By Sam Smith
September 21st 2021
Whether you’re packing up shop, moving house, sending items to customers, or placing all your things into storage while you set out on a great adventure, you need to make sure you have everything wrapped up safely and in style.
As a leading eco-friendly packaging company, Smith Packaging offers everything from cardboard boxes to tapes and wraps, mail bags, packaging labels, protective packaging and void fill. One of the stars of the show? Packing peanuts.
What are Packing Peanuts?
Packing peanuts are a name for the traditional foam peanuts that are commonly found packing out cardboard boxes when something has been shipped. Packing peanuts come with big protective powers, which is why they are used so often in shipping and packaging. They fill the void between your goods and the rest of the space in the box, essentially providing a cushion so that your items don’t get damaged.
The Pros of Packing Peanuts
There are many pros to choosing packing peanuts – they are a low cost solution, they offer more versatility than bubble wrap as you can completely submerge an item, and they can be used for virtually any size parcel without having to go down the route of finding different sized cardboard boxes to house them. They can also help to insulate an item – making it less susceptible to fluctuating temperatures.
The Cons of Packing Peanuts
Packing peanuts can get a bad wrap (pardon the pun) as they were once considered to be too wasteful and because they can spill out of the packaging when opened. But the world has come a long way and now there are eco-friendly packaging peanuts that are 100% biodegradable (this is the type we sell at Smith Packaging).
What are Biodegradable Packing Peanuts?
Foam packing peanuts can take hundreds of years to decompose making eco-conscious minded businesses and individuals unsure about using them. Fortunately, green biodegradable packing peanuts are finally here. These earth-friendly packing peanuts are normally made from plant based starches, meaning that they can dissolve without a trace or can be added to your compost pile without the worry of adding to the world’s landfills.
How to Use Packing Peanuts
So how do you use packing peanuts and how do they work? Packing peanuts are a great packing solution if you’re looking for a low-cost and flexible way to protect their goods. They can be used for anything from electrical items to ornaments, paintings, and other delicate things that you want cushioned. They are spongy and they fill in the gaps, meaning your item is less likely to bang around and suffer damage. You simply pour the packing peanuts into a cardboard box and submerge your item.
How to Dispose of Packing Peanuts
As mentioned above, if you buy packing peanuts that are fully biodegradable and compostable then there are no worries about what to do with them. You can add them to your compost or dissolve them in your own home. As they disintegrate quickly with moisture and warmth, there’s little chance of these peanuts making their way into our oceans and lakes and adding to the earth’s pollution problem.
That doesn’t mean you need to throw out your packing peanuts. If you have a way to store them, they are totally reusable whenever you need to pack or send anything in the future. You can also use packing peanuts in a number of creative ways. Here are a few ways in which your packing peanuts can come in handy:
- To stuff bean bags, toys, and chairs
- As an added insulator for your cool box
- To fill the bottom of planters
- In arts and crafts projects with the kids
The Best Packing Peanuts UK
Smith Packaging offers fully biodegradable packing peanuts that are a great sustainable alternative to polystyrene. You can buy various sizes and they come packed into a perfectly reusable box giving you even more packaging for your pennies. Lightweight, low cost, and UK manufactured, these packing peanuts are the perfect solution for keeping your precious items safe and sound.
