The transportation of dangerous goods implies a delicate process that puts a number of interests as risk. UN packaging requirements involve a series of protocols to guarantee safety during the transportation and storage of these goods.
Packaging Advice Parcels can travel many thousands of miles through DHL's sophisticated global network to reach their destinations. DHL does everything we can to ensure packages are always delivered on time and in great condition. Packing your parcels with proper materials and care help ensure your shipments arrive safely and intact. Marijuana Packaging and Labeling Guide Page 3 of 42 Packaging and Labeling Guide – Version 4.0 Packages must protect the marijuana and hemp items they hold. Packages and containers that hold marijuana or hemp items must protect those items from contamination and must not expose the marijuana or hemp item to any toxic or harmful substance. When packaging the items for shipment, please make sure to place the items in the same order they are listed on your Online Submission Center confirmation page. Items not submitted in the correct order will result in a 5% service charge on your order and longer processing time. Packaging guide (graphical)¶ This guide shows how to make software available through Zero Install.We will start by packaging Blender, an open source 3D modelling and animation program. Outer packaging is clearly something a customer is going to see first in your product. This packaging is used for shipping and transport purposes. It also protects your product from the external elements. This packaging can also be explained as a shipping package or also the shopping bags or boxes at stores.
What is UN packaging testing?
UN packaging testing is a series of tests and requirements to determine the integrity and safety of the package when facing various situations.
These UN packaging requirements focus on goods that are considered to be dangerous, and their level of stringency depends on the risks posed by the transported goods, which are divided into different groups based on their dangerousness.
The main goal of UN certified packaging is therefore to prevent any chances of leaks or accidents involving these goods.
A series of packaging tests are applied based on the types of goods, in order to test the protective capabilities of the packaging when facing unforeseen events.
The organization in charge of establishing and regulating these requirements is the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
UN packaging requirements and the certification process
As the dangerousness of transported substances rises, the UN packaging requirements become increasingly stringent.
The first step to become a UN approved packaging supplier is to establish the category of the products to be tested. Existing categories are:
- Type 1: explosives
- Type 2: gases
- Type 3: flammable liquids
- Type 4: flammable solids
- Type 5: oxidizing agents and organic peroxide
- Type 6: toxic and infectious substances
- Type 7: radioactive substances
- Type 8: corrosive substances
- Type 9: miscellaneous dangerous goods
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Packaging Guidelines Standards Nmfc
Once the categories have been determined, testing is performed based on the characteristics of each type of good.
Tests required to obtain a UN certified packaging
Drop Test
This test verifies the packaging’s ability to protect goods in free fall, which may occur during transportation.
The test is performed using a Drop Tester that can perform flat, edge and corner drops, as outlined by the UN packaging requirements.
Leakproofness test
This is performed on any packaging designed to contain liquids and consists of submerging the packaging underwater while applying some internal pressure.
Depending on the category of the goods, a different pressure is applied, and the test is considered to be successful if the package experiences no leaks.
Pressure test
During the transportation process, goods may be subject to different degrees of pressure; therefore, it is vital to know the protective ability of the packaging against this force.
This is particularly necessary for goods that will face the hazards of air travel.
Stacking test
The merchandise distribution cycle usually includes stacking, and a stacking test aims to verify how the package can withstand these conditions.
The test consists of applying a pressure to the package that is similar to the total weight that stacked packages would exert. This pressure is established among the UN packaging requirements with the goal of verifying that the package is capable of withstanding stacking, and this is tested for at least 24 hours.
Burst test
This step follows the pressure test. In this case, the pressure of the first test is increased by 20% to certify that, even under these conditions, the packaging is capable of protecting the goods.
Piercing test
This tests the resistance of the package to sharp objects that try to pierce it at different speeds and forces. This test is considered to be successful if the sharp object fails to breach the goods.
In addition to these tests, which are performed for any goods that are considered as dangerous by the UN, some goods may also be subjected to specific tests, as the leak test or the Hot Water Bath.
In order to obtain UNECE certified boxes, any of these tests is performed with the packaging and the product ready to be transported, so that the tests come as close as possible to the real transportation conditions.
After performing the required tests, a report is prepared specifying the tests performed and whether they were successful. Then, it is filed with the corresponding national authority, which may give the packages the status of UNECE approved boxes.
UNECE recommendations for the transportation of dangerous goods
In addition to establishing the UN packagingrequirements, the organization has outlined the main recommendations for the transportation of dangerous goods, with the most recent agreement having been adopted in 2019.
Contained in two volumes, the recommendations touch on different subjects: from the different criteria to establish the category of the goods (accompanied by a detailed description of each category) to suggestions when packaging goods.
Other considerations for UN approved packaging
There are other things to be considered in regard to UNECE certified packaging. For example, it is essential to know in-depth the mark or label that the package is assigned when it is considered that it has fulfilled the UN packaging requirements.
This code includes:
- The UN certified packaging symbol
- The UNECE codes for the type of packaging and material with which it has been
manufactured. - The packaging group, which determines the dangerousness of shipped goods.
- The maximum weight for which it has been tested
- Year of manufacturing
- Manufacturing origin
- The manufacturing code, that specifies who the UN approved packaging suppliers
are or who have tested it.
Knowing this information allows for a safe transportation, since UN boxes would no longer be effective if used to transport a weight that is higher than the one they have been tested for.
Do you need help complying with UN packaging requirements?
At Safe Load Testing we can help you. Get in touch with us and we will work to guide and walk you through the process.
ECommerce packaging is the closest your business will come to giving your customers a personal touch. The best eCommerce packaging for the optimal unboxing experience involves a mix of the right box and the right infill. These small details take packaging your product from an everyday delivery to a truly custom package.
What is ECommerce Packaging?
Ecommerce packaging is the way you protect your product, establish your brand identity, and control your shipping costs. It can both enhance your customer’s experience and improve your profitability.
How Should I Package My Products?
Weight and costs are important considerations. Your eCommerce packaging choices will affect your production and shipping costs. Packaging and infill can impact your bottom line in another way: returns. A well-packed order will arrive in perfect condition. ECommerce packaging that can’t survive the delivery process will lead to damaged goods and disappointed customers.
Your package design can enhance your customer’s experience and improve your profitability. It’s important to understand your options so you can make the best choice for your business. Here is your ultimate guide to eCommerce packaging and infill (and don’t forget the tape).
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To Box or Not To Box?
First on the list is the box or bag all your products will be packed in. It’s what your customer will see first when they look in their mailbox. Branded packaging is an option that may be worth the price if it creates a memorable experience (especially because some people reuse their boxes). As the number and types of products shipped via eCommerce has grown, so have the choices for outer packaging.
The type of eCommerce packaging that best suits your products depends on several factors. The first is weight. For heavier items, a sturdy box is needed to ensure safe delivery. The second is breakability. A fragile product, even if it’s lightweight, needs protection during shipping. The final factor is the value of the product. When you ship high-value items, spending a bit extra on protective packaging can be a good investment.
The cost of packing materials can vary greatly, depending on type and quantity. If you outsource your shipping, you’ll pay for your eCommerce packaging through your 3PL services provider. Your fulfillment warehouse is a volume purchaser of cardboard boxes. Even with a markup, you’ll probably pay less for packing supplies through your fulfillment center.
Cardboard Boxes
Corrugated cardboard boxes are still the eCommerce packaging of choice for much of the industry. Cardboard is sturdy, doesn’t add much to the weight of your package, and it’s recyclable.
For very heavy or very fragile products, double-walled cardboard provides an extra layer of protection and strength. In some cases, a product comes in its own box that is suitable for shipping. However, in some cases, it makes sense to add a plain brown cardboard box on top. If you’re shipping a high-value item or a highly desired item, such as a flat-screen TV or an X-box, an outer box that obscures what’s inside is a good security measure.
One of the most common mistakes in choosing a packaging solution is using boxes that are too big for the products inside. Customers don’t like to deal with boxes that are too large. In addition, oversized boxes require more infill, increasing the weight of the box and raising the cost of shipping. The DIM weight pricing models used by UPS, FedEx, and USPS penalize shippers for sending products in oversized boxes. With DIM weight, the shipping charge is calculated using the greater of the weight of the package or a formula based on the dimensions of the box.
The cost of cardboard boxes depends on several factors. If you can use a standard size and buy in quantity, your price will go down. If you need a custom size or want your logo printed on the box, that will be an added cost. Double-walled cardboard is pricier than standard corrogated boxes.
Bags and Envelopes
If you sell something that is light and not fragile, a plastic mailing bag, a poly mailer, or Tyvek envelope can be a great choice. Bags and envelopes are lightweight, strong, easy to store, and self-sealing. They work well for shipping small clothing orders. You can also place a small boxed item inside an envelope or bag instead of over-boxing it.
As an added benefit, these mailers are waterproof. On the downside, neither plastic bags nor Tyvek envelopes are recyclable.
Padded Mailers
For shipping small or flat items that need a bit of extra protection, a padded envelope is a good option. This is a great way to ship CDs, jewelry, or other flat but delicate items. Some mailers are padded with shredded paper, so they’re easy to recycle. Padded envelopes filled with bubble wrap are very protective but a less green choice.
Custom Boxes
Creating a custom box can elevate your brand beyond the simple cardboard box. You can create an experience that your customer will enjoy, appreciate, and remember. They might even share it with their followers on Instagram. A custom box can have the added benefit of fitting your products more precisely than standard-sized boxes. This ensures your orders will ship snug and secure.
A custom box can go beyond a logo or design on the outside. There are experts who can help your business achieve a one-of-a-kind experience for your customer. FastKit is a great example of a high-end company that will deliver a high-end custom masterpiece. It’s worked with some big names (Domino’s, Swiffer, and Marvel to name a few).
The best part about these custom options is that they’re more accessible than ever before. You don’t have to break your first million before you invest in custom packaging. You can give your customers a high-end experience without a high-end cost.
Services like Packhelp or Lumi let you design your own packaging elements. These companies allow you to view a 3D image of what the final product will look like. Websites like Cratejoy are an excellent place for packaging for subscription box-based businesses. A custom package may be even more important if you’re selling a monthly subscription box.
Choosing the Right Tape for Your ECommerce Packaging
Tape may seem like the most boring part of eCommerce packaging but it’s a key to packaging success. If you ship your orders in boxes, packing tape is literally the glue that holds it all together.
Basic clear acrylic tape is fine for boxes holding up to about 15 pounds. It’s inexpensive and, with a good tape dispenser, easy to use.
For a more professional look, water-activated tape is a better option. Reinforced, water-activated kraft tape provides a strong seal that will hold together packages of 25 pounds or more. You’ll need a dispenser to wet the tape if you choose this option.
Infill is the Key to Successful ECommerce Packaging
When you ship products in a box, in most cases you need to add infill to keep them from moving around during shipping. Infill adds extra padding and stability to ensure your orders arrive undamaged.
There are many types of infill to choose from. Amazon, one of the largest shippers in the world, uses a combination of air-filled pillows and brown paper. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to infill. You’ll need to strategize based on your specific product and shipping. You may decide, like Amazon, that you want to use more than one type of infill to protect your products during shipping.
Kraft Paper
Brown kraft paper is one of the most versatile and flexible types of package infill. You can easily rip it into whatever size sheets you need or crumple it to fit any infill need. Kraft paper also has the benefit of being completely recyclable. It takes less chemical input to make kraft paper than to make bleached white paper products. As a bonus, you can source kraft made from recycled paper.
Air Pillows
Air pillows are the air-filled plastic sacs that are an increasingly common type of infill. They are one of the lightest forms of infill for eCommerce packaging. If you’re concerned about the weight of your package and need a lot of infill, air pillows may be the cheapest choice. They can be recycled under some circumstances, but it’s a safe bet that most of them end up in the landfill.
Packing Peanuts
Peanuts are the classic infill but can be messy and frustrating to work with or receive. The original Styrofoam peanuts are feather light – but that’s part of the problem. They have a tendency to escape the box and float away. This can cause problems on both the packing and receiving end. Styrofoam is not recyclable.
Packing peanuts made from cornstarch are much more ecologically friendly and easier to dispose of. They can even be composted or dissolved in water. However, the individual peanuts still tend to float around. Most customers consider either kind of packing peanuts a nuisance. Think carefully if you’re going to use them.
Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap is great for wrapping delicate items. It’s also fun to pop the bubbles. Your customers may consider bubble wrap infill a bonus treat and not just packaging.
Foam Wrap
Foam wrap is an alternative to bubble wrap for wrapping fragile products. The fact that it is thin, light, and easy to work with makes foam wrap appealing. Unfortunately, this product is not recyclable and can create environmental problems. Fortunately, innovations in infill give you excellent green alternatives.
Shredded Cardboard
Packaging Guidelines Ups
Shredded cardboard infill is a great way to recycle and wrap at the same time. All you need is the machine that turns old cardboard into accordion-like sheets. These sheets can securely wrap around fragile items to protect them during shipping. This choice is the ultimate in eco-friendly packaging. On the receiving end, it’s easy for customers to remove and recycle.
Packaging Guidelines For Shipping Freight
Ecological ECommerce Packaging
Going for the green vibe is a sure win these days. Customers are getting more eco-conscious and want to support companies that they feel align with their values. Using eco-friendly packaging made of recycled, recyclable, or biodegradable materials will position your brand as environmentally conscious. Whatever you do, don’t use an infill like Styrofoam peanuts to pack a product marketed as green.
There are many places to source eco-friendly eCommerce packaging. EcoEnclose offers a full line of compostable, biodegradable, and sustainable boxes, mailers, and tape. The company is committed to being earth-friendly, down to the soy-based ink on their boxes. They’ll also work with you to come up with a packaging style that fits your product perfectly.
Extra Touches in ECommerce Packaging
ECommerce packaging isn’t just about the materials you use to get your orders safely to your customers. What you put inside the box in addition to the products can made a big impression. Think of it as the physical manifestation of your brand voice.
Here are some items to consider as you figure out what you want to ship with each order.
Include the Receipt
The receipt is a surprisingly important component of the packaging experience. Your customers expect an itemized receipt for the order but it often gets forgotten. Don’t just include a receipt; make the receipt memorable. Make sure it fits with and furthers your overall branding. Spend a little time to make sure that it doesn’t detract from the experience. With a little creativity, your receipt can complement your order.
Offer Rewards
The perfect place to further your branding efforts and encourage loyalty is in the box. Your next sale starts when your customer opens their order. Include a coupon with a unique discount code for additional purchases within a certain amount of time. Or add an invite to a loyalty-based rewards program or early access to an upcoming product launch.0010
Add Color with Tissue Paper
Tissue paper is delicate, and we associate it with gifts. Using it to wrap your products will impart that sense of luxury and fun to the customer. Tissue paper boosts the perception of quality.
Tissue paper can also help reinforce your branding. Use solid, on-brand colors or get custom-printed tissue. Companies like DigiWrap and NoIssue sell both options.
Use Stickers
Probably one of the easiest and cheapest options for in-box branding is stickers. You can use them to secure tissue paper around the product, or to decorate the outside of the box or the carrier bag. You can include a few extra stickers as a free gift. That will give you free advertising in the process.
There’s a plethora of custom design tools and websites that allow you to print stickers in any color, shape, and size you want. Uprinting, VistaPrint, and Moo are good places to start. If you’ve never used custom packaging for your products, custom stickers are an inexpensive way to try it out.
What Does Your Packaging Say About Your Products?
Every aspect of your eCommerce packaging, from the box or envelope to the tape and infill, conveys a message. On the most basic level, a well-packed box tells your customers that you take the time to carefully ship their orders. The extra touches you add help build your brand and boost customer loyalty.
If you outsource your fulfillment, you can turn to your fulfillment company for expert advice about eCommerce packaging. Test your order fulfillment company by having orders shipped to yourself. That way, you can better understand your customer’s unboxing experience.
Don’t view your packaging and infill as static. Keep improving your packaging process and materials. As your business grows, you may want to upgrade the look and feel of your eCommerce orders. And, as packaging materials and techniques evolve, you will be able to choose from newer, greener, and more appealing packaging and infill options.
What sort of packaging and infill does your business use? Leave a comment and tell us what works for you.