Shipping in the wet season: how to ensure your package arrives dry and intact
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
From September onwards, parcels are more frequently exposed to rain and spend longer in cold delivery vans. Read here about cardboard moisture, tape that doesn't stick, and which packaging you should choose in the wet season.
A box that arrived perfectly in June might arrive in November with soggy corners and an open flap. This is rarely due to rough handling. It's due to moisture: cardboard that absorbs moisture loses strength, and tape applied to a cold or damp box simply doesn't adhere as well. From the end of September, the environment your package travels in changes, and your packaging should adapt accordingly.
Below, you'll find what typically goes wrong and what you can do about it, without having to overhaul your entire packaging line.
Why cardboard reacts differently in autumn
Corrugated cardboard is paper with air in between. These air channels give it its strength. If the cardboard absorbs moisture, the fibers swell and that structure collapses. You'll notice it by soft edges, a lid that no longer closes tightly, and stacks that sag.
Moisture rarely comes from a single downpour. More often, it's a combination: a package briefly left outside, a cold loading area where condensation forms, and a box that then sits in a warm hall for a few hours. Three small moments are enough to noticeably weaken the cardboard.
Practically, this means two things. Firstly, the shorter your box is in the chain, the less chance of moisture — a letterbox shipment that goes directly through the mailbox doesn't wait anywhere. Secondly, close your box so that a little water doesn't immediately seep in.
Opt for letterbox format more often
Anything flat enough is better off as a letterbox shipment in autumn. The recycled letterbox boxes are available in two sizes, each 28 mm high:
Measure your product carefully once, and you'll immediately know which of the two fits. If your item is just over 28 mm, see if you can position or fold it differently before reaching for a parcel box.
Tape: where it goes wrong in the cold
The adhesive layer of packaging tape needs to bond with the cardboard. On a cold or moist surface, this happens more slowly and sometimes not completely. The result only becomes apparent later: a seam that reopens after a day on the conveyor belt.
Three things help:
Apply at room temperature. Store your boxes and tape indoors, not in a cold shed or garage. A box you've just brought in from outside is damp, even if you don't see it.
Press the tape down. Firmly go over it with your hand or the edge of the dispenser. Don't just lay it down, rub it on.
Close in an H-shape. One strip over the central seam and one strip over each short side seam. This way, there's no open gap for water to creep in via capillary action.
The box doesn't have to be waterproof — your product needs to stay dry. That's an easier problem. Wrap sensitive items in a layer of film before they go into the box. This also provides shock absorption.
For small, flat items, you can skip the box. A bubble envelope combines an outer layer with built-in cushioning: Metallic Bubble Envelopes 22x17 cm cost € 0.90 each, the larger Metallic Bubble Envelope 33 x 23 cm € 0.80. Be aware with these envelopes: the adhesive strip closes well, but the seams are not a water barrier. If there's something inside that absolutely mustn't get wet, wrap it separately anyway.
Sealing as an extra step
If you ship powders, liquids, or anything that needs to stay both dry and clean, sealing is more reliable than folding closed. A Manual Heat Sealer Machine Blue costs € 79.95 and pays for itself as soon as one leak per month disappears.
Longer lead times, more handling
From late November until after the holidays, more packages are in the network. More packages mean more transfer points and higher stacking. Don't expect your box to remain upright.
Two low-cost adjustments:
Fill the box completely. Empty space means your product will shift and the walls will collapse if something is placed on top. Fill with film or paper until nothing moves when you shake it.
If you also want to be able to see if a package has been opened en route, a seal works better than extra tape. Security Seal Stickers VOID - 60 pieces cost € 9.95 and leave a visible trace as soon as they are pulled off. This saves trouble in a discussion about a return.
A quick autumn check for your packing station
Go through these five points once, and you'll have covered most of it:
Are your boxes and tape stored indoors, at room temperature?
Are you closing in an H-shape, with the tape rubbed down?
Is everything moisture-sensitive or sensitive to moisture in a layer of film?
Is the box size chosen so that nothing rattles?
Does the shipment actually fit in a letterbox box? If so, that's almost always the safest route.
None of these steps takes more than a few seconds per package. With a hundred shipments per month, it will save you a handful of damage cases, and that outweighs a few extra cents of film.
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