{"id":28455,"date":"2023-04-12T20:19:49","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T19:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/localhost:10003\/what-is-dunnage-meaning-types-and-more\/"},"modified":"2024-07-24T12:58:26","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T11:58:26","slug":"what-is-dunnage-meaning-types-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/operations\/what-is-dunnage-meaning-types-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Dunnage? Meaning, Types &amp; More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When we think of a parcel, most of us probably think about the exterior packaging. Is it sturdy? Is it easy to open? Is it sustainable? Does it look great? People who don\u2019t work in eCommerce probably don\u2019t think about interior packaging all that much, even though it\u2019s incredibly important for ensuring our orders arrive safely.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we\u2019re going to be talking about dunnage &#8211; the stuff we place inside our boxes to ensure that items don\u2019t get damaged in transit.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In this article<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/operations\/what-is-dunnage-meaning-types-and-more\/#what-is-dunnage\" >What is dunnage?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/operations\/what-is-dunnage-meaning-types-and-more\/#why-dunnage-is-important\" >Why dunnage is important<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/operations\/what-is-dunnage-meaning-types-and-more\/#types-of-dunnage\" >Types of Dunnage<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/operations\/what-is-dunnage-meaning-types-and-more\/#outsource-fulfillment-for-perfectly-packed-parcels-every-time\" >Outsource fulfillment for perfectly packed parcels, every time!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-is-dunnage\"><\/span>What is dunnage?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Dunnage is a common term in the eCommerce industry, referring to the interior packaging we use to eliminate void space and stop our items from moving around inside the box while they\u2019re being shipped. Most orders don\u2019t fit inside a box perfectly, so additional padding is needed to fill in the void space.<\/p>\n<p>There are lots of types of dunnage that eCommerce businesses use, depending on the item being shipped, the exterior packaging being used, their sustainability goals, and much more.<\/p>\n<p>Dunnage comes in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials, with common examples including peanuts, bubble wrap, and crinkle paper.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why-dunnage-is-important\"><\/span>Why dunnage is important<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Dunnage is essential for a variety of reasons. Without it, there\u2019d be a whole lot more inefficient supply chains, unhappy customers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/inventory-management\/a-guide-to-successful-returns-management\/\">returns being processed<\/a>, and damaged products going to landfills.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s why dunnage is important, both to your business and your customers:<\/p>\n<div id=\"mceu_49\" class=\"wp-link-preview\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Increase indent\">Eliminates void space<\/div>\n<p>Dunnage fills in the gaps between items to ensure no slipping, sliding, or jumbling happens as items are shipped across land, sea, and sky.<\/p>\n<p>When travelling long distances, goods are likely to be handled by several pairs of hands, some of which are bound to be gentler than others. Dunnage can protect your stock against rough handling.<\/p>\n<h3>Shock absorption<\/h3>\n<p>Some fragile items can break or shatter if they\u2019re moved around too vigorously during transit. Some dunnage, like bubble wrap or air pillows, can absorb much of the impact and protect fragile goods from damage.<\/p>\n<h3>Damp protection<\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes our parcels can get a little damp, often due to environmental conditions such as rain, humidity, and condensation. This can cause issues for many types of goods, but especially electrical items, food, and books.<\/p>\n<p>Not only are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/order-fulfilment\/electronics-fulfilment\/\">electrical goods<\/a> often expensive, they\u2019re also highly sensitive to moisture. With that in mind, corrugated paper is often used to protect electronic goods from moisture.<\/p>\n<p>Validates shipping insurance<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re shipping high-value cargo, you\u2019re more than likely going to take out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/resources\/ecommerce-insights\/what-is-subscription-commerce\/\">shipping insurance<\/a>. If goods aren\u2019t packed correctly, i.e in a way that doesn\u2019t protect them against damage, then your shipping insurance policy will probably be invalid.<\/p>\n<h3>Customer satisfaction<\/h3>\n<p>Customers aren\u2019t going to be happy if an order turns up damaged, especially if they can tell it hasn\u2019t been packed in a safe, protective way. Not only will you have to appease a disgruntled customer who probably won\u2019t buy from you again, but you\u2019ll also have to foot the bill for a replacement and shipping.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"types-of-dunnage\"><\/span>Types of Dunnage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3>Bubble wrap<\/h3>\n<p>Anyone who\u2019s ever ordered something online will have come into contact with bubble wrap. While popping is fun, bubble wrap\u2019s primary use is to protect fragile items during transit. It\u2019s super cheap to buy and super light to pack, which is why bubble wrap is one of the most-used types of dunnage.<\/p>\n<h3>Air pillows<\/h3>\n<p>Air pillows work best for lighter items. They prevent items from crashing into each other during transit and absorb impact as items get moved around. Air pillows are flat by default, but shippers inflate them with air to create a highly protective type of dunnage.<\/p>\n<h3>Peanuts<\/h3>\n<p>Peanuts are a popular form of dunnage primarily due to their affordability and their ability to cushion objects from impact during transportation. They\u2019re incredibly compact, meaning that shippers have a lot of flexibility and control over how many peanuts they use in each parcel.<\/p>\n<h3>Crinkle Paper<\/h3>\n<p>Crinkle paper is used both for safety and aesthetic purposes. Like other types of dunnage we\u2019ve discussed today, crinkle paper prevents items from moving around during transit and provides good shock absorption. It\u2019s also commonly used to add a bit of cosmetic flair to the unboxing experience.<\/p>\n<p>Most crinkle paper is environmentally friendly and can be a great choice for businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint.<\/p>\n<h3>Polystyrene<\/h3>\n<p>Polystyrene dunnage is great for protecting large, heavier items such as furniture, as well as bulky electronic equipment such as game consoles and computers. Polystyrene is often wrapped around these items, almost like a mould, to fix them firmly in place within the outer packaging and to protect them from impact.<\/p>\n<h3>Foam<\/h3>\n<p>Businesses can buy foam dunnage in a variety of shapes and sizes, from sheets to trays to pads. There\u2019s also expanding foam, which is placed into packaging and then expands over a short period of time, molding to the product to fill void space and provide shock absorption.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"outsource-fulfillment-for-perfectly-packed-parcels-every-time\"><\/span>Outsource fulfillment for perfectly packed parcels, every time!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/\">James and James<\/a>, we know a thing or two about packing orders. We\u2019ve been packing and shipping orders for over 12 years, and we have all types of dunnage on hand to ensure your orders arrive with your customers safely.<\/p>\n<p>As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/en_US\/about\/our-story\/\">first digital-native 3PL<\/a>, we\u2019ve got fulfillment centers all over the world, meaning we can store, pick, pack, and ship your orders from the location that works best for you. Thanks to our partnerships with leading packaging manufacturers, we\u2019ve got cost-effective packaging options for all types of products, from clothes to books to electronics.<\/p>\n<p>Spend less time worrying about packaging and more time growing your business. <a href=\"#requestQuote\">S<\/a><a href=\"#requestQuote\">peak to James and James Fulfillment<\/a> today to learn more about our industry-leading fulfillment service and <a href=\"\/en_US\/fulfillment-software\/\">award-winning inventory management technology.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When we think of a parcel, most of us probably think about the exterior packaging. Is it sturdy? Is it easy to open? Is it sustainable? Does it look great? People who don\u2019t work in eCommerce probably don\u2019t think about&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":28070,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[365],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-operations"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Robert Rusch","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Dunnage-landscape.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Dunnage-landscape.png","author_info":{"display_name":"J&amp;J Global Fulfilment","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/author\/james-and-james\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28455\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ecommercefulfilment.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}