Packing peanuts were invented in 1965 by the Dow Chemical Company, and were created as a means of protecting items that are shipped in postal or parcel packages. As time as gone by, packing peanuts have gone through a few different stages and improvements. For instance, not all packing peanuts are white. Some of them are green and some of them are pink. Green packing peanuts are made largely from recycled material and are thus environmentally friendly. Pink packing peanuts are those that have been treated with special chemicals to keep them from being static. The regular white packing peanut is made of non-recycled polystyrene, and can be very static, sticking all over the sides of the box, and when opened, onto the carpet as well.
Packing peanuts likely got their name from their distinctive size and shape which resembles a peanut in its shell. However, not all packing peanuts look alike. Some are shaped more like an “s” and others may even be round, depending on the manufacturer.
While some may say that packing peanuts cause environmental concerns, the fact is that they can be used indefinitely and never need to be thrown out. Some parcel delivery stores even accept used packing peanuts from citizens to pad the parcels of their clients. Packing peanuts also have seem to have found other homemade uses, such as acting as filler for beanbag chairs, drainage for houseplants and even a tool used in kids crafts.
Parcel delivery services always encourage the use of packing peanuts, as they help to guarantee safe delivery of the items being shipped. They are one of the most commonly used packaging items in the world today.
In addition to protecting your shipments with packing peanuts, it is important to utilize a good courier. One of the resources that can be used to find a high-quality courier is a website called myParcelDelivery™.com. myParcelDelivery™.com is a comparison and booking website that helps users to find a great deal from one of the many parcel couriers in the UK, such as City Link and others. Users can book a pickup right online and can even have shipping labels sent to their computer for printing, so that they can have their package all ready by the time the courier arrives.
So the next time you open a parcel delivery and a mountain of packing peanuts falls out, you can share with your colleages the many things that you have learned about their history, characterization and usage.
