How long does your packaging material last? Tape, film, cardboard, and seals
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
Tape that no longer sticks, cardboard that feels flimsy, and seals that fall off the sheet. Packaging materials don't have an expiration date, but they do deteriorate. Here's what goes wrong with each material and how to prevent it.
You grab a roll of tape from the cupboard where it's been since last autumn, pull a strip across a box, and watch it peel up on one side. Or you take a stack of boxes from the attic and notice the cardboard feels flimsy and the flaps no longer close tightly. Packaging material doesn't have an expiration date on the package, but it does deteriorate. Why this happens and what you can do about it varies by material.
Tape: Cold and Dust are the Problem, Not Time
An unopened roll of packaging tape can last for years. What spoils its adhesion are two things: temperature and dust on the adhesive layer.
A roll that has been stored in a cold shed or an unheated warehouse will stick noticeably worse to cardboard. Let such a roll come to room temperature indoors for a few hours before using it; this often makes the difference between a strip that sticks and one that peels at the corners. An opened roll lying loose in a bin will collect dust and cardboard fibers on the side of the adhesive layer. It's best to discard the first two rotations.
Practically, this means: buy tape in the quantity you'll use within a season, and store opened rolls on a dispenser or in a closed box. For a small volume, KINZO packaging tape of 50 meters x 48 mm (€3.00) per roll is sufficient. If you ship daily, 6 rolls of 48x66 mm for €21.00 is a logical step, and only for real volume do you opt for a box with 36 tape rolls of 48x66 mm for €108.00. Only order the latter if you will use it within a year and can store it in a dry place.
Cardboard: It's All About Moisture
Cardboard is the material that fares worst with poor storage. Corrugated cardboard derives its strength from the wave between the two flat layers. If it absorbs moisture — from a concrete floor, from a damp cellar, from condensation against an outer wall — that wave collapses and does not return when the cardboard dries. The cardboard may still look normal, but it will buckle under weight.
Three concrete actions you can take:
Never directly on the floor. Place a pallet, a board, or even an inverted box under your stack.
Not against an outer wall. Half a meter of distance from a cold wall prevents condensation on the back of your stack.
Flat and in order. Storing unfolded boxes flat prevents deformation; use the oldest stock first.
Bubble wrap loses air if the bubbles are under pressure for a long time or exposed to sunlight. A roll that has been at the bottom of a stack will be flatter on that side and offer less protection there. Therefore, store rolls upright or hang them, and don't place anything on top of them.
A bubble wrap roll of 500 mm x 500 m (€12.95) is a supply for months; it deserves a permanent spot where it can unroll. If you work with smaller quantities, a roll of bubble wrap of 50 x 500 cm (€5.00) is more manageable, and you'll encounter the problem of flattened rolls less quickly.
With padded envelopes, you primarily look at the sealing strip. It sits under a protective strip and remains good for a long time underneath it, but becomes less reliable if the envelope has been exposed to heat. A metallic bubble wrap envelope of 33 x 23 cm costs €0.80 each; it's better to order twice a year than a large batch once. This also applies to a beige A4 envelope with adhesive strip of 262x371 mm (5 pieces, €2.00).
Self-Adhesive Seals and Stickers
Seals and stickers are most sensitive to poor storage because they are thin and come on a backing sheet or roll. Heat causes the glue to run to the edges, making sheets stick together; moisture causes the paper to ripple, causing them to come off the sheet crookedly. Store them flat, in the box they came in, out of the sun.
VOID security seal stickers in a set of 60 (€9.95) are especially sensitive to this: their effectiveness depends on the adhesive layer, so a sheet that has already half come loose will no longer do what you want. Test one from an old sheet before sealing an entire shipment with them.
Doubtful Cases: When Can They Still Be Used?
Material
Still fine for
No longer for
Dull or yellowed tape
Internal bundling, sealing boxes for storage
Over a shipping label
Cardboard that has been exposed to moisture
Storing light items, cutting void fill
Heavier shipments and stackable packages
Flattened bubble wrap
Filling empty space
Protecting fragile items
Envelopes with a weak sealing strip
Nothing — unless you tape it extra securely
Shipments you don't want to send again
What is no longer suitable for shipping is usually still perfectly fine for storage. Cardboard you genuinely discard goes flat with the paper recycling; foil belongs with plastic waste. If you want to airtightly seal bags and pouches yourself instead of taping them, a manual heat sealer machine (€79.95) is an investment that will further reduce your material consumption.
A Stock That Lasts
The shortest summary: buy what you will use within six months to a year, store it dry and off the floor, and use the oldest first. A neat stack of white cardboard shipping boxes of 15x15x15 cm (€1.99) on a pallet will last for years; the same boxes loose in a damp garage are worth less than what you paid for them after one winter.
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