Types of Protective Packaging

Protective wrapping may not be as simple as it looks, different items need different types of protective packaging in order to protect them in the optimum way. The most common type of protective wrapping is bubble wrap which is a great all-rounder when it comes to wrapping items, but there are many more different wrapping materials that you could consider. Here’s a few to give you some ideas:

• Double Laminated Bubble Wrap - The heavy duty bubble wrap for wrapping heavy items that need a stronger bubble wrap.
• Protective Foam Wrap - A strong foam sheet on a roll for wrapping heavier products.
• Corrugated Cardboard Rolls - A more rigid wrapping material that will help prevent products from creasing.
• Protective Net Sleeving - A strong netting product that is oil resistant and often used for protecting small metal products.
• Bubble Bags - Bubble wrap made into a bag, a fast and easy method of bubble wrapping.
• Self-Adhesive Corrugated Paper - Corrugated paper with a latex layer that only sticks to itself, popular for packing books and samples.
• Polystyrene Sheets - Thick polystyrene sheets are used for block and bracing and very heavy products needing extra protection.
• Plastic Corrugated Sheets - Often used as a durable protective layer in damp or high abrasion areas.

Eco Friendly Protective Packaging

There are a range of eco friendly protective packaging solutions available, they can either be biodegradable, recyclable, or contain recycled materials. With protective packaging being one of the highest single use packaging items ending up as waste it is important that you consider eco friendly alternatives to protective packaging. In recent years there has been developments in many areas of eco friendly protective packaging and we now have bubble wrap with recycled content, paper bubble wrap, paper honeycomb wrap, amongst others. Foam and bubble wrap continue to be very difficult to recycle as they are resistant to baling and need to be melted down to transport efficiently. That said there are a number of recent breakthroughs and no doubt progress will continue to be made on this front.

Protective Foam Packaging

Protective foam packaging is an LDPE plastic material that has been foamed with thousands of tiny bubbles. This produces a very strong cushioning product with a cellular closed cell structure. This closed cell structure means foam packaging can support much higher weights and impact pressures than other protective packaging so ideal for heavy items and export industries. Protective foam packaging continues to be one of the strongest and most durable packaging products available, and is used across many industries.

Airfil Protective Packaging

Airfil protective packaging is a type of air pillow packaging where small bags of air are blown up to produce pillows that can be used to fill voids and wrap products. Airfil is a very cost effective method of packaging as a large proportion of the packaging is air blown into the pillows and sealed with an automatic machine. Although airfil protective packaging is manufactured from plastic it is fully recyclable and easy to deflate and add to a recycling bin by allowing the air to escape.