Plastic packaging guide

Loose products

When sold together, loose products must be contained within one package.

Boxed units

Any shipments in boxes must be six sided and completely sealed and difficult to reopen. All boxes must be able to withstand a medium amount of pressure on any given side.

Poly bag units

Poly bags with openings larger than five inches must contain suffocation warnings that must be printed on the bag or attached as a label in an easy to find location. The bag must be transparent and contain a barcode that may be scanned easily. The poly bag must be completely sealed. Poly bags that are used to protect product units must have a clear suffocation warning. If you do not comply with this regulation, your products may need to be rebagged. Clear suffocation warning must specify: “To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this plastic bag away from babies and young children. This bag is not a toy.” Poly bag must be transparent so that a barcode such as a UPC or EAN that is easily scannable through the bag. The bags need to be completely sealed and must not protrude more than 3 inches past the dimensions of the product.

Checklist for Amazon FBA packaging

• Make sure your boxes are rigid and have flaps intact.
• Wrap each item individually.
• Use strong shipping tape.
• Do not use string or paper over wrap.
• Use a single address label with clear delivery and return information.
• Use at least two inches of cushioning between each of your items and inside of the box.

Bundle items together

The ability to ship two separate products as one saves on shipping costs. An exterior box to accommodate both products should be used. If the two products shipped together vary in size then consider the options listed below.

Bundling guideline

Corrugated boxes	The most popular and preferred way to bundle multiple products together. Corrugated boxes can be printed on to increase company branding and advertising. Boxes too large do not offer the best presentation and can cause damage in shipping without proper void fill.
Strapping	Strapping is one of the most common ways to bundle one or more products.
Shrink wrapping	Shrink wrap is an exterior packaging. Therefore the drawback to shrink wrapping is the risk of the packaging tearing.
Tape	Tape is an affordable bundling option for lighter uniform products. Taping two or more boxes together does not offer the best presentation. Use tape if there are no other options available.

Presentation and branding

The primary objective for packaging is the protection of products. The main objective of packaging should be delivering an undamaged product to the customer. Though branding and presentation is not the main purpose of packaging, it is very important. Understanding the difference between primary and secondary packaging is important.

Primary packaging

Primary packaging is best defined by the packaging that comes into direct contact with the product. The primary packaging of a product should be considered as a top priority for marketing. Online sellers are fortunate to not deal with shelving issues but primary packaging is still important. Sometimes the best primary packaging is the option that offers the best clarity to properly display the product.

Secondary packaging

Secondary packaging is the first line of protection for a product. Secondary packaging can be a variety of materials. For online sales, corrugated cardboard is the most commonly used form of secondary packaging because they provide protection during transport.

Packaging options are available