[PL] How to store empty cartons in the warehouse?

Good organisation of the warehouse space is essential for employees to perform their tasks with maximum efficiency. E-commerce shop warehouses, due to their high order turnover, should invest in professional storage furniture and accessories. From this article, you will learn how and where to store empty cartons for future use.

Empty shipping cartons – how do you store them?

Corrugated cardboard packaging is an essential piece of equipment for any warehouse involved in receiving deliveries and shipping goods to customers. Boxes made of thick corrugated cardboard are versatile, safe and convenient. With their help, even the most sensitive goods can be sent to customers all over the world. The storage of cardboard boxes in the warehouse should be carried out using such hall equipment as:

• storage racks and furniture for storage,
• storage tables,
• large Euro containers and crates.

Empty and unused cardboard boxes must only be stored in the warehouse in designated areas. Otherwise, there will be an omnipresent mess on the hall, which will slow down the process of packing goods for shipment.

Storing empty cardboard boxes in the warehouse – how to do it right?

Keeping the workplace tidy is a fundamental responsibility of every employee, but also of the employer. Despite the most sincere intentions of warehousemen, it is impossible to store empty cardboard packaging comfortably without the right equipment and industrial furniture.

Did you know that logistics costs in a company also include expenses for the purchase of operating materials, recycling and storage of empty packaging? You can read more about this in our blog on logistics expenses in e-commerce companies.

Some tips to help you reduce your expenses while comfortably storing more cardboard packaging are:

1. Designate adequate storage space for storing empty cardboard packaging. You can use storage racks made of steel for this. Such elements of the hall infrastructure are essential in order to control chaos and maintain order in the plant.
2. Fold up cardboard boxes that you do not intend to use in the near future. Folded cardboard boxes take up much less space. This makes it easier to keep your workplace tidy.
3. Sort your cardboard packaging into three size categories: large, medium and small. This way, even after folding, you will be aware of which storage location to take the cardboard box from to pack your goods for shipment.
4. Cut down unnecessary packaging that is damaged or completely useless. Use storage accessories such as wallpaper cutters to cut up cardboard boxes. You can use individual sheets of cardboard to create eco-friendly parcel filler. In this case, an investment in a PadPak Compact paper filler maker is essential.

If you manage a warehouse and make sure that your workplace is always tidy, be sure to use at least one of the tips above. These are tried and tested ways to use and store unused cardboard packaging.

Cardboard boxes for packing parcels – new or used?

Running your own mail order business is a big responsibility and stresses you with ever-increasing expenses. You can reduce your business costs somewhat by, for example, using cardboard boxes that have been brought into the warehouse from other companies. Once the goods have been taken out, all you need is:

• peel off the waybills and any labels from the packages,
• clean the cartons of dirt,
• put them together (if possible),
• place in the storage area for cardboard packaging.

Many cardboard boxes are still reusable after a single shipment. This way, you do not have to invest in completely new packaging each time, but only use the ones that have arrived at your company.

Or do you want to find out how to improve your warehouse profitability? In RAJA’s guide, we provide some information on what steps to take to make your warehouse operation more efficient and satisfactorily profitable.

Packing carton storage vs warehouse equipment

Above all, the equipment of a modern warehouse should include a machine for producing paper filler. In this way, you reduce the costs of running your business and purchasing the consumables you need to ship your goods. In this way, you can also contribute to environmental protection – much less material is unnecessarily consumed.

Other essential shop-floor equipment that makes storing and handling cardboard boxes easier are:

• storagetrays and boxes,
• Euro containers,
• platform trolleys,
• storage racks,
• storage platforms.

If you want to make the warehouse floor more comfortable, reduce costs and, at the same time, make it easier for your employees to pack parcels, it is essential to invest in proven equipment. You can read more about this streamlining of the operation of a retail and shipping company in our guide article on how to equip an e-commerce warehouse.

Storage conditions for cardboard boxes in the warehouse

There are two key factors that influence the safe storage of corrugated packaging in the warehouse. Corrugated cardboard is mostly susceptible to damage due to adverse external conditions. The parameters that are important when storing corrugated boxes are:

• Air humidity – this is probably the most important issue that every entrepreneur and warehouse worker should bear in mind. During the storage of cardboard boxes, the air humidity should be as low as possible. The index should be between 25 and 75%, although it is better if it is slightly lower. Kraft cardboard packaging can be safely stored under standard humidity conditions, while standard boxes are better kept dry and without access to water.
• Temperature – the second indicator is the air temperature on the warehouse floor. Constant monitoring of the temperature regime in the warehouse is essential to avoid damage to stored boxes. The temperature in the hall should not be lower than -14 degrees Celsius, but also not higher than +40 degrees Celsius. These are rather extreme values, and their constant change also adversely affects the condition of cardboard packaging – even corrugated cardboard.

In general, when storing cardboard boxes in a warehouse, it is worth sticking to three simple rules:

1. Keep the packaging indoors – if possible.
2. Maintain an air humidity of no more than 75%.
3. Do not exceed temperature extremes of -14 to +40 degrees Celsius and do not change the temperature in specific areas of the warehouse too often.

By following the above rules, you will be able to store transport boxes for a long time until they are reused when packing parcels for shipping.

Is it worth storing cardboard boxes for reuse?

It is definitely worth making the decision to store used cardboard packaging in a warehouse. By doing so, you will reduce the expenses associated with the purchase of operational materials for your company, and you will also contribute to protecting the environment. Just make sure you have the right conditions for storing corrugated boxes, equip your warehouse with modern accessories and furniture, and instruct your employees on how to create parcel fillers from used boxes that are not suitable for further storage.