Your guide to the right filling material

Packing paper, organic chips, foam foil, wood shavings, paper padding, bubble wrap. Is your head spinning? Don’t worry, we have tips on the right filling and padding material for your packaging.

Play it safe: optimal filling material for your package

Make sure you carefully cushion the contents because you never know what might happen to your package along the way. Every product has the right packaging material partner: Electronic devices feel comfortable with antistatic bubble wrap. Heavy packaged goods go well with firm paper cushions.

Whether you send a package privately or several times a day for your online business – the inner packaging (filling material and padding material) is your best friend when it comes to secure shipping. We have answers to the most important questions so that you can keep track of things:

  • What is the difference between filling material and padding material?
  • Which padding and filling material do you need for which content?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of the materials used for filling and padding?
  • Should you pad boxes with old newspapers?
  • Are there environmentally friendly padding and filling materials?

Quick tips: Dos & Don’ts for filling material

Use paper padding

These cushions are ideal for sharp-edged, heavy packaged goods and can be easily disposed of with the old box.

Note the quicksand effect

Heavy packaged goods are not compatible with regularly shaped packaging chips. The goods aren’t fixed and place and wander through the box during transport.

Avoid bulky filling material

Avoid using bubble wrap when filling spaces. You would need to use a lot of material that cannot be disposed of as waste paper. Organic chips are better.

Padding material and filling material: the differences

Secures & protects

What is padding material?

You need padding material for goods or products that are not sub-packaged. “Sub-packaged” means: The product packaging itself already protects the contents from bumps and shocks during transport. If this is not the case, you should use additional packaging material such as bubble wrap, foam foil or paper padding to secure packaged goods that are sensitive to impact.

Fix & fill voids

What is filling material?

You can use filling material to fill spaces in the outer packaging, i.e. in the package in which you send your contents. This is how to fix the packaged goods in place in the packaging, prevent them from slipping and the contents from rubbing against each other. In the case of insensitive goods, you do not need any additional padding material in addition to the filling material. One filling classic is organic packaging chips in the shape of an 8, which do not allow the packaged goods to wander around.

Padding and filling material made easy

Your package won’t exactly be handled with kid gloves in transport. This isn’t a problem if you protect the contents in the packaging properly. Find all the important information here about filling and padding material.

Wood wool

Wood wool is the most original type of padding and is now only used for gift packaging.

Advantages

  • Looks classy

  • Upgrades the packaged goods, for example expensive wine bottles

  • Is FSC certified

Disadvantages

  • May contain dust

  • Is not easy to dispose of

Bubble wrap

If you want to wrap large products, bubble wrap is the ideal packaging material. 

Advantages

  • Very good cushioning effect (tear-resistant)
  • You can easily wrap packaged goods
  • Wrapped things can be fixed in place with adhesive tape
  • Suitable for large goods
  • Reusable

Disadvantages

  • Made of plastic, not easy to throw away
  • Large volume when disposing
  • Contains tiny dust particles that can scratch surfaces
Nopa foam film

Nopa foam film is a good choice for products with sharp edges.

Advantages

  • Adapts flexibly to the contour of your product

  • Suitable for sharp-edged goods

  • Natural, pleasant feel

  • Very good for sensitive surfaces

Disadvantages

  • Made of plastic, not easy to throw away

  • Large volume when disposing

Paper padding

Paper padding is a packaging material made from recycled fibers with many uses. It adapts flexibly to the contours of your product.

Advantages

  • Also suitable for sharp-edged packaged goods

  • Natural, pleasant feel

  • Environmentally friendly, made from renewable raw materials and 100 percent recyclable

  • Manual and electronic manufacture

  • Easy and quick handling

  • No inhalation health hazards, no need for eye or hand protection

Disadvantages

  • Slight formation of dust

  • Moisture sensitive

Wrapping paper (kraft paper)

Packing paper is a first-time paper (unlike recycled paper padding) and protects your products from scratches during transit.

Advantages

  • You can easily wrap your packaged goods

  • Protects very well against friction

  • Ecological, 100 percent natural product

Disadvantages

  • Moisture sensitive

  • Low cushioning effect

SizzlePak

SizzlePak convinces with its decorative effect, but only slightly cushions.

Advantages

  • Looks very elegant

  • Emphasizes the value of your product

Disadvantages

  • Almost no cushioning

  • Not cheap

MiniPak’R air cushion

MiniPak’R is a handy device for making bubble wrap that can be used in a variety of ways.

Advantages

  • Clean, dust-free and reusable

  • Insensitive to moisture

  • Inexpensive and space-saving

  • Low weight

  • Film consists of 99 percent air, low disposal volume

  • Cushion filling (cavity filling) easily adjustable and reproducible over and over again

  • Very fast production (up to 23 meters per minute)

  • Very easy handling

Disadvantages

  • Not suitable for pointed, sharp-edged and very heavy products

  • Air cushions can lose air over time

  • Made of plastic, not easy to throw away

Bio-Chips

Bio-Chips are an innovative, compostable filling material. An eco-friendly alternative to styrofoam.

Advantages

  • Also reliably fills small cavities

  • Clean, anti-static, dust-free and reusable

  • Dimensionally stable and shock-absorbing

  • Low weight

Disadvantages

  • Requires large storage volume

  • Beware of the quicksand effect with packaging chips with a consistent shape

  • Pretty high price

  • Chips can fly around when unpacking the goods

Styrofoam chips

Styrofoam chips are a lightweight filling material for inner packaging. Recommended in an 8 shape to prevent the quicksand effect.

Advantages

  • Particularly suitable for space filling

  • Clean, anti-static, dust-free and reusable

  • Dimensionally stable and shock-absorbing

  • Low weight

Disadvantages

  • Requires large storage volume

  • High price compared to the volume

  • Chips can fly around when unpacked

Tissue paper

Tissue paper emphasizes the value of your products, but as packaging material it only provides minimal cushioning.

Advantages

Looks classy

Can be disposed of with the waste paper

Cheap price

Disadvantages

Low cushioning effect

Ecological upholstery and filling material at a glance

Recycling

Paper padding

Paper cushions are environmentally friendly all-rounders and 100 percent recyclable.

Vegetable

Starch filling chips

Natural packaging chips made from plant starch fill reliably and are kind to the environment.

Consistent

Cardboard edge protection

Goodbye transport damage. Lasting protection for your package, for example in case of shocks.

Order your filling and padding material