with at least 1 centimetre of a cushioning material such as bubble wrap. If you are sending larger items like an iPad, laptop, flat-screen TV, printer, or DVD player, surround the object with at least 5 centimetres of cushioning material such as bubble wrap, polyblocks, or polystyrene nuts or chips. You should cover the plugs or pins of the item with about a centimetre of cushioning. If there are loose components or parts, wrap each object individually. The outer container of the item should be strong and rigid (such as a corrugated cardboard box), and the packaging should also have the right size, so the box doesn’t break open.

• Brochures and magazines

If the brochure or magazine has a thickness of 1 centimetre, you can send it in a padded postal bag, a heavy-duty envelope made of cardboard, or in shrink-wrapped polythene. If the brochure or magazine is 5 centimetres in thickness, you can use corrugated boxes or special mailing boxes which are all available from experts in packaging supplies in London such as UK Packaging.

• Mobile phones

There is also a particular way of shipping a mobile phone. First, you have to wrap the phone securely with bubble wrap and tape; make sure the wrapping is at least a centimetre in thickness. If you are sending the mobile phone with a plug, make sure to cover the pins of the plug with additional bubble wrap. Place the mobile phone in a container which is rigid and of the correct size. If the container is a bit too large for the phone, you should make use of packing foam or bubble wrap to secure and restrict the item’s movement. Make sure the box is appropriately sealed, and the address of the recipient is clearly written or labelled on the container. Include a return address as well.

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