Which can the right Packing Tape: Plastic vs Paper?

Posted by Amos Fred on December 1st, 2018

Picking the right packing materials for your nascent e-commerce business can have a learning curve. E-commerce is arapidly growing economic area, but unless you know how to pack your goods so that they arrive in good order, you’re going to be wasting a lot of money on return freight and damaed merchandise. Additionally, you will lose customers who don’t want all the back and forth over damaged goods. Yes, shipping companies do insure their shipments, but making a claim is an extended process that eats payroll hours better spent on productive activities such as sales, inventory management, and shipping. One of the least understood factors in shipping is also one of the simplest. Picking the right packing tapefor your boxes is a critical part of getting the goods to the customer.

Which Tape is Right?

It all depends on the products that you ship, and the boxes that the goods will ship in. In this article, we will cover the three most common types of packing tape.

• Clear polypropylene tape: This is one of the most popular types of tapes available and there are a variety of dispensers that handle it. When working with this type of tape, choosing the correct thickness is the key criteria. Thin tape can break interior easily, exposing the contents of the package. This type of tape is best for light to medium weight goods under 15 pounds.
• Paper tape: Paper tape requires specialized dispensers that use water to dampen the underside of the tape so that it will stick to the box. These tapes can be used in conjunction with clear cellophane tape to create a very strong support around the box. This type of tape is best for medium to medium-heavy weight goods under 40 pounds.
• Filament tape: This type of tape is the heavy lifting packing tape to use on packages over 40 pounds. It is either heavy polypropylene, fabric, or vinyl that has multiple filaments of fiberglass impregnated in a thick, wide tape. This material requires a specialized dispenser that can do the heavy cutting this tape requires.

You should always choose your boxes were shipping containers carefully and follow the manufacturer’s specifications when it comes to the maximum weight and volume indicated on the underside of the box. Working with double or triple wall corrugated boxes gives your goods a better chance of arriving in good shape. Remember, the heavier the load, the thicker the wall of the box should be.

 When In Doubt

Working with anexperienced packaging materials company can give you a jump on your learning curve. Those with years in the business can recommend everything from boxes and packing tape to processing equipment and specialty packing solutions. Arrange a consultation with the local representative who will look over your goods and assess the needs of your packing and shipping departments. You should be able to get all of your needs met in one single stop from labels to dispensers and packaging equipment. Talk to a local company today and start getting your goods landed and your customers smiling.