How To Get Started In The ECommerce World

There is no doubt that eCommerce is quickly becoming one of the most lucrative and popular forms of business in the last few years. There are several reasons for this - one reason is because the internet is becoming more and more accessible to pretty much everybody. I mean, basically everyone you know has some sort of access to a phone or computer. Even homeless people have phones! Isn’t that crazy? Well, public libraries have free access to computers as well as the internet, so it all kind of makes sense when you think about it. One thing is for sure; pretty much anybody can get onto the internet which means that there are a lot more people buying things online. I definitely do my fair share of ordering things online. One thing that I noticed about myself when it comes to ordering online is that I will spend a lot more money to order products if I do not have to pay for shipping and if the buying process or experience is seamless and easy. The less work I have to do to actually complete the purchase, the more likely I am going to be to spend money. I feel like this mentality is something that has been coming up in the last couple decades or so with the rising popularity of buying things online. ECommerce stores like Amazon (who is the top dog in this business) make it as easy as possible, and they have the revenue to show for it.

Another thing that has made eCommerce so successful in the last few years is the effects of COVID19. Since most people were locked in their homes for an extended period of time, it is true that there was a lot more shopping being done online than pretty much ever before. Some people preferred to order things online before the pandemic started, but since there were so many stores closed to actual in-store shopping, the online world became so much more popular and profitable. I can guarantee you that a lot of eCommerce stores became wildly successful over the course of a few months during 2020, since there was so much more organic website traffic and people browsing different websites online. I can back this up with my own personal experience as well, since I actually spent a lot of time online shopping and ordering products online as well over the course of the summer of 2020.

Another thing that has made eCommerce so popular in recent years is how easy it has become for companies to ship their products. I can imagine that the successes of the internet's popularity would not be possible without the added success of how companies are able to ship products all over the country and all over the world. Various shipping supplies like poly bags and corrugated boxes make it super easy and affordable for companies to be able to ship whatever kind of products they want. However, it is true that some of these shipping supplies are not good for the environment, especially plastic materials like poly bags and other similar items.

Basically, the reason I am writing this article is because I am super interested in the eCommerce industry and starting my own business, since I want to make a lot of money selling random products online. 

 

What is sustainable Packaging

Sustainable packaging is definitely popular and is considered the most popular packaging trend happening. This helps create less of a negative result on our planet and makes people feel good about what they buy. But what is it? How does it get defined? What are the most sustainable packaging material types out there? These are a few of the questions that we get on a regular basis, and here we’ll go over what it is, and what makes this sustainable for you as well. 

What is It? 

This is the type of packaging that produces very little impact directly on the world, and it’s something that does make the least pollution when it’s made, shipped, and when you dispose of it through recycling. 

It’s usually defined through the creation and use of materials that offer really good sustainability, which means that there is better utilization of the cycle and the passements and inventories of the life cycles to guide your implementation to packaging, reducing the negative result of that, and also reducing your ecological footprint too. 

How is something sustainable. 

Not all packaging is sustainable, and this is defined by the material and the environment that it’s made in compared to alternative other kinds of items. This can be complicate das some of the materials can be sustainable, but aren’t as sustainable compared to what’s out there, so it does play a part in the complexities of this. 

Greenwashing is pretty much a marketing ploy where people use green items to persuade customers that their products are sustainable, when in reality they’re not. Greenwashing does result in consumers thinking something is less harmful, but in reality, the opposite happens, and leads to more products being bought, resulting in more accumulations of not earth-friendly kinds of materials, or higher emissions, causing the items to end up in landfills, contributing to pollution of the planet. 

Plastic packaging and sustainability 

Plastic packaging is actually a lot better and is becoming tone of the more sustainable items for the sheer fact that polyethylene and others are totally recyclable, are able to produce less carbon when being made, transported, and recycled, and is slowly becoming one of the more sustainable items. 

Even when compared to cardboard, this is slowly becoming something that people are looking at. Glass for example, is considered sustainable when you look at other types of materials, but actually has one f the highest carbon footprints out there, and these alternative solutions are definitely playing a part. 

Single stream Recycling 

Finally, there is single-stream recycling, which is another major complex part. This is something that pretty much all of the USA does, and the problem is, that everything gets recycled the same way. The problem with that though, is practically everything gets contaminated in this case. If it has liquids, particles of food, glues, and adhesives, or anything else contaminating it, it’ll just get disposed of willy-nilly. 

When you’re looking for sustainability, you definitely want to make sure it’s something that is easy to recycle, as it can be a problem when you look at contaminating other items.  You definitely want to make sure that if it’s going to be recycled, there are easy ways to do it. 

Sustainability is something that a lot of companies are looking at, and with more and more people trying to find some alternatives to this, it’s vital that you make sure that you get the most sustainability possible, and also to make sure that you get the right type of recycling for the item, so that customers do it, and are happy.

How to move for cheap.

When it is time to move there is the shock of how expensive it can be and always the hassle of trying to find boxes for cheap. There are a number of companies that offer cheap moving boxes. Often times you can ask the neighboring companies in your city for their leftover and unwanted boxes. Most of the time they will give you some but it is not set in stone that they will. If you live a minimalist life odds are you will not need as many as most people. There can be some advantages to being a minimalist I guess. 

Trying to find affordable boxes can be tough but it is always a good idea to check with the nearby companies to see if they have any leftover or unwanted boxes. Speaking from experience, I was fortunate enough to get all the boxes I could ever want from my neighborhood Target. I found a worker stocking the shelves and kindly asked if they had any boxes they could part with. With a warm smile on her face, she told me she needed to speak to her manager but she did not have a problem if I did. After a few minutes, she came back and told me she would help me out. She was able to set me up with several large boxes which I happily took home with me to pack up. It is not a guarantee you will be as fortunate as I was but it never hurts to ask business around you. 

Another cheap way to move is buying boxes online in bulk. Most of the time you will be able to find a good deal for a set of boxes ranging from fifteen to thirty in total with each box being no more than one to two dollars. These boxes generally will not be the greatest one but they will get the job done no doubt. Most of these boxes come as an open box with handles and a lid. As i mentioned before these boxes are good enough to move while keeping the cost as low as possible. 

If you are living a minimalist life can move for the cheapest as there is not much to pack up. This is an advantage because you will be able to save money. You can use that saved money to possibly buy movers if you are not up to the agitating process of packing up everything. In my experience hiring movers is one of the more expensive ways to move but it can be beneficial as you will not have to worry about any of the work, only supervise .

Moving can be expensive but if you do your homework and a little research you should be able to find cheap moving boxes that are affordable and work well. As mentioned before check with the nearby business first as you may be able to get all the boxes you will need just by asking as I did. Searching online is a good way to find affordable boxes to get your move underway. If i were to move i would personally hire movers as it can be more fast and efficient, especially if your move is a long distance move like to a new state. 

The Right Type Of Shrink Tunnel Conveyor For Your Products

When buying shrink-packaging machinery or upgrading your older equipment, you may be thinking of one of two elements: shrink tunnels or sealers. However, there is another element to consider as well: conveyor.

Which type of shrink tunnel conveyor is right depends on the shape, weight, and size of your product. In this article, we will discuss how to choose the right conveyor for your shrink packaging applications.

Plastic belt conveyors

The conveyors move your products through a packaging line. They can move your products from one type of machinery to another.

This conveyor utilizes different belts along the track. The entire track gets power from a motor. Turning this conveyor on will move your products from one piece of machinery to another.

Conveyors that utilize plastic belts have small interlocked portions, usually made of plastic. Their flexibility allows them to bend when moving on a loop around a track.

The shape of the conveyor depends on the packaging applications being run on that conveyor. Due to their flexibility, plastic conveyors can be moved in various directions.

Stainless steel belt conveyors

If your applications need regular wash downs, you can choose from stainless steel belt conveyors. The reason these are stainless steel conveyors is that they comprise several features made of steel. These features include gears, wash-down motors, rollers, and frames.

The conveyors are used for the packaging of food products. They also help the packaging process of liquids and drugs.

Due to their durability, stainless steel conveyors last much longer than plastic conveyors. Nonetheless, they are more expensive.

Roller conveyors

Roller conveyors consist of rollers instead of belts. These rollers sit on a collection of shafts on a frame. The movement of the product across the conveyor makes the roller spin. It results in the product moving from one end of the conveyor to another.

These conveyors solve the problem of moving products with uneven surfaces. These conveyors are most suitable for packaging and distribution.

Live roller conveyors

Live roller conveyors are a step up from conventional roller conveyors. They consist of powered rollers that push the product across a segment of the packaging line. These conveyors are using several types of packaging processes. These conveyors are most suitable for the distribution of beverage products.

Solid belt conveyors

These are the most common types of conveyor belts. They are usually made of materials such as polyester, rubber, and fabric. Mining operations generally use rubber belts on their conveyors. This way, people at the coal extraction site can manage coal and ore quite easily. Departmental stores also use solid belt conveyors.

Shrink film considerations for conveyors

Regardless of what conveyor type you need, make sure to discuss your requirements with a packaging vendor. The type of conveyor you can use will depend on the type of product you have to package. The formulation of shrink film you employ has a huge say in this regard.

If you are using polyethylene films, you will have to dry it first before it comes in contact with a live roller. Failing to meet this fundamental requirement can result in downtime.

 

Shipping Supplies Needed For International Shipping

International shipping involves longer transit times. Product safety becomes one of the top concerns in this regard. That is why is extremely crucial to use the best quality packaging supplies to keep the products safe during the entire shipping process.

Using the right packaging supplies becomes an even more critical requirement when you know that your package is susceptible to fall, rattle around, or harsh handling.

In this article, we will discuss some shipping supplies that you can use to ensure the safety of your products during the entire shipping process.

Corrugated boxes

Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, you will need to use corrugated boxes if your products have to travel through a distance to reach their destination. These boxes provide sturdy packaging to several types of products, including fragile ones.

When using boxes for international shipping, it is crucial to understand the need and method to use appropriately-sized boxes for your products. Increase the size of the box by a few centimeters can add much to the shipping costs, so you have to be careful while selecting corrugated boxes for your products.

Poly mailers

While corrugated boxes can be used for the packaging and shipping of just about anything, you may want to look for other options if your product is not that fragile. Since using corrugated boxes can add much to the shipping costs, you will want to use poly mailers for your less fragile products. These mailers take less space on shipping trucks.

Another way these mailers can help cut down on costs is that they do not require additional shipping supplies. If you have relatively fragile products but you still want to use poly mailers, you can consider using the bubble padding option. Poly mailers with bubble padding provide appropriate cushioning to the packed products during shipping.

Bubble wrap and other cushioning supplies

Bubble wrap is one of the most used packaging supplies. The reason it is popular is its ability to cushion your most fragile products in the best possible way. Nonetheless, you will need to avoid using too much bubble wrap inside your boxes as it can increase the weight of the package, ultimately resulting in an increase in shipping costs.

Packing tape

No matter how well your box is filled with cushioning supplies, if it is not secured well from the outside, your product is exposed to damage. The best way to secure a shipping box is to use packing tape. Make sure to seal the flaps of your cardboard box. It will prevent the inside contents from coming out of the box.

Plastic wrap

When it comes to international shipping, nothing matches the protection provided by plastic wrap. The plastic wrap we are talking about in this article is the stretch wrap that tends to holds your shipment tightly. Whether you have one big box or several small boxes in a shipment, using a stretch wrap can help secure it for the longest possible journey.

There are a lot of other packaging supplies that you can get to secure your international shipments. You may need to discuss your requirements with a packaging vendor.

Things To Know About Shipping With Poly Mailers

Poly mailers have become quite popular in the shipping industry. They are lightweight and provide cost-effective shipping solutions to brands and businesses.

If you are into the e-commerce business, you have to use the right type of packaging to keep costs under control. While keeping the costs down, you also have to make sure that your items are secured well. You don’t want your product to get damaged during transit.

Although you can select cardboard boxes for product shipping, doing so may not be the best option in every case, especially when you have to ship less delicate products. In such cases, you can consider using poly mailers. These mailers are an affordable alternative to standard packaging. They help e-commerce brands to strike the balance between keeping the items safe and reducing shipping costs.

In this article, we will discuss poly mailers from different angles.

What are poly mailers?

Poly mailers are lightweight and sturdy plastic bags that offer shipping solutions for light and less fragile products. The most significant advantage of using these boxes is that they allow sellers to cut back on packaging and shipping costs. These bags also take less space in a shipping truck during transit.

The self-sealing flap-over lip allows the sealing of these bags without the use of packing tape. You can also affix a shipping label directly to the bag. Due to these reasons, poly bags are easy to pack and ship.

Different types of poly mailers

You can choose from different types of poly mailers, depending on your requirements. Regardless of the type you choose, you will be able to showcase your brand in an eco-friendly way.

Here are a few types of poly mailers.

• The first type to discuss includes regular white poly mailers. These are the standard mailers with no bubble padding. You can use these bags if you want to save on shipping costs. However, you will need to see if these bags fit your requirements.
• If you want to secure your products during shipping, you can consider using bubble padded poly mailers. They may be a bit more expensive compared to standard poly mailers, but they provide the best protection to relatively fragile products.
• If you want to ship thicker items, you may want to use expansion poly mailers. These mailers come with a padded bottom. They consist of strong polyethylene and are ideal when it comes to protecting items from moisture and other damages.
• If you are an eco-conscious brand, you will want to use eco-friendly packaging materials. Using eco-friendly poly mailers allows you to remain loyal to your commitment to minimizing wastes.

Reasons to use poly mailers

There are many reasons you will want to use poly mailers for product packaging. Some of those reasons are as under.

• They are more affordable than other packaging options. For instance, using poly mailers for packaging may result in $0.25 per unit in terms of packaging costs. Cardboard box, on the other hand, may result in your paying as much as $1.25 per package.
• These bags are smaller and lighter. It means that a product packaged in a poly mailer will occupy less space in a shipping truck.
• You can use these mailers for branding purposes as well. You can print your brand messages on the outer surface of the packaging. You can also design it the way you want.
• These mailers take fewer resources and require less fuel consumption during transit. That makes these mailers an eco-friendly option.

Moving to College Again?

If you are in college then you probably know about moving.  I remember going from home to the dorm to an apartment.  Now I am looking at going from an apartment in college to a home.  It is pretty cool.   In my lifetime I have probably moved around 10 times, but this one was the first complicated move due to all of the weather involved.  It also gave me many lessons on what type of containers to use when it comes to getting things packed up.  This time was going to be in the rain and that makes things much more complicated and a whole lot less fun.

The weather sucked and I was a bit worried about this.  It was cold and rainy which makes a lot of things hard. Especially if you have a motorcycle and no way to trailer it.  So let's jump into how this was all acomplished. This made it super complicated to cover items and keep our entire apartment's worth of stuff from being destroyed by the weather.  This was made more complicated when we were unable to rent a Uhaul that was covered.  Instead, we used an open trailer because that was all we could find.  There were a few advantages to the trailer in that we could get all of our items in quickly because it had a low ramp that was not steep and we could hand cart all heavy items on.  But since it was open-topped we had the rain to deal with.  A big blue plastic tarp was going to be the answer and so that is simply what we did.  It was hard to tie, but worth it. 

Now I am a pretty cheap person and one thing I regret  was the cheap moving boxes we were using to do this move.  These packages were super flimsy already and when we put weight in them they simply started to shift and bend.  But when the rain hit them or by the time we got from the apartment to the home the cheap moving boxes were coming apart.  Some of the packages we had were really nice corrugated cardboard and those held up perfectly.  But the fact was that most of our clothes were soaked and then riddled with little bits of cardboard and it was so nasty.  So many good things did not go to our new home in good condition that it was really sad. 

At least we did one thing right and that was the vehicle we used. One thing that was nice was the ease of getting items into and off the trailer.  It is something that we decided would be amazing for a nice non-rainy move and it would have made the entire experience great if it was not rainy.  The hardest part of the whole thing was that I needed to get my motorcycle from the apartment to the home that very same day.  With the rain nearing ice it was a cold, slippery, and dangerous ride across town at night.  I wanted to wait to see if the weather would get better, but it never did.  My fingers were not too happy with this whole experience, but at least it was not the end of me. I hope you learned something from my failures!