How to Pack Glass Bottles for Shipping
Like all fragile items, glass bottles, especially those containing liquids, can be difficult to pack for shipping, especially if you have little to no experience. Here are some tips to help you pack glass bottles and ensure they arrive safely.
If the bottles contain liquid, your first step is to determine if they can be shipped at all. For example, alcohol-based perfumes and other flammable liquids can only be shipped by ground transportation within the U.S. and are heavily restricted or prohibited for international shipping, depending on the situation. You cannot ship alcoholic beverages domestically or internationally unless you have the appropriate license.
Once you’re sure that your bottles can be shipped, you can pack them. The most secure method is to use double boxing. First, place the bottles and packing material in a sturdy cardboard box. Then, place that box in a larger box and fill the empty space with more packing material. This approach ensures that your bottles are better protected from external impact.
Your best option is sturdy corrugated boxes. While it is sometimes possible to reuse old boxes for shipping, you should use new boxes when shipping glass bottles to ensure they won’t tear or fall apart. The smaller box should fit the bottles wrapped in bubble wrap and some extra padding. The larger box should fit the smaller box plus about three inches of padding on each side, including the top and bottom. If you are shipping several bottles, you can use a partitioned packing container as the smaller box.
Wrap each bottle in several layers of bubble wrap and secure it with rubber bands or tape. If you use a partitioned container, one layer should suffice; the partitions will prevent the bottles from knocking against each other. If your bottles contain liquid, place each bottle in a sealable plastic bag to contain any leakage. Just to be on the safe side, you can also secure the caps with electrical tape.
Place the wrapped bottles in the smaller box, filling any remaining space with packing material such as bubble wrap, crumpled paper, or packing peanuts. Shake the box to ensure the bottles do not move around. Add more filler if necessary, but be careful not to pack the box too tightly. Close the flaps and seal the box with packing tape using the “H” taping method: tape along the center seam, then tape along the edges of the flaps to create an “H” shape.
Line the bottom of the larger box with a three-inch layer of packing material. Place the smaller box inside the larger box, roughly in the middle. Fill the remaining space around the sides of the smaller box with more packing material. Gently shake the larger box to ensure the smaller box does not move. Add packing material on top of the smaller box before closing the flaps of the larger box. Tape the larger box shut with strong packing tape using the “H” method again.
If the bottles contain liquid, position the box vertically with the caps facing up. To ensure the box stays vertical while in transit, write “This side up” and draw an arrow pointing upward on each side of the box. You should also write “Fragile” in large, bold letters on each side of the box. Just make sure to leave enough free space for a shipping label! If you are shipping liquids classified as hazardous materials, remember to label the box accordingly and include all necessary paperwork.
The last step is to attach a shipping label to the box. You can either take your package to the nearest post office, where an employee will label it for you after you pay the postage, or purchase a shipping label online, print it out, and attach it to the box yourself.