You have read 3 of 3 of your complimentary articles for the month.
For unlimited access to Ceramics Monthly premium content, subscribe right now for as low as $4.85/month.
Yes, I want to subscribe to Ceramics MonthlyNot right now. Continue to article.
We understand your email address is private. You will receive emails and newsletters from Ceramic Arts Network. We will never share your information except as outlined in our privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Subscribe to Ceramics Monthly
Explore some of the economic and environmental reasons and options for shipping work using thoughtful, eco-friendly packaging.
As many potters shift to increased online sales, it becomes more important to be thoughtful about packaging and shipping, both for your business and the greater good of the environment. Choosing eco-friendly materials to pack and ship products has numerous benefits—it strengthens your brand, affects your business, and has less environmental impact.
Zero Waste and Preventing Loss
First and foremost, using packaging materials that contain less plastic and more post-consumer-content materials, are recyclable, and are biodegradable moves you closer to zero waste, minimizes your carbon footprint, and avoids contributing to the issue of marine plastic pollution. Admittedly, the least sustainable scenario is your piece breaking in transit and needing to be remade and reshipped, so ensuring safe arrival is top priority. To prevent loss, I believe that packing method matters more than materials, and packing properly with green products instead of plastic and styrofoam is all around the most effective option.
It is also worth noting that your customers care about packaging. Studies have shown that e-commerce shoppers care about how their package arrives, make an assumption about your brand based on packaging, and are more likely to reorder from you if you have thoughtful packaging.1 Of course, customers care that their item arrives in safe condition, but they also value the appearance of the package, the experience of opening it, and that it was packed with earth-friendly materials. Prioritizing packaging that communicates care for the environment can lead to repeat buyers and increase the likelihood of your customer recommending you to others.
After considering the sustainability, aesthetic qualities, functionality, and storage footprint of various packing materials, here are the materials and methods that I have tested and currently use to ship my pottery and porcelain jewelry.
Alternative Materials
Method
When selecting the size of a box, I budget at least 2 inches of space between the edges of the box and the wrapped pots, though you can be more cautious and give more space. I do not double box. The only losses I have had were from my own error trying to cram too many pieces into a box, rather than from any shortcomings of the materials.
In the bottom of your box, create a nest with kraft paper void fill. Void fill is used to pad empty space in the box around the wrapped piece. After items are packed, fill any remaining space with more crumpled kraft paper.
Wrap piece(s) in multiple layers (5 to 6) of Ranpak Geami paper. This system is reliable and I have seen a decline in breakage since using it. My loss rate is virtually none (1 or 2 pieces out of hundreds). After polling other potters who use Geami wrap, the general consensus was that loss rate is negligible and is usually due to cramming too many pieces into a box.
Once the box is packed, apply desired stamps and seal with dampened paper tape.
Resources:
the author Jenna Vanden Brink is a full-time studio potter living and working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She creates porcelain and earthenware pottery, as well as a line of porcelain jewelry, though her latest and greatest creations are two little girls. Learn more about her work at www.jennavandenbrink.comand follow her on Instagram @jennavandenbrink.
1 “Full Article: Eco-Friendly Strengthens Your Brand.” EcoEnclose, August 2019. https://www.ecoenclose.com/Eco-Friendly-Strengthens-Your-Brand .
Send your tip and tool ideas, along with plenty of images, to editorial@ceramicsmonthly.org. If we use your idea, you’ll receive a complimentary one-year subscription to CM!
Unfamiliar with any terms in this article? Browse our glossary of pottery terms!
Click the cover image to return to the Table of Contents