Packing material suggestions

[byrd69er]

If you have other suggestions for sources of free packing materials....please chime in.

To reduce or nearly eliminate my packing materials expenses, I've let office coworkers know what need. One who helps me, brings me bags of materials she has  collected when she visits our office....from 70 miles away. She makes a huge effort to recycle, and I fit right in. She brings me used prescription bottles that I use for packing. Washed and labels removed.  Anything that can be used for packing, she brings it. There's several coworkers who drop off drop supplies in my cubicle.

The IT department in my office saves a lot of the packing materials from computers that come in. We get dozens at a time.

My son works at an on-line card trading company. He brings home the packing materials that cards and other items are sent in by sellers.

There's an office furniture supplier about a 1/2 mile from me. They gladly provide me with packing materials from the pieces that come in. More than I need

My only expense for shipping......tape.

[dcintennessee]

I just want to give a big THANK YOU to @byrd69er for starting this thread, and all who chimed in so far. Learning lots! Favorite so far is containing those pesky peanuts @pixzee. I only use them with an appropriately wrapped bundle, (glass shards?? Ridiculous!) but containing them keeps them more stable & assists the buyer. 

@mangorunner mentioned one of my favorite sources - medical offices. @div_style is right that time is our most scarce commodity, which I multiply by enjoying quick visits with friends & family who stash supplies for me, while saving just a small piece of our planet & landfills by recycling. Another nod to @mangorunner for that reminder! I also keep a couple of handy rolls of bubbles on hand (one 12" & one 18"), which I purchase here. They are sandwiched on top of one of the tall shelves I use for inventory storage, with the loose end coming out the bottom. Easy to unroll the amount needed, rip & go pack! 

[pixzee]

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wrote:
...the box was slammed so hard, the FOUR layers of thick bubbles popped, cracking the bottom bowl. ...USPS quickly paid the insurance claim, thanks to her excellent pix. A more experienced seller said my liberal application of Fragile stickers probably taunted someone along the way...

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I can't imagine that Fragile stickers would cause a worker to smash a package. I had a friend who worked for UPS about 30 years ago. Back then they only hired collage students. It seemed because the work was so back breaking (literally) they found a way to fire people before they reached the age of 30 and could sue for injuries. UPS has faced many age-discrimination suits since then and they tend to move older folks into the less hectic driver position.

Anyway, my friend said that his manager was constantly harassing and pushing the workers and to blow off steam they used packages for football practice, drop kicking them into the vans.

Things do happen in shipping at UPS, FedX and USPS, machinery fault or workers neglect. I once received a crushed package with tire marks on it.

According to the USPS :

"Mailing Fragile Items

Use foamed plastic or padding to protect your items, placing the cushioning inside hollow items as well.  Mark the package “Fragile” or mark “Perishable” on packages that contain food or other items that can spoil. Careful packaging is the best way to safeguard your valuable items against damage."

I would like to believe that a postmaster would be upset if he found an employee purposefully mishandling a package labeled "fragile". My brother delivered the mail for 18 years and I've have friends who were mail carriers. The consensus on marking a package 'fragile' is "it doesn't hurt" or "I usually ignore it". but that the person who delivers it to the door would probably take more caution as they were the last one to touch it.

[pixzee]

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wrote:

I get huge sheets of cardboard from Costco for free and make them into custom boxes.

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How do you get sheets from Costco, who do you ask?

[bobwhitesoftheglen]

Paper grocery bags.  Not sure if this is still the case but back in the 70's I had an uncle who worked in a grocery store.  He refused to bring a paper grocery bag into his house.  He said whenever they would open a pallett of the bags, cockroaches would scatter!  They evidently love the glue on them.  I've been skeeved out ever since!

[sam9876]

No need to ask anyone.  Just take them from the displays and pallets.

The best cardboard can usually be found with the Kleenex.

[chicboutique31]

i am not exactly sure as to what you are selling but if you are shipping priority mail, the post office gives free flat rate envelopes, bubble mailers and boxes. you just have to go on to their website to order them and they ship it to you for free also. If you dont ship priority mail, there are lots of websites that you can purchase bubble mailers, boxes, etc., but you have to buy them in bulk. It is fairly inexpensive and pays off in the long run.