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.

[ozarkjoe]

I don't sell to many fragile items but I use old newspapers, used padded envelopes from my own purchases, plastic grocery bags, etc.

You could get a paper shredder and use that to protect items from damage.

[yuzuha]

Go to a local B&M store.  I work in two and that's where I get all of my packing supplies-- we're more than happy to give out boxes or packing materials to anyone who asks for them because that's less stuff that we have to haul down to the dumpsters.  Just this week alone I brought home probably six boxes, a few yards of bubble wrap, some air pillows and a bag of packing peanuts.

[anthemshop247]

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

As for me, I buy bubble wrap roll,  packaging tape. Add to these about $10 only for eBay shipping supplies because of the $50 eBay coupon. 

You are more resourceful and frugal than I am.

[dcintennessee]

Newspaper = yucky. Get an end roll of clean newsprint paper for about $2 from your local newspaper or commercial printer. It'll be 20+ inches wide and a $2 roll may have 150-200 yards left on it. 

Make friends with someone at a medical clinic. Medical supplies are very well packed, and a great source of cast-offs. 

[ten_o_nine]

Using the right size box for the item reduces the need for most packing materials.

[evry1nositswindy]

I do the same thing.  My brother brings me a trash bag full of packing material every week that would otherwise be landfill.  My friend shops online due to health issues and she saves her boxes for me.  Free tape from my eBay store, and I am set!  

[krazzykats]

Not free, but cheap. I purchase plain white gift tissue paper from Dollar Tree...Easy peasy...$1.00 package has 35 sheets in it...Not free, but pretty darn cheap!

[southernfriedbelle]

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wrote:

Newspaper = yucky. Get an end roll of clean newsprint paper for about $2 from your local newspaper or commercial printer. It'll be 20+ inches wide and a $2 roll may have 150-200 yards left on it. 

Make friends with someone at a medical clinic. Medical supplies are very well packed, and a great source of cast-offs. 

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Agree. Newspaper is nasty. Ink can smear off onto items, onto buyers' hands, into your hands, etc. I like the newsprint suggestion better. I'm not a fan of using paper for padding, though. It does not adequately pad breakable items and is easily compressed during shipping, leaving room for fragile items to move around, which leads to breakage.

I'm all for using clean, previously used packing materials within reazon. What I hate, though, is receiving items packed with dirty, dusty, sticky or greasy materials, or items that (I don't care how well they're cleaned!) are just gross. I'm talking about Styrofoam meat packaging trays, egg cartons, and cereal boxes to name a few. I'd also have to add plastic or paper grocery bags to this list.

Just don't, cuz that be straight up nasty.

It's one thing to be frugal and creative, and to be conscientious in recycling materials for the benefit of the plant. It's taking it to a level it should not go, however, when the Frankenpackage containing my lovely vintage teapot arrives looking as if it were cobbled together from dumpster contents, including the packing materials contained within.

I may be too squeamish, but, Ewww.

There has to be a balance between being frugal and knowing when it's time to actually order or purchase some new supplies.

[ted_200]

Newspaper = yucky.

The newsprint ink is an issue. 

But I use it, and like it... wadded up (shredded newspaper is pretty useless) and stuffed into plastic grocery bags, there isn't a better - or cheaper - packing material.  The bags keep the newsprint off the item and off the buyer, and keep the newspaper and/or item from shifting around during shipment. 

I also use clean dumpster-dived packing peanuts, but they're messy and I don't like them as much... and aren't as plentiful as newsprint and bags. 

[myboardid]

My town has banned plastic bags, so the groceries now use heavy duty paper bags, which I find very useful for packing.   (I never use any that have gotten food on them, only the completely clean ones).  They are stiff enough to hold up against being crushed.  Almost any retail store will have useful materials.  One I find great for breakables is left over padding materials from the carpet store.  It can be cut to size and is very shock-absorbing. 

My favorite will always be packing peanuts, but they are harder and harder to find because they are so expensive and also cost so much to ship. 

[chipper01work]

I work in the shipping/receiving dept. of a large corporation and we unpack hundreds and hundreds of USPS, UPS, FedEx and small courier packages every week for distribution to employees. I'm lucky, I have direct access to every shipping supply under the sun for free. Boxes of every size imaginable, enough bubble wrap and peanuts to fill my SUV, expanded foam, honeycombed cardboard and air pillows. Everything except new tape. It's so plentiful I don't even have to collect it ahead of time. If I get notification that I sold an item on my phone while I'm at work I can take a two minute walk and get everything I need to pack the item when I get home.

[dcintennessee]

Touchdown!

 @chipper01work wins the Shipper Bowl!

[chipper01work]

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wrote:

Touchdown!

 @chipper01work wins the Shipper Bowl!

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Great come back and post! So appropriate for the day! 

[lintbrush*]

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wrote:

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 I'm all for using clean, previously used packing materials within reazon. What I hate, though, is receiving items packed with dirty, dusty, sticky or greasy materials, or items that (I don't care how well they're cleaned!) are just gross. I'm talking about Styrofoam meat packaging trays, egg cartons, and cereal boxes to name a few. I'd also have to add plastic or paper grocery bags to this list.

Just don't, cuz that be straight up nasty.

I may be too squeamish, but, Ewww.

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Hahaha you gotta let that go.   That repurposed shipping box is probably much nastier than the egg carton or cereal box if you really think about it.  (eggs take a soap and water bath before they are put into them).  

And I don't get the aversion towards grocery bags.  Again, unless in direct contact with wet or moist food, they are generally quite clean.