Media Mail packaging question - can packing material include newspaper?

[electrola_man]

I have an item eligible for Media Mail shipment, and I began packaging it by wrapping it with bubble wrap, but then figured I'd use newspaper to surround it and fill most of the void.  Then I remembered that Media Mail cannot have any advertising in it, and newspapers do (and packing slips like I usually provide do).  To be safe, I just used all bubble wrap, which lowered weight and saved some postage cost, but overall it likely cost a bit more due to using up more bubble wrap.  Does anyone know whether or not newspaper is prohibited as Media Mail packing material?  Thanks!

[thallidguy]

I don't know of any cases where USPS considered that an abuse of Media Mail, but it's an interesting question. You would think that the difference between an item being shipped and the packing material would be self-evident, but you never know.

One caution I have about using newspaper as packing material with heavy objects: Newspaper deforms and doesn't reform, so if the contents shift in transit, it will create a void and kind of negate the protective power of packing material for the rest of the trip. To prevent that, you'd have to stuff the package so tightly that it would probably drive up the weight.

If you need a source of cheap bubble wrap, you might try hitting up local friends and relatives who shop by mail order and ask them to save their packaging for you. I've seen some posters here who hit up local businesses, or advise joining a Freecycle group.

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

No, it is not specifically prohibited. However, newspaper is not only heavy, it is messy. Ink stains . . . and when newspaper gets wet, OMG! The last thing you want is a rain-soaked box with newspaper inside!

Try to find FREE bubble wrap, packing chips, foam sheets and plain paper to use as filler. Or use a smaller box. Books, CD's and DVD's require very little buffering; protection from moisture, scratches and fingerprints is more important than padding. If your area has not banned single-use plastic bags, those also serve well as stuffing, and the recipient can use them yet again.

My favored packing supplies include FREE clean and re-usable bubble wrap, packing chips, foam sheets/inserts and salvageable scraps from bubble envelopes. Recent incoming orders also yielded quantities of crumpled plain newsprint, which I reserve for orders when weight is not an issue. I do pay for open-end poly sleeves, Ziploc bags and white tissue paper. When the latter two go on sale, I'm right there!

~~C~~

[electrola_man]

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@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:

No, it is not specifically prohibited. However, newspaper is not only heavy, it is messy. Ink stains . . . and when newspaper gets wet, OMG! The last thing you want is a rain-soaked box with newspaper inside!

Try to find FREE bubble wrap, packing chips, foam sheets and plain paper to use as filler. Or use a smaller box. Books, CD's and DVD's require very little buffering; protection from moisture, scratches and fingerprints is more important than padding. If your area has not banned single-use plastic bags, those also serve well as stuffing, and the recipient can use them yet again.

My favored packing supplies include FREE clean and re-usable bubble wrap, packing chips, foam sheets/inserts and salvageable scraps from bubble envelopes. Recent incoming orders also yielded quantities of crumpled plain newsprint, which I reserve for orders when weight is not an issue. I do pay for open-end poly sleeves, Ziploc bags and white tissue paper. When the latter two go on sale, I'm right there!

~~C~~

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Thanks for the comments about it being okay for Media Mail.

I do not like using newspaper, but sometimes it is useful for filling voids and avoiding the use of costly bubble wrap.  I know to always isolate the product from contact with newsprint, as it is messy.  I'm sensitive to the reality that it often does not look very professional to the buyer, so I only use it in certain cases where it seems to make sense.  It is heavy, but for some packages, extra weight doesn't much matter.

[electrola_man]

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@thallidguy wrote:

I don't know of any cases where USPS considered that an abuse of Media Mail, but it's an interesting question. You would think that the difference between an item being shipped and the packing material would be self-evident, but you never know.

One caution I have about using newspaper as packing material with heavy objects: Newspaper deforms and doesn't reform, so if the contents shift in transit, it will create a void and kind of negate the protective power of packing material for the rest of the trip. To prevent that, you'd have to stuff the package so tightly that it would probably drive up the weight.

If you need a source of cheap bubble wrap, you might try hitting up local friends and relatives who shop by mail order and ask them to save their packaging for you. I've seen some posters here who hit up local businesses, or advise joining a Freecycle group.

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I used to use a lot more newspaper when I was shipping bigger and heavier items, and yes, it does take quite a bit, and it needs to be rolled just right and stuffed in pretty well to provide long-term cushoning.  I generally dislike dealing with it now, and typically ship smaller items, so am now using 95%+ bubble wrap.  I used to get a lot of bubble wrap that was being thrown away by the company I worked for, but I don't work there anymore, so that source disappeared.  I'll look into Freecycle.  Thanks.

[dcintennessee]

If there's a newspaper or commercial printing company in your town, call about getting end rolls of newsprint. It's CLEAN white paper, too short to remain on the printing presses. I pay only $1 or $2 per roll. The rolls usually are 22" or 24" wide, and will have hundreds of feet of paper left on them. It's also great if you're moving, and for crafts with the kids.

I get tons of free packing supplies, but I use this paper as filler IF it provides adequate protection (as @thallidguy said) but only in these instances (expanding on what @duchess-at-speakeasy said):

1. With a flat-rate box,  the extra weight doesn't matter.

2. Those annoying times when the package weighs X pounds and 2-3 ounces. The rate you pay is the same up to the next full pound of weight, so you can at least reduce the amount of other filler required by supplementing it with paper.

[lja440]

I sometimes too use newspaper but only as a shim. I fold it tight and put it in a plastic bag. More often I use Styrofoam blocks saved from big ticket items purchased like a TV. This is just to hold an object into the center of the box, then I fill with peanuts.

[mikescuriouscurios]

  Since I usually make my own boxes for expensive books I leave only enough space to be filled with a layer or two of bubblewrap in each direction. Always make sure to wrap your books in a layer or two of ordinary kitchen cling plastic wrap, nice and tidy first as a last line of defense from the wet, especially to wet or snowy destinations this time of year. If it is a floppy paperback, like a school workbook, or manual, include in the plastic wrap two sheets of clean cardboard cut to about 1/2" larger in each direction on either side (with a sheet of tissue or blank newsprint) to protect the corners and edges from ambitious carriers who like to force bendable objects into too tight of spots instead of walking them to the door or porch.

  If you must use heavy paper stock to keep something from sliding around, I usually fold  (multiple times until it is almost like a solid wedge), roll loosely like an old-fashioned newspaper, or ball it up, into a mass about 2-3" diameter, then put a small piece of packing tape on it and just put one on each side, or preferably, corner leaving the majority of the space on each side empty (or if you want to be fancy, fill in with super light-weight air or foam pillows or peanuts.) This works best if say, the top and bottom are already close and tight to keep it from bouncing up and down. It protects, AND leaves a crushable airgap between the outer box and the contents if it gets thrown against a railing. This will often shave 6-8 oz off your weight and might save you a lb transition.

  Of course, as others said, when weight is not much issue (you have 12 oz to waste,) then by all means pack with everything you can find. I like the plastic store bags idea, it never occurred to me, and I usually recycle hundreds a month at the store pickup. I'll have to try that out for tools, parts or other items that the buyers don't really care much what the packaging looks like.

But back to the OP OQ As far as them mistaking it for advertising... you can always go through and cut out all the ads and only use the "news" parts :-).  Or better still put it through the paper shredder first and keep a bag-full handy for this purpose, then make them try to piece it back together to prove it's an ad.  It'd be worth the entertainment value.

M-