Void fill has one job
Void fill takes up empty space so the goods do not hit the walls of the box. It is different from bubble wrap, which cushions a surface, and from tape, which closes the carton. If you can shake the closed box and hear the contents move, the void is not filled.
The better first step is often a smaller box. Fill is the answer when the goods are an awkward shape, or when you do not have a carton that matches them. A box that is much too large will use a lot of fill and still protect less well than a closer size.
Loose fill, paper and the other options
Loose fill and void fill are grouped in the protection range, with a further category for paper void fill. Packing peanuts are the loose chips. The eco-friendly page describes Ecoflo peanuts as made from corn starch and as a biodegradable void fill. Paper void fill is the paper alternative, including the paper systems listed in that category.
Foam wrap, corrugated paper rolls and honeycomb paper are sheet materials. They can cradle an item and take up some space, but they are not the same as a volume of loose fill. Edge strips protect a corner. They do not fill a void.
What not to use as fill
Bubble wrap used only as a ball of padding is an expensive way to fill a gap, and it does not lock the goods in place the way a volume of fill does. Newspaper offcuts are in the papers category if you want a basic paper fill. They are not a substitute for a tested void-fill product when the goods are fragile.
The eco-friendly category also lists air pillows made from recycled material, and paper void fill that the page describes as recycled and recyclable. Use those when the rest of the pack is meant to stay in the lower-impact range.
Add it to the same order as the box
Void fill is in the protection category. Open loose fill, paper void fill or the wider protection range, then add the cartons and the tape. Orders placed by 3pm are dispatched the same day, with free UK delivery on orders over £50 ex VAT.