How To Save Money On Packing And Be Environmentally Friendly

By Author: Albert Jakeman
Total Articles: 9
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Here are a few sneaky ways of saving money on your Packaging Supplies and Commercial Packing.

Buy In Bulk
Get a bulk price from your suppliers and if they are not very forthcoming then try even bigger bulk buy purchases from a wholesaler. At least that way if your business goes under, you will still be able to sell off your excess packing supplies for a reasonable profit.

Ask For A Discount
Google search a big list of all the packing suppliers’ websites and their product prices and then ask them all for a discount. Emails cost nothing, and nagging gets results. The worst they can say is no.

Shred
If you receive a lot of paperwork and cardboard on a daily basis (probably from your suppliers) then buy a very large industrial cardboard shredder. Shred up your paper and cardboard and then use it as packing supplies instead of bubble wrap and Styrofoam.

Write Don’t Tape
Do not buy the tape that says fragile, simply buy a big red permanent marker and write the word “Fragile” on the fragile boxes you send out.

Salvage
Reuse and salvage clean bubble wrap and Styrofoam ...
... that comes in your deliveries. It will only go in the bin otherwise, so you may as well re-use it and save some money.

Bulk Buy And Sell Consumables
Things such as sticky tape (cello tape, etc) are used by many people for many purposes. This makes it easier to sell than envelopes for example, because they come in all shapes and sizes. A wise move is to buy an eye watering amount of cello tape in bulk so that you get a really good bulk buy discount. You can store and use it for future savings, but if you buy in a large enough bulk, then you can begin to sell it for a profit too. It is always a good idea to stock the items that you also use, then that way you are getting the benefit of the discount from both a savings point of view and a profit point of view.

Here are a few ways to be a little more environmentally friendly

Keep It Known
In reality we all want to protect the earth, but business is business, so any efforts you make to protect the earth should be advertised as much as possible. If you are sending biodegradable packing bags then have it written on them. If your cardboard is recycled then make sure you print on it, telling people it is recycled.

Recycled Cardboard
It exists and the quality is not bad. It costs more than the usual cardboard, but is great for your public image if you use it.

Earth Friendly Glue
The stuff that does not pollute is not too expensive if you buy it in bulk, and make sure that on every seam of every box you glue, you mention (in print) that it is sealed with environmentally friendly glue.

Recycle And Reuse
Printing that you have re-used and recycled the packing material within your packages gives you a little more wiggle room to be more cheeky with what you use. Under normal circumstances you may shred your plain brown boxes that come from your suppliers, but if you are advertising your reuse and recycle policy, then a customer will not be put off if he/she sees shredded cereal boxes and newspaper inside their package. In-fact the more environmentally minded will applaud you for it.

Albert Jakeman is an eco warrior, conversationalist and realist who has Packaging Supplies and Commercial Packing supplies tips for any businesses willing to listen.