30 Apr 2024
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Did You Know Environmental Conditions Can Affect Your Packaging?

Have you ever wondered why sometimes your package arrives looking a little worse for wear? Well, it might just be because of the environment it traveled through. That’s right – environmental conditions can have a big impact on your packaging. These factors can vary a lot depending on where your package is being shipped to and from.

Receiving or sending packaged goods damaged by environmental conditions can have a major impact on your bottom line. Environmental conditions can affect packaging by things such as rain, sunlight, and winds if not protected. It’s important to understand the ways your packages can be damaged and the steps you can take to prevent damage.

SUNLIGHT, HUMIDITY, AND HEAT DAMAGE

Your packages can be exposed to sunlight, humidity, and heat damage in transit depending on your shipping route. Extreme temperatures, especially in uncontrolled environments like cargo holds, can affect the integrity of packaging materials and the stability of contents.

Sun damage occurs when your packages have been exposed to too much sunlight and can affect the appearance of your packages. Sunlight exposure can leave your packages whitewashed, making them harder to read. Humidity can weaken packaging materials like cardboard and paper, leading to tears and breaks. It also creates ideal conditions for mold and mildew growth. Labels may smudge or peel off, and perishable items can spoil faster. Heat damage can also negatively affect your packages, especially depending on the type of product that you are shipping. Understanding the effects of heat damage is especially important if you are transporting food or liquids. With heat damage, foods, and liquids can go bad quickly. Products with paints and plastics can also melt under extreme heat.

WATER DAMAGE

Water damage can also be unfortunately common in the transit process. Your packages can receive water damage for many different reasons, some of which can easily be in your control. The most obvious way your packages can receive water damage is by rain, which can seep through to your packages if shipping containers aren’t sealed properly.

Contrary to popular belief, rain isn’t the most common form of water damage to packages. Container rain, also known as container sweat, is one of the most common forms of water damage to imported goods. Container rain happens when water accumulates on the coldest parts inside the freight container, falls, and spreads throughout the container. This can happen as often as every 24 hours during the package’s journey.

ALTITUDE

Believe it or not, altitude can also affect your packaging. When your package is traveling through different altitudes, especially during air transport, it’s subjected to changes in air pressure. As altitude increases, the air pressure decreases. This change in pressure can have several effects on your packaging:

1. Expansion and Contraction: Sealed packages, especially those containing air or other gases, can expand or contract as they move to higher altitudes. This is because the pressure inside the package remains constant while the external pressure decreases. For example, a sealed bag of chips might puff up at higher altitudes due to the decrease in external pressure.
2. Bursting: In extreme cases, the decrease in air pressure at higher altitudes can cause sealed packages to burst open. This is more likely to occur with packages containing liquids or gases that are under pressure. For instance, a bottle of carbonated soda might leak or explode if not properly packaged for air travel.
Seal Integrity: The integrity of seals on packages can be compromised at higher altitudes. Sealed packages like those with adhesive closures or zip-lock bags, may experience leaks or openings due to the difference in pressure between the inside and outside of the package.
Packaging Materials: Certain packaging materials may behave differently at higher altitudes. For example, materials like plastic or rubber may become more pliable, while materials like paper or cardboard may become more rigid.

To mitigate the effects of altitude on packaging, it’s important to use appropriate packaging materials and techniques.

WAYS YOU CAN PREVENT ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE

Millions of containers are shipped across the world every year and 10% of those are discarded due to water damage. This results in millions upon millions of dollars worth of packages being wasted per year. Here are some of the ways you can prevent water damage from happening to your packages:

Ventilating shipping containers – Ventilating your shipping containers results in less condensation within the container allowing the container to breathe and not accumulate moisture
Dehumidifiers – A dehumidifier can help eliminate moisture from the container
Grafotherm – Grafotherm is a non-condensation coating that retains moisture within its structure
Container lining – Container linings help control the temperature of the container, preventing temperature changes that may result in condensation

You should take every step possible to prevent water damage to your packages. This water damage can result in thousands or even millions of dollars worth of damage.

OTHER WAYS YOUR PACKAGES CAN BE AFFECTED

Environmental conditions aren’t the only way your packages can be affected during transit. Your packages can be damaged in transit when trucks bounce over roads or if items fall during transit. Items falling can also result in packages getting lost or getting mixed up with other packages.

Stacking packages in trucks, warehouses, or storage facilities can subject lower packages to excessive weight, leading to compression or crushing of the packaging and its contents. Exposure to moisture, whether from rain, snow, or condensation, can lead to water damage, warping, or deterioration of packaging materials, as well as the contents inside. Rough handling during loading, unloading, and transit can lead to packages being dropped, thrown, or crushed by heavy items. This can cause structural damage, dents, or punctures to the packaging.

Theft is also a very real concern with packages. If your items aren’t properly stretch-wrapped or packaged, thieves can easily access your packages and take whatever their heart desires. Stretch wrapping is a great way to prevent your packages from falling victim to thieves while in transit.

WESTERN PACKAGING CAN PROTECT YOUR PACKAGES

To minimize the risk of damage during shipping, it’s important to use sturdy packaging materials, provide adequate cushioning for fragile items, secure packages tightly, and label them appropriately to indicate special handling instructions.

Western Packaging offers products that can help you protect your packages while they are in transit. We offer items such as stretch film, bulk bags, and straps that can help keep your packages safe. Don’t let environmental conditions affect your packaging! You can take steps to make sure your items arrive safe and sound. Your recipient will thank you for it!

29 Aug 2020
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Why You Should Take The Minimalistic Approach To Packaging Materials

When shipping packages, it’s important to make sure that the contents are properly packaged to ensure they make it safely to their destination. Western Packaging offers many different solutions so your package will be properly taken care of. By using simple packaging materials such as biodegradable paper, you can use a minimalistic mindset while being eco-conscious. There are many benefits to taking a minimalistic approach to packaging materials. Here are some of them:

Save Time

When you’ve got a package to ship, time is of the essence to get the package ready. Minimalist packaging materials can help you save time because you don’t have to search everywhere for the proper supplies. If you’re shipping large packages, animal feed, grains, or even fertilizer, we offer a wide variety of products to help you save time from looking for the right product. When you’ve got the proper materials, shipping is easy because you can correctly protect the items being shipped. Don’t waste time looking all over to find shipping materials that are right for your items when we’ve got them all in one place.

The Right Products for Your Needs

Having the right products for your needs is important when you’ve adopted a minimalist approach to shipping. By using the correct items, you don’t have to worry about spending any more time searching for what you need. Keeping everything in stock is your only concern when you’ve already figured out exactly what you need.

Eco-Conscious Paper Bags

Multi-wall paper bags are excellent for containing many products, and with many options, we’ve got a bag that will serve your needs. By adopting a minimalist approach to packaging materials, these paper bags are biodegradable so you don’t have to worry about them lasting forever in the landfill. With a pinched bottom and open mouth, they are heavy-duty and will stand up to shipping and storage as well. Some of the bags are able to be filled through an automatic process, and with the self-closing feature, they are very easy to use. Hot glue tape and heat-sealable options for closing the bags provide some choices for how you want to close the bags.

Simplify Your Process

When you’re using the right products to ship items, you simplify the process, making it more minimalist. Having the correct products to ship items saves you time and money. You don’t have to hire extra employees or spend more time looking for shipping supplies when you’ve got the process down to a science. When you know you’ve got everything on hand, you can fulfill orders quickly and easily. Simply find what product you need to ship, grab your packaging supplies, package it up, and send it! It couldn’t get any easier.

Save Money

When you’re running a business, it’s important to be budget-conscious, and by using a minimalist approach you’ll not only help save money, but you’ll save time and frustration as well. When you’ve streamlined your shipping products and process, you’ll save money by not having to try many different products to achieve the results you need. You won’t have to pay employees to try to figure out the best way to ship items because you’ve got the process down pat. We understand the issues our customers face every day, and we work hard to help eliminate them.

Our Products Have you Covered

No matter what you’re shipping, we have supplies to meet your needs. Don’t keep searching for the perfect supplies when we’ve already got them! Use or website to order or give us a call today. Our employees are ready and waiting to assist you!

30 Apr 2020
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What is Stretch Film Wrapping Used For

Stretch film wrapping can be a lifesaver regardless of the industry you work in. When your number one goal is to keep your good protected and safe in the most secure way possible, stretch film wrapping should be your go-to option. Here are some reasons our customers at Western Packaging choose stretch film wrapping for their business.

1. Protect your Product

As a business, you’re only as good as the quality of your product. That is why protecting your product should be your number one priority. Stretch wrapping helps reduce the chances that your products get damaged in the box during transit.

Stretch wrapping can also help protect your goods from water damage, pest damage, and other destructive possibilities. This is a good option for any business that has to store their goods in a warehouse or storage facility that is not climate controlled. You owe it to yourself, your customers, and your business to protect your goods from potential damage!

2. Wrapping Irregularly Shaped Items

Let’s face it, trying to wrap or package irregularly shaped items can be the worst part of the job. These weirdly shaped products need just as much protection as normal products. Stretch wrapping is a great way to protect these items.

This is because stretch wrapping molds to the shape of whatever you are wrapping so you don’t have to worry about finding a box that fits weirdly shaped items. Every square inch is wrapped by a machine to ensure your product is covered and protected.

3. Save Space

Other methods of wrapping and storage can take up loads of space in your factory or storage facility. Using stretch wrapping on certain items may reduce the needs for boxes. As you know, boxes can take up a load of unnecessary space.

Stretch wrapping forces the air out, basically vacuum sealing the product. If one of your main goals is to find a wrapping method that can help you create space, stretch wrapping should be your go-to option.

4. Saves Time

Stretch wrapping is a much more efficient and easy method than other wrapping methods. This is because the stretch film is wrapped with a high-tech floor-mounted wrapping system that provides the perfect wrap each time. Hand wrapping can be inefficient and leaves room for human error.

Stretch wrapping can help save you and your company time, manpower, and effort. This leaves you the ability to work on other things that matter more. Your companies long-term productivity is sure to increase when you choose stretch-wrapping.

5. Saves Your Company Money

Stretch film wrapping can help save your company money in the long run. When you are using less packaging, save storage space, and decrease manpower, your company becomes more efficient. This means your bottom line increases.

As mentioned earlier, as a company, you’re only as good as your product. If you protect your product with stretch wrapping, you are practically guaranteeing that your product is also secured and will reach its final destination intact and in perfect condition. Stretch wrapping is one of the best ways to increase efficiency and your bottom line.

Our team here at Western Packaging can help you equip your business with stretch film and wrapping machines. We also offer a wide range of other packaging products and services. Reach out to us today to find out how we can make your business more efficient.