Mark says, "Reduce your packaging costs!"

We recently shared some proven ways to cut mail costs. Now you can save even more—on packaging materials. Our V.P. of Operations, Mark Nason (that's him on the right), has put together the following tips, which will help you to pay less for packaging.

Save on packaging—and save the environment, too:

•  Reuse FREE cardboard: You don't have to purchase expensive packing materials. Bubble wrap ultimately ends up in a landfill, and provides less protection than simple-yet-tough cardboard, which you can get for free from your local supermarket, or by recycling shipments you receive.
  
  Cut a rectangular piece of cardboard wide enough to overlap the item's ends, and long enough to wrap around the item at least two times. Once it is wrapped, tape the middle and ends, and it is ready to mail. Simple, cheap, and recyclable!

•  For flat rates, bag it: If you use flat-rate boxes, put the item in a plastic bag and seal the opening so no moisture can get in. One-gallon sandwich bags work well for standard and smaller books, CDs, and movies; larger bags are good for 4to, folio, and larger books. Then cushion your items with simple packing paper or newspaper to fill in the box.
   

•  Go bulk & go thin foam: If you do buy packaging, we recommend the thin foam that we buy in bulk rolls. One layer around an item prevents chafing, and it's moisture resistant. Uline and papermart.com offer this type of packaging in bulk.

We hope these packaging tips are helpful and save you even more money, on top of our proven ways to cut mail costs.