Buy eComFill™ Paper Void Fill Online
If you're still using bubble wrap or foam peanuts to fill space in your parcels, it's worth knowing there's a faster, cheaper, and more recyclable alternative that most ecommerce businesses haven't tried yet.
Paper void fill has been around for a long time in large fulfilment operations, but the traditional route — a machine that crumples paper into cushioning pads — requires a significant upfront investment and takes up bench space. eComFill™ changes that. Here's how it works and when it makes sense to switch.
What is paper void fill?
Void fill is any material used to fill empty space inside a box — the gap between the product and the box walls that would otherwise let the contents shift and bang around in transit.
The traditional options are bubble wrap (cut from a roll or pre-cut sheets), foam peanuts (polystyrene loose fill), and air cushions (inflated plastic pillows). All three work, but they share some limitations: they're bulky to store, slow to apply, difficult to recycle, and increasingly off-putting to customers who'd rather see a parcel arrive without a bag of plastic waste inside.
Paper void fill solves most of these problems. It's made from recycled paper, it can go straight into the household recycling bin, and it's faster to use than pre-cutting bubble wrap or scooping peanuts. When crumpled lightly, it forms an effective cushion that grips the product and prevents movement without adding significant weight to the parcel.
How eComFill™ works
eComFill™ is a centrefeed paper roll housed in a simple dispenser box. Pull the paper from the centre of the roll, tear off what you need, scrunch it loosely, and place it around the product. No machine, no power supply, no setup required.
The dispenser box sits on or beside the packing bench and takes up roughly the same footprint as a shoebox. When the roll is empty, the box goes in the recycling and you replace it with a new one.
That's genuinely it. For operations that have been running bubble wrap from a roll — cutting it with scissors or a dispenser, wrapping individual products, tearing off lengths for void fill — switching to eComFill™ typically saves 10–20 seconds per pack. On 300 orders a day, that's close to an hour of packing time recovered.
When to use paper void fill
Paper void fill works well in a specific set of situations. It's worth knowing where it performs best and where other options might serve you better.
Good for:
- Filling space in standard ecommerce boxes where the product is too small for the box dimensions
- Providing light cushioning for non-fragile products — gifts, clothing, accessories, homeware
- Operations that want to remove plastic from their packaging completely
- Peak periods when you need to quickly add packing capacity without extra equipment
- Businesses whose customers are particularly eco-conscious — paper void fill is visibly recyclable in a way that plastic isn't
Less suited to:
- Heavily fragile products that need consistent, measured cushioning — for these, foam inserts or air cushion packaging may be more reliable
- Very high-speed operations where a void fill machine (which automates the crumpling process) would be faster
- Products with sharp edges or points that might tear the paper rather than compress it
How it compares to the alternatives
| eComFill™ Paper Void Fill | Bubble Wrap | Air Cushions | Foam Peanuts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recyclable | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| No machine needed | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ Requires inflator | ✅ Yes |
| Storage footprint | ✅ Small | ❌ Bulky rolls | ✅ Small (flat) | ❌ Very bulky |
| Speed | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast | ⭐⭐⭐ Moderate | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast | ⭐⭐ Slow/messy |
| Customer perception | ✅ Positive | ⚠️ Neutral | ⚠️ Neutral | ❌ Negative |
The customer perception row matters more than many businesses realise. Unboxing experience affects reviews and repeat purchase rates, and arriving in a parcel full of polystyrene peanuts is increasingly a negative signal. Paper void fill reads as considered and sustainable — which aligns with how most ecommerce brands want to be perceived.
Peak periods: why eComFill™ works well at volume
The machine-free setup is a significant advantage during Black Friday, Christmas, and other peak periods when you need to scale your packing capacity at short notice.
Adding a new packing bench means buying or moving equipment, running power, and training someone on the machine. With eComFill™, adding a new packing station means putting a dispenser box on a table. There's nothing to configure, no consumables to order separately, and no learning curve.
The same logic applies to temporary staff. A void fill machine takes a few minutes to learn. Pulling paper from a box and scrunching it takes about five seconds to explain.
What's in the box
eComFill™ comes as a 375mm wide, 300m long centrefeed paper roll in a self-contained dispenser box. The 375mm width is enough to cover most standard box footprints without needing to layer multiple pieces, and 300m goes a long way even on a busy packing bench.
Browse and buy eComFill™ paper void fill directly from our site, or take a look at our full paper void fill range if you'd like to compare options.
Not sure if it's right for your operation?
We're happy to talk through what you're currently using and whether paper void fill makes sense as a swap. In some cases the answer is yes straightaway; in others, a combination of formats works better.
Call us on 02476 611234 or get in touch online — we've been helping businesses work out their protective packaging setups for over 20 years.
Related products: eComFill™ Paper Void Fill | All Paper Void Fill | Bubble Wrap | Air Cushion Packaging | All Void Fill