subject: Courier services can help save on packaging – and help save the planet [print this page] Courier services can help save on packaging and help save the planet
When a courier company is handed the job of delivering parcels to here, there and everywhere, its efficient use of space is crucial. This is because it is charged by the big worldwide carriers for the amount of space it, in effect, leases in their vehicles. So it is in the parcel delivery company's interests to ensure that its customers wrap their packages as well as possible, using the minimum amount of packaging materials.
In many cases, achieving the most efficient use of packaging when wrapping a parcel is all about choosing the right type of materials in the first place. A plain cardboard box might seem the obvious solution for many parcel packing jobs, but it's worth giving some thought to the amount of space within that box which will actually be taken up by a consignment.
If an item is packed in a box which is far too big, this will require the use of more materials as protective layers, and so be counter-productive and wasteful. It may well even result in the price for sending a particular parcel being higher than necessary. Boxes, bags and envelopes for use when transporting items via a courier company are nowadays manufactured in a range of materials, strengths and sizes, with many specialist packaging suppliers looking to fill every niche in an increasingly demanding market.
So if you can't source the most appropriate kind of packaging for your express delivery, it's worth talking to your courier company or agent. They often know exactly what the most suitable way of packing a particular product is, through their experience of transporting such items. They can then either supply the right packaging materials themselves, or perhaps recommend another company which can.
When considering how to pack a parcel it's always worth asking the question, how is the recipient who might be an extremely valued customer going to dispose of the packaging which their international freight is being sent in? If the answer is that it might pose problems, then consider what more eco-friendly alternatives are available, and try to use one of those instead.
Again, a responsible parcel delivery company will know the difference between packaging which provides essential protection for an express delivery, and that which is more about presentation. So it's always worth asking for their advice about the best performing types of packaging for any particular consignment. There are usually helpful and experienced staff on hand for just such a purpose.
There are plenty of worldwide shipping services now available at affordable prices, so trust a courier such as UPS, DHL or Parcelforce for your next delivery.
