What can't be sent by post? Batteries, liquids and aerosols at a glance
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
Aerosol cans, lighters, and loose lithium batteries are not allowed in the mail. What is allowed, and how do you pack liquids and devices so they arrive intact and dry?
A customer orders a set of bottles, you put them in a box, tape it up, and drop it off at the parcel point. Two days later, the customer calls: the box arrived with a wet bottom and a smell that you can't get out of cardboard. Or worse: the shipment was intercepted along the way because it contained something that wasn't allowed. The latter happens more often than you think, and usually not out of malice. Anyone who puts an aerosol can, a lighter, or a device with a battery in a package often simply doesn't know that there are rules for it.
Below, we list which categories require attention, what is and isn't allowed according to the carrier, and especially: how to pack what you ARE allowed to send. Because most problems don't arise with the rules, but with the box.
What PostNL itself lists as prohibited or restricted
PostNL publishes an overview of goods and substances that you are not allowed to send. This includes explosives (ammunition, fireworks, weapons), compressed gas (aerosol cans, gas cartridges, lighters), flammable liquids such as gasoline and spirits, flammable solids such as matches, oxidizing substances (including hair dye and bleach), toxic and infectious substances, radioactive material, corrosive substances such as cleaning fluids and battery acid, and other dangerous goods — magnets are explicitly mentioned. Live animals are also not allowed. According to PostNL, the sender is responsible for the contents of the shipment.
That's a longer list than most sellers have in mind. Two categories surprise almost everyone: lighters (compressed gas) and hair dye (oxidizing substance). If you sell such items, check with your carrier in advance what is possible in your situation, instead of packing it on a whim. The full list can be found on PostNL's prohibited goods and substances page.
Batteries: the difference between loose and in a device
Lithium batteries have their own shipping conditions. PostNL states, among other things, that loose batteries or cells may not be sent by post, that a maximum of 4 cells or 2 batteries per device per shipment are allowed, and that the lithium content may not exceed 2 grams or 100 Wh per battery (1 gram or 20 Wh per cell). Used, damaged, or defective batteries are not allowed. Furthermore, devices with batteries may not be packaged with liquids, gels, or gases in the same package.
Regarding packaging, PostNL requires a rigid outer packaging in which the device is secured in the inner packaging, so there is no risk of overheating or short circuits. In practice, this means: the device is turned off, buttons cannot be pressed, and nothing shifts in the box. A Cardboard Shipping Box 15x15x15 cm (€ 1.99) with bubble wrap around it is often just right for a small device. Always check the current conditions on the lithium shipping conditions page, as these may vary per destination and shipping product.
Liquids: bottle first, then box
Non-hazardous liquids — such as cosmetics, sauces, soap — can usually be sent without issues. The risk lies in the seal. A cap that stays perfectly closed on the shelf can leak due to pressure differences and vibrations in a sorting center. Three measures that together eliminate almost all hassle:
Don't fill to the brim. Leave some air in the bottle so that expansion doesn't immediately press against the cap.
Seal the cap. A strip of tape over the cap, or shrink wrap or sealing film over it.
Pack the liquid separately from the rest. A sealed bag around the bottle, then only with other items in the box. If it still leaks, the damage is limited to that bag.
If you fill bottles yourself, it's easier to work with uniform bottles: Empty Bottles 100 ml - 16 pieces (€ 19.95) give you one box size and one filling quantity to calculate with. For sealing bags and film, a Manual Heat Sealing Machine (€ 79.95) is an investment that only pays for itself with volume — feel free to start with tape.
The packaging that makes the difference
For everything fragile or liquid, the same order applies: protection around the product, filling against the walls, and a seal that shows if someone has opened the box.
If you're sending something that you want to be able to prove arrived unopened, VOID Security Seal Stickers - 60 pieces (€ 9.95) can help. They leave a visible trace as soon as someone removes them — handy for discussions about returns and for valuable shipments.
What to put on the package
When in doubt, do not put any indication on the box that reveals the contents if it is something fragile or valuable. What is useful: a clear address label that is not covered by tape, and a second address card INSIDE the box. If the label comes off, the shipment can still be delivered instead of ending up on the pile of undeliverable items.
A quick checklist before dropping off
Does it contain gas, flammables, corrosives, or a loose battery? Then the package will not be accepted — find an alternative or a specialized carrier.
Does it contain a device with a battery? Device off, securely fastened, not with liquids in the same packaging.
Liquid included? Cap taped, in a separate bag, not filled to the brim.
Can anything shift if you shake the box? Then there's not enough padding.
Is the box sealed so tightly that the seams don't open? H-method: middle seam plus both side seams.
If you mainly send small items, the size will also save you money. A Recycled Letterbox Box A5+ - Bundle 100 pieces (€ 24.00) comes down to € 0.24 per box and fits the letterbox rate, provided your product truly stays within that height.
In short
The rules are not complicated, but they are specific. Aerosol cans, lighters, loose lithium batteries, and aggressive cleaning agents do not belong in a package. Almost everything else is allowed, provided your packaging can handle it. And because the carrier occasionally adjusts its terms, the source is always leading: before a large shipment, check your carrier's website instead of relying on what applied last year.
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