Follow Sendle’s packaging guidelines to ensure that your items are protected during transit, preventing damage or loss when you post from Australia.
In the world of eCommerce and trade, shipping plays a crucial role in delivering goods safely to their intended destinations. One of the key factors that make shipping successful is packaging. In this article, we discuss steps to securely package parcels in preparation for your shipment.
How to package a parcel
Here are four basic steps that are essential to every parcel:
- Your packaging materials need to be tough and strong as you want a nice hard shell for your products to travel in. If the outer shell is old or damaged, the contents could be compromised. You can refer to our blog post on finding the right packaging materials for your items.
- Make sure the Sendle label is clearly displayed and stuck on tight to the outer layer of your parcel, with nothing covering the scanning code. Sendle uses printable labels so that your parcels can be tracked from you to your customers. When you finish booking an order you'll be able to print the label and attach it to your parcel.
- Fill in empty spaces to keep your items in place and prevent rattling. Leaving space for your items to shake during transit increases the chances of it breaking. As a test, make sure there’s no sound when you shake your parcel.
- Don't substitute secure packaging for 'fragile' or 'handle with care' stickers. Machines can't read these stickers (not yet, anyway). It’s better to securely package parcels yourself.
Don’t use old branded packaging
For all domestic and international deliveries, we don’t recommend sending parcels in Australia Post or DHL branded packaging. This is for a few reasons:
- If you have old labels on your parcel, it can be confusing for our drivers when they collect from you.
- It can also be confusing for depot and warehouse workers sending your parcels.
- Parcels with Australia Post or DHL branding will be returned to the sender because they’ll be assumed to be mistakenly collected.
We get it. Sometimes you just don’t have any other types of packaging available, other than those mentioned above. In this case, we recommend turning the Australia Post satchel inside out, which should help with hiding any confusing logos.
How to pack fragile items
If your parcel is particularly fragile, sharp, or contains crushable items, please do this in addition to the above:
- Definitely double-box your parcel (placing one container inside another with a cushioning material such as scrunched up newspaper, foam or similar).
- Pad each item separately with bubble/foam wrap, tissue paper or newspaper (this is especially important for items with sharp edges, for obvious safety reasons).
- Pay special attention to the corners, edges and bits that stick out (we recommend sealing all exposed edges of your parcel with tape).
- Use strong rigid material larger than the object to minimise chances of crushing if it is a photo or drawing etc.
- Mark with appropriate labels (for example: write ‘contains glass’, ‘this way up’).
Not all sharp and liquid items can be delivered, to avoid damaging other parcels. Read up on the things you can’t Sendle.
Outer packaging materials to avoid
We can’t transport parcels packaged only in:
- Plastic bags
- Bubblewrap
- Anything else transparent!
- Fragile stickers instead of proper packaging
- Transparent packaging for international deliveries
Sending with the Unlimited Satchel
Sendle’s compostable A4 Satchels are durable waterproof bags that can keep your non-fragile items secure throughout their shipping journey.
With an ‘If it Fits, It Ships’ feature, you can fill it to the brim, and we’ll ship it for the same low cost as a 500g satchel. That’s why we call it the unlimited satchel – unlimited possibilities!
Now you’re ready to send from your Sendle dashboard!