It’s extremely important to ensure that your parcels reach their end destinations intact and in perfect condition, and the best way to ensure this is to properly package them so they are safe and secure.
We’ve collected our favourite tips for ensuring your next parcel gets to it’s recipient in one piece!
Don’t package your item in unsuitable delicate materials
Items that are packaged in bags made of material such as fabric, cloth or plastic are not typically up to the job of securing your parcel and can be easily damaged in the sorting warehouses by the machinery used, when loading on or off the delivery vans or even by other parcels as they are being processed.
Check your parcel delivery against your courier’s banned item list
Couriers and delivery companies are extremely cautious now with the processing of parcels and aim minimise the risk of any prohibited items being processed and delivered to a recipient.
A list of prohibited items that can be sent with a courier or delivery company can usually be found on their website, or by contacting them directly. A typical range of banned items include:
- – Aerosol cans or sprays
- – Medicine and drugs
- – Alcoholic beverages
- – Explosives (including fireworks)
- – Batteries
- – Flammable liquids
- – Scented candles
- – Tobacco and tobacco products
Ensure that there are no spaces left inside of the packaging
Spaces inside of packaging allow for items to move around when being processed which may lead to the item being damaged. Pack any spaces with bubble wrap, polystyrene foam or paper which will cushion the item from potential damage. A minimum padding of around 4-5 cm is advised.
Use the right tools when packing your item
To maximise protection of your item, packages should be wrapped using the following:
- – Jiffy bags
- – Cardboard boxes
- – Polystyrene foam
- – Strong parcel tape
Apply strong parcel tape to all corners of the package. It will help to reinforce the faces of the parcel box and make sure that they don’t open during the delivery.
Be mindful when using recycled packaging
Old cardboard will typically feature creases which weakens the integrity of the material and is something that you should be mindful of when wrapping your parcel.
Make sure that all labelling that may have been present on the old packaging is completely removed, as two labels on one packaging will be confusing for the courier company and may lead to issues when processing the parcel; causing delays or even resulting in a failure to deliver.
Don’t rely on additional labelling
We’ve all seen the ‘fragile goods’ and ‘this way up’ labels, but these are often ignored by couriers, who’s main focus is processing all of the parcels they have as quickly as physically possible.
These labels will often be ignored by the courier company and may potentially lead to your item being damaged if there is a weak spot in the package.
Print two copies of the delivery labels if your courier requires them
Some courier companies will require two delivery labels to be attached to your parcel. One of the labels should be placed on to the outside of the parcel, and the second label left inside of the parcel.
Correctly label your parcel
It’s extremely important that you correctly label your parcel with the recipients full name and address, but also a return address and contact details on the rear of the package.
A return address and details will allow your courier to contact you or even return the item to you if for some reason it cannot be delivered.
Measure the weight of your parcel after you have wrapped it
Make sure that you weight your package after you have finished wrapping it as you may face additional charges if the weight you have selected for your delivery is different from the actual weight.
Consider postage insurance
If you’ve taken all of the steps we’ve outlined in this article, you’ll be well on your way to ensuring your parcel is secured and you’ve maximised your change of it arriving with the recipient in perfect condition, but postage insurance is definitely worth considering.
Postage insurance will generally cover your parcel up to a certain amount (this varies depending on the courier company you use), and is probably worth the cost if your parcel is too valuable to be posted without.