How to pack an e-commerce parcel: from unboxing to returns

An e-commerce parcel does three jobs at once: it protects the product in transit, represents your brand when the customer opens it and is easy to dispose of afterwards. All three can be solved with paper: a corrugated cardboard box that fits the product, Orbiform® for the void, SafePak® for fragile items and Protack® kraft paper tape for sealing.

1. Choose the box to suit the product

An oversized box means more fill and a higher shipping volume. Size the box to leave room for wrapping and fill around the product on every side. For light products, a thin flute gives good print quality; we compared the flute types in this guide.

2. Wrap the fragile item

Wrap products such as glass, ceramics and cosmetics with SafePak®; for the number of layers, see the grammage and layers guide. Wrapping keeps the product from touching the box wall.

3. Fill the void

The product must not move in the box. For high-volume shipments Orbiform® is fast and looks tidy; for heavy and irregular products RollPad® holds the product more firmly. You can find a comparison of the two in the void fill guide.

4. Seal with kraft paper tape

Seal the flap seam with a single strip of Protack®; printed tape carries your brand on the outside of the box and the pack stays single-material.

5. Design the unboxing

The first thing a customer sees on opening the box is the fill. Neatly placed paper makes a better impression than loose shreds. Put the receipt and note on top of the fill and the product in the centre.

Returns and damage

Record damage returns by product and box size; repeated damage is often caused by box size or incomplete wrapping. For return shipments, choose kraft paper tape, which leaves the box intact so the customer can reuse it.