Can you use printer paper as void fill?

[jollyjord]

Pardon the possibly silly question, but can you use basic printer paper as void fill? I know there's paper specifically for this purpose, but if you needed to could you use printer paper instead? 

[divwido]

are you shipping rocks?  That's OK.  Otherwise, no.   No Good, offers zero protection.

[divwido]

Anything breakable needs protection of either foam wrap, packing peanuts or air pockets.  Two of the three is even better.

[hpenryessentials]

I don't see how that would be an issue if it is crumpled in a way similar to void fill paper (maybe length wise instead of width?). Alternatively if you're feeling really crafty you could tape several sheets together and crumple so it essentially is void fill paper. 

[candd205]

You CAN do it. But, it's not good protection if the item is breakable and it's heavy. It will be more expensive to mail them bubble wrap or packing peanuts.

[candd205]

I meant to say that paper is heavy and it will be more expensive to mail them with paper than with bubble wrap or packing peanuts.

[no_zero369]

@jollyjord 

NO!  The point is paper of any kind: newspaper, printer paper, butcher paper is a COMPRESSIBLE item.  As the package gets tossed in bins, falls off of conveyors and other rough handling, the item inside will shift and start to compress the paper.  Eventually there will be no padding between the item and the side of the box and when it falls off of a truck, item inside is going to be damaged.

The other thing packing materials do is to provide some stability to the wall of the box.  Crumpled paper will compress and the box will cave in when that 70-lb box that is behind it falls on it at the end of the conveyor belt.

So yeah, if you want to deal with a "item arrived damaged" case, go ahead and use compressible paper.

 Use the  old stairs test.  Package up an old glass jar from the recycle bin, how you think it should be packaged.  Then kick that package off of the top of a fight of stairs to a concrete floor below.  If the packaging is adequate the jar will survive.  If not, rinse and repeat until you find what works.

Many people do not understand what packages go through when they are shipped.  better a bit over packaged than arrived damaged.

[little*blackdog]

As previous responders have pointed out, paper compresses and won't protect a fragile or breakable item.  If you just want to fill space around something non-breakable, so it doesn't move around in the box, I guess paper of any kind is okay... but it's heavy compared to other materials.  Why would you want to pay more for shipping? Every additional ounce can mean dollars, expecially with First Class Mail. Your goal in packing should be to keep things safely padded AND keep the packed box as lightweight as possible. 

If you have a postage scale (they don't cost much), you will see what paper weighs as compared to other packing materials.  If you need a lightweight material that's easy to find... try empty, dry plastic water bottles.  Cut the thick tops off, then use the bottles to pack around items in your boxes.  They can be molded to fit corners, bent around edges, etc., and they aren't very heavy relative to the amount of cubic space they fill.  They are also super "springy" and flexible and do pad well.  I use a layer on the bottom of the box, put the wrapped or boxed item on top of those bottles and fill in all around the item with more bottles.  (Don't compress them unless you are specifically bending around a curve, etc.)  You will be pleasantly surprised at how light a filled, well-padded box is.  Try it. 

[1tuna]

printer paper is fine for small items in a small box.you can certainly ship a ping pong ball in a box or a golf ball in a small box with crumpled up printer paper.

it has to do with density.it woud be easy to cushion a pack of cigarettes in a small box

a brick is out of the question as are easy to break things and heavy objects

if you toss a 6 ounce box down the steps it does not have much mass to internally damage something

if you put an apple or an orange in a 5 inch square box that could be too much mass for flimsy cushioning

[no_zero369]

That can work!  But prior posts where a seller used "repurposed" material for packing have set off flame wars on these threads.  Many believe it is just gross or unhygienic to open a package with someone's use garbage or items scavenged from the recycle bin.   I like the creative idea, nut think a seller should add something like that to their listing (if anyone reads it) that thy use repurposed materials for packing.

I appreciate creative ideas and reuses, however, I'm not much for a "surprise" like that.

[tdrake]

I wouldn't but that's me, no reason you can't...

... as long as your item is fully protected by other means and the paper is only filling a void.