Produce your own filling materials
Do you recognise this problem? You want to post something, but the product is smaller than the Shipping box and rolls about in the box like a ball in a roulette wheel. A solution is quickly found: we need some packing material! However, this is often only available in large quantities and is usually made from rather less sustainable materials. Yet there are great alternatives to conventional filling materials, which you’ll also be looking after just sort it out yourself You can! We’ve got you 5 materials In summary, the easy to make yourself are and so Make your parcels more sustainable in future Get creative. Your recipients will be amazed!
1 | Lightweight and environmentally friendly
You might not make straw yourself very often, but it’s a raw material that’s very easy to get from your favourite organic farm shop or from a farmer you know. What makes it special is that straw is a renewable raw material and poses no disposal problems. The material therefore has a minimal environmental impact. What’s more, straw is very lightweight, so it adds hardly any weight to your parcel. What’s more, your customers can then use it as fuel for heating or barbecues, as bedding or feed for pets (rabbits, tortoises and the like), or simply dispose of it in the organic waste bin.
2 | Reusing your old notes
If you’re like most of us, you’re bound to have plenty of old newspapers and adverts lying about. These aren’t just rubbish – they can be turned into great packing materials in no time at all! To make cushioning paper strips, simply grab a shredder and run the waste paper through it. The strips of paper produced in this way are perfect as protective padding for your product. If you don’t have a shredder, you can alternatively simply crumple up the newspapers and arrange them inside your parcel, all around your product. With either method, your parcel will hardly gain any weight, and you’ll have given your newspapers a second life. Your customers can then use them as kindling or simply dispose of them in the waste paper bin.
3 | Yes, you’ve seen it right!
Sunflower seeds are particularly suitable for smaller parcels and are versatile all-rounders. Whilst they aren’t the lightest option, they are sustainable, environmentally friendly and inexpensive to purchase. The seeds cushion the contents of your parcel, moulding perfectly to its shape and thus ensuring optimum protection during dispatch. Once the parcel has arrived at your customers’ homes, they can then nibble on the sunflower seeds, roast them or use them as bird feed in the garden. A packing material that’s sure to make a lasting impression!
4 | Ideal alternative
Empty egg cartons make great packing material. And anyone who enjoys fried eggs and the like for breakfast will have quite a few cartons left over. You can also ask friends and neighbours for donations of egg cartons to build up a stock of packing materials at home. Egg cartons are lightweight, easy to adapt and can also be used to fill larger boxes effectively. Particularly for parcel contents that aren’t rectangular or square, egg cartons can be easily cut to size to secure the contents perfectly inside the parcel. So the cartons have not only protected your breakfast eggs, but will subsequently protect your product too!
5 | An eye-catcher
Whether sweet or savoury, popcorn is a universally popular snack. And we love it as packing material too! Anyone sending products that can withstand a little salt or fat can pad them with popcorn. The popped maize is easy to make yourself in the microwave without much fat; alternatively, it’s available in supermarkets and can also be bought in large bags. Popcorn, which is also lightweight, is the ideal packaging material for your product and provides secure cushioning during transit. Once the parcel has been opened, the popcorn can then be fed to pets, composted or, for those who fancy it and aren’t put off by the idea, eaten as a snack!
