Switching from plastic bubble wrap to paper: a step-by-step guide

Switching from plastic bubble wrap to paper packaging means grouping products by protection need, testing the right paper solution with samples and adapting the packing line accordingly. Done properly, protection is maintained, the whole pack becomes paper and the recipient can recycle it in a single stream.

Why switch to paper?

Plastic bubble wrap is a good protective material; the problem is what happens after use. When the carton is paper and the filling is plastic, the recipient has to separate the two. Paper-based protective packaging, by contrast, goes into the paper waste stream together with the carton.

1. Group your products by protection need

Not every product needs the same protection. Dividing what you ship into three groups makes it easier to choose the right material:

• Products that need wrapping: fragile, scratch-sensitive items such as glass, ceramics and cosmetic bottles. Here SafePak® paper bubble wrap is the direct replacement for plastic bubble wrap.
• Products that move inside the box: items smaller than the box. The gap is filled with RollPad® protective void fill paper or Orbiform® void fill paper.
• Products shipped on pallets: heavy, stacked loads. Cardboard edge protectors protect the edges.

2. Run a real shipping test with samples

Instead of deciding at a desk, pack your three most-shipped products with sample paper and send them with a real courier. Check whether the product moves in the box, whether the corners are crushed and how the unboxing looks. If necessary, increase the amount of paper or the number of wrapping layers.

3. Adapt the packing line

SafePak® and RollPad® need no machinery; they sit on the packing bench as sheets or rolls. The self-gripping paper texture reduces the need for tape and scissors. On busy lines, packing time depends on keeping the paper close to the bench, within one-handed reach.

4. Recalculate storage space

Paper sheets are stacked flat in cartons. On Biyopak's own calculation assumptions, for the same usable length, 64 cartons of SafePak® replace roughly 230 rolls of standard plastic bubble wrap and save an average of 37.17 m² of storage space. Multiply by your own storage cost per unit to estimate the monthly saving.

5. Seal the carton with paper too

If the fill is paper but the carton is closed with plastic tape, the pack is still mixed-material. With Protack® kraft paper tape and a corrugated cardboard box, the whole pack is paper.