Packing with what you have at home: what works and what absolutely doesn't
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
An old box, painter's tape, and some newspapers: sometimes improvising works great, sometimes it leads to damage. Here's what you can and can't do.
You’ve sold something, the buyer wants it quickly, and it’s Sunday evening. In the utility cupboard are an old shoebox, a roll of painter’s tape, and a stack of newspapers. Tempting, because then it will be done tonight. The only question is whether the package will arrive in the same condition.
Improvising with what you have at home can turn out perfectly, but not everything that looks like packaging material also behaves like it. Below, for each component, it’s outlined what works, what you should avoid, and where the line is between being economical and taking risks.
The box: strong enough is different from intact
A cardboard box that looks good isn't automatically suitable. Cardboard loses strength due to moisture and previous use: the flutes inside have already been flattened once. A box that has been in the attic often feels slightly damp; it will collapse during transit.
Works: a sturdy box from a previous order, without tears, without moisture stains, with flaps that still close completely. Remove or cover all old labels and barcodes.
Doesn't work: shoeboxes with a loose lid (which will slide open in the sorting machine), fruit boxes with ventilation holes, frozen food boxes, and anything that smells of food. A box that is too large is also a problem: the more empty space, the more the contents will shift.
This is the biggest pitfall in DIY packaging. Not all tape is designed to keep a box sealed in varying temperatures and during a journey on conveyor belts.
Type of tape
Suitable for packages?
Packaging tape 48 mm (PP or PVC)
Yes, this is what it's made for
Narrow office tape
No, too narrow and not enough adhesive strength
Painter's tape (crepe)
No, it comes off easily; that's its purpose
Duct tape
Holds, but adheres poorly to cardboard and leaves adhesive residue
Void fill has one job: to prevent your product from touching the walls of the box and from shifting. A box with a lot of air and a little bit of paper on top won't do that.
Works: crumpled (clean) wrapping paper, old bubble wrap from a previous order, cardboard dividers you cut yourself. Crumple paper tightly into wads; flat paper doesn't fill anything.
Better not: newspapers directly against textiles, white painted items, or cosmetics – printing ink can transfer. Styrofoam peanuts from old packaging are also inconvenient: they cling due to static electricity, and the recipient will find them around the house for the rest of the week. Damp or musty fill is always a no.
For a book, a piece of clothing, or a set of cards, a box isn't necessary. But a plain paper envelope tears with anything that has a corner, and an bulging envelope will open.
The address label. Handwritten on a rain-soaked box is unreadable. Affix the label flat, without tape across it if there's a barcode underneath, and ensure there's only one label on the box.
The seal for valuable contents. If you want to be able to tell if someone has looked inside the box during transit, use a tamper-evident seal that leaves traces, such as VOID Security Seal Stickers (60 pieces, €9.95). An extra round of tape says nothing.
The quick check before you drop it off
Gently shake the box. Do you hear or feel movement? Add more void fill.
Press on the sides. If the box gives way significantly, it's too weak or too empty.
Check for any old labels, barcodes, or prints still visible.
Verify that the bottom is sealed as well as the top.
Weigh and measure so you choose the correct rate and avoid surprises.
In short: reusing is fine, but only with material that still performs its intended function. A sturdy box from last week is fine; painter's tape, a fruit box, or a handful of newspapers against a mirror are not. And if you ship frequently, a basic stock will pay for itself very quickly.
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