EASY SHIPPING TIPS FOR ECO-FRIENDLY SMALL BUSINESSES
Run an ecommerce shop? These are for you!
Hi, I’m Emily! I create earth-inspired fiber art and curate eco-friendly supplies for makers. You can check out my work here and on Instagram. I draw a lot of inspiration from being outside and feel most connected to the earth when I’m able to hike with my husband and pup, climb the rocky beaches of the Oregon coast, and go for long walks finding color inspiration. You might’ve seen my “come on a hike with me” posts on Instagram if you’ve been around for a while. It’s a priority to me to be a responsible steward of the earth in every area of my life, including running a small business.
When you’re first starting out as a small business owner, packing and shipping out physical products can be really overwhelming. There are so many details to think about and keep track of! E-commerce has taken off in the past couple of years (which is so awesome!), but there are lots of details you don’t want to miss out on. I have compiled a list of best practices and tools that have helped me for the past two and a half years of running my e-commerce shop. I love to support other small businesses when I can, so I’ve linked them when possible. I also tend to avoid Amazon and shoot for the most eco-friendly option available to me, so that’s reflected in this list. You should know that I don’t get paid to talk about any of these companies unless noted.
PS: This isn’t an exhaustive list- if you have any feedback or things to add, feel free to send me an email at: hello@eucadesign and I’ll update it.
TLDR; This post is for you if you’re looking for affordable, eco-friendly, and time saving best practices for shipping goods as a small business. Skip to the end for a downloadable graphic with links!
CATEGORIES:
The basics: scissors, tape, boxes, filler, paper, scale, online shipping labels, box cutter, ruler, inkjet printer labels (you most likely already have most of these things, but here’s a list in case you don’t)
Efficiency: thermal printers, organization, USPS scheduled pickups, free USPS Priority Mail boxes (standard sizes, store flat), biodegradable mailers
Personal touch: logo stamp, recycled materials sticker, sari silk and cotton cord, biodegradable packing peanuts, heavy duty cardboard shredder for filler, foraged greenery, custom shipping materials from No Issue Tissue or EcoEnclose
Let’s start with the basics:
Think scissors, tape, boxes, filler, paper, scale, online shipping labels, box cutter, ruler, and inkjet printer labels. Please note that these brands don’t matter too much, but I’ve included links for ones I personally use for your convenience.
Every small business needs to know about Shippo and Pirateship. They offer discounts on shipping prices and work with different mail carriers such as USPS and UPS. They also bring up rates for international shipping between mail carriers. You can connect them to your Squarespace and Shopify websites as well as an Etsy shop.
Digital kitchen scale for weighing packages at home (this one features a glass top, LCD screen, and capacity of 11 pounds).
TIP: When shipping, I generally round up to the tenth or hundredth of an ounce, but keep the exact weight if it’s just under a pound to avoid extra shipping costs (ex: 15.78 ounces vs. rounding up to 1 pound).
-Here’s a great resource for looking at USPS shipping rates based on your Zone. Note that the prices will be a little different if you decide to use Pirateship or Shippo, and doesn’t reflect holiday season increases.
3. Paper shipping tape that is designed to stick to cardboard, is strong and durable, and is tearable by hand. Available in 30 and 55 yard rolls.
4. Recycled newsprint, also known as packing paper: (available in 100 and 500 sheet quantities)
TIP: U-haul has a wide variety of surprisingly affordable, eco-friendly options. Check them out here and here.
5. These labels by Avery are great to use with a home inkjet printer and have good quality adhesive for cardboard. I can’t say enough great things about these: They’re thick enough to fully cover old addresses or shipping labels, they save you so much time by not having to cut out each label, they save you tape, and they work with most home printers.
6. Box cutter: I like this one because the blades are easy to snap off to replace as needed. These are also helpful in repurposing boxes: simply cut down one side, flip it over, and re-tape it together. Now the outside of your box is free of other logos so you can add your own!
7. Brown packing paper I like to use this as filler or to wrap up packages nicely. It fits the style of my brand and is easy to keep consistent.
8. Rulers: I like to have a 12” ruler and a yardstick on hand for different sizes of packages.
9. Scissors: This might seem like an obvious choice, but I’ve found it’s easier to keep track of my scissors if I keep a pair that are exclusively for shipping in a special place. I personally keep mine in a jar with my box cutter and fabric scissors.
EFFICIENCY:
Thermal printers, organization, USPS scheduled pickups, free USPS Priority Mail boxes (standard sizes, store flat). These tools are game changers that help your shipping strategy out so much! There might be a learning curve at the beginning, but I promise they are worth it.
1. Thermal printers:
Refurbished Munbyn printer: These are a great option if you’re trying to reduce shipping costs and waste! Munbyn offers an entire selection of refurbished items on their website that are good as new, but not (that’s the point). That’s a win for eco-friendliness and your wallet!
New Munbyn thermal printer or new Rollo thermal printer: New options if the one you want isn’t available used or that’s more your style.
*Note: The cost of these items isn’t cheap, but they save you money, time, and resources in the long run. You won’t have to worry about buying expensive ink cartridges or running out of paper with these label printers.
2. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has free Priority Mail boxes! It helps so much to have uniform sizes of things that are stored flat to save space. They also offer a flat rate pricing, which is great for efficiency.
3. Stickers: Reusing and recycling is an important pillar to my life and brand. I ordered custom paper stickers that say: “Lovingly packaged in recycled materials” from my friend Hannah at Rain and Wool. You can order some of your own here and here.
4. Schedule a free USPS pickup. Saves yourself a trip to the post office! All you have to do is make sure your labels are pre-paid (I use Shippo for this) and then leave them on your doorstep the night before or the morning of. This link takes you right to scheduling your pickup- they operate Monday-Friday, excluding holidays. So easy and streamlined!
5. Heavy duty paper shredder to shred used cardboard boxes to use as *free* filler. Here’s a list of the best shredders for you to choose from.
Last, but not least: add a personal touch:
Who doesn't love a happy mail day where the experience of opening a package is as exciting as what’s inside? In this section, I include sourcing a logo stamp, recycled materials sticker, sari silk and cotton cord, biodegradable packing peanuts, heavy duty cardboard shredder for filler, foraged greenery, custom shipping materials- all things helpful for elevating your brand with personality!
Tie it up with love: I like to wrap my packages in recycled sari silk or recycled cotton cord. Adding in some foraged greenery from your backyard can be a nice touch, too! Find recycled cotton cord and recycled sari silk here.
Custom logo stamp: I absolutely love my custom logo stamp from my friend Dallas! Each stamp is hand carved. This is a great alternative to stickers! I use mine on packages, paper bags, signs, and cards. She takes limited orders a month- you can order your own here.
If you’re wanting a one-stop-shop, EcoEnclose has many eco-friendly options.
Biodegradable, plant based packing peanuts.
Brown paper bag trick: If you need filler or wrapping paper in a pinch, you can cut apart a paper bag! I gently tear off the handles, cut down the seam (usually down the center of one side), and then carefully tear the bottom open on the glued seams. In just a minute or two, you have a generous amount of wrapping paper to either scrunch up as filler or use to wrap a box! I usually keep the logos on the inside so the outside is plain for labels or writing.
Impack Co: “Sustainable packaging you love to show off.” They offer a variety of well designed, biodegradable shipping supplies in a range of sizes and patterns. I love their patterned paper tape and poly mailers! Sustainable and pretty? Yes please!
No Issue Tissue: Get custom packaging for a printed fully branded experience. All of their products are eco-friendly and use circular materials.
TIP: Save your receipts for tax purposes! If you end up driving to the post office, have them scan your prepaid labels and get a receipt for that, too. You’ll get to write off around $0.62/mile (as of mid-2022). I keep these receipts in a folder in a special binder organized by month. Same goes for all these other receipts for shipping purposes- they are considered business expenses!
A final note on shipping supplies storage and organization:
If you’re using recycled materials, it can be a bit of a mess to organize if you don’t have uniform sizes of things. I recommend creating a dedicated area to ship things so you can keep track of everything. Sort your reused materials by type: break down old boxes to store them flat, keep a box for packing or tissue paper, and soft mailers. Store sharpies in various sizes (to black out old shipping labels), pens to write a note on inserts, business cards, thank you notes, and stickers in one place. Keep these things organized using a bin and a desk organizer to keep them handy. You can find options that work for you at second hand stores and even the Dollar Store. Create a designated shipping area to keep all of your materials and supplies in one general place, including a flat surface to prep orders on.
These are all things I wish I would have known when starting my business a few years ago. Shipping doesn’t have to be overwhelming or use a lot of plastic. My hope is that this helps your shipping process be smoother, less stressful, and more organized!
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Have something to add? Let me know by sending me a DM on Instagram (@eucadesign) or shoot me an email: hello@eucadesign.com.