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There are several materials that can be used as a packing material for shipping packages. Some of the most common materials include: Packing peanuts, air-filled bags, bubble wrap, and Styrofoam.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these items, you can check local retail stores. If you are a business, then you can save money by finding local suppliers that can provide these items at a lower price. Of course, any of these items can be great for shipping, but if you do not already have these items, they can be an extra (and unnecessary) expense. So how can you package an item securely for free?

Free Packing Materials

One way to get “free” packaging material is to simply collect newspapers, local trade papers, and any unwanted magazines. Rather than throwing these items away, you can save them for later shipping use. Most stores will have classified papers, real estate magazines, etc. for free. I always grab one when I am out, read it (and sometimes buy items from them), and then I will store them for shipping use. They are a great way to protect packages from damage.

Another great source of “free” packing materials are those pesky plastic bags you get from the local retail/grocery store. Over time, these bags can start to pile up. Instead of throwing them away, store them and use them as a packaging material for shipping. Not only are they “free,” but they are lightweight which could reduce you shipping expense.

Now that you know about what packing materials to use, what about printing shipping labels online? Click below to find out.

How to Print Shipping Labels

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Another great way to save money is to re-use boxes you may have received, and also to “make your own.”

How to Reuse a Box

When a box is in great condition with no major designs or colors on it, you can easily re-use it for shipping packages. Just make sure that remove or mark out any logos or barcodes. Then simply re-tape the box and it is ready to go.

Tips on How to Make a Shipping Box

 If the box does contain significant colors or designs, then you can do 1 of 2 things: Either wrap the box in a brown wrapping paper, or flip it inside out & tape it up.

Of course it costs money for the brown wrapping paper, so I would recommend simply flipping it inside out. This is a great way to save money on shipping & you can use just about any kind of box–a cereal box, a snack box, shoe box, etc. Just follow the basic steps below to quickly flip any box and use for shipping:

Oatmeal Box

Here is a basic, thin box that used to contain packets of oatmeal. To flip it, look inside & you will see a seam or flap where the box is glued together. Simply pull along the seam until it is separated from the box and the box is flat.

Oatmeal Box after being flattened

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Then simply turn the box inside out, and fold the seam or “flap” (that you used to pull the box apart) over and tape it securely on the outside (brown part) of the box. This will give the box it’s square structure again. Then insert the item you want to ship, pack it tightly, fold over the flaps at the top & bottom, secure it with tape, and you are ready to ship your package.

The finished product

Again, this is a great way to “recycle” boxes for shipping purposes. Also, here is another tip. If you are ever re-using a heavy box and you need to cut it down smaller, just use scissors or a box cutter to cut away any excess material.

Then use the box cutter or scissors to make a light cut down the inside of the box where you would like to fold it, then it will bend to form a nice crease.

Now that you know how to re-use boxes, what packing materials should you use & where can you get them?

Also, how do you print out a shipping label from home? Learn more below:

Where to Get Packing Materials

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