Custom Moulded Pulp Packaging

Common Moulded Pulp Packaging Shapes

Every moulded pulp part is designed around a product, but most fall into a handful of familiar families: Fragile items that need to hang clear of the walls use the related air float boxes with a suspension film.

• Product trays: a single-piece tray with a pocket for the product and smaller pockets for cables or accessories.
• Clamshells: two halves joined by a hinge that close around the product, often used for small electronics and gift items.
• End caps and corner blocks: pieces that fit over the ends or corners of a larger item inside a carton, absorbing knocks.
• Bottle shippers: cradles that hold one or several bottles apart so they cannot knock together in a parcel.
• Lidded pulp boxes: a base and lid moulded in pulp, used as the main pack for candles, cosmetics and small gifts.

Designing a Fit That Protects

Good moulded pulp design balances grip and give. The pocket should hold the product firmly so it cannot shift, while the walls and ribs around it flex slightly to absorb the shock of a drop. Too tight and the product is hard to remove; too loose and it rattles.

We start from a sample of your product, or from accurate dimensions and a drawing if a sample is not ready. From there we agree the pocket shape, wall thickness, draft angles that let the part release from the mould and any finger notches that help customers lift the product out. Small features such as raised text or a logo can be built into the mould itself.

We also design the outer box at the same time, so the pulp part fits snugly inside it. A pulp insert that slides about in an oversized carton loses much of its protective value.

Before full production, we can supply a sample part from the finished mould. Pack it with your real product, put it in its outer box and send it through your normal courier to yourself. A real journey is the most honest test of any protective packaging, and it shows whether any adjustment is needed before the full run of parts is made. Our guide to measuring products for packaging covers draft angles and clearance.

Branding Moulded Pulp

Pulp itself is not printed in the same way as card. Branding usually comes from three places. First, a debossed or embossed logo moulded into the surface, which looks subtle and premium on smooth pulp. Second, colour: pulp can be produced in natural fibre shades, bleached white or dyed in some solid colours, depending on the material available for the job. Third, printed sleeves, labels or outer boxes that frame the pulp part.

Many brands combine a plain pulp tray with a fully printed outer box or sleeve. That way the printed card carries the colours and messaging, while the pulp provides structure and a tactile, natural feel when the box is opened.

A simple printed belly band around a natural pulp box is one of the most cost-effective looks we make: the band carries the name and product details, and the textured pulp underneath does the rest. Upload the logo through the free proof request and we will show it debossed on the tray.

Who Uses Moulded Pulp Packaging

We see strong interest from consumer electronics brands replacing foam in earbud and speaker packaging, skincare and fragrance companies building gift sets, candle makers sending jars and vessels by post, drinks producers shipping bottles to customers, and homeware sellers protecting ceramics and glass.

It also suits subscription boxes that send the same items every month, because once the mould is made, packing becomes fast and consistent. Businesses moving away from bubble wrap and loose fill often find that a single pulp tray replaces several separate packing materials and makes packing quicker. The outer cartons those trays sit in are made as corrugated folding boxes sized to the pulp.

Send the Product and a Year's Packing Forecast

Pulp is a mould before it is a part, so two things decide if it is right for you: the product itself, posted to us or drawn with accurate dimensions and weight, and how many you expect to pack over a year. The mould pays back over steady use; for a short run a card insert is better value and we will say so. Tell us how the parcel travels and whether the tray will be seen by the customer, which decides smooth or natural pulp.

A custom quote comes back by email within one working day covering the mould and the parts, with the mould lead time confirmed on it. Ask for a sample part from the finished mould, pack your real product in it and post it to yourself before the full run. Printed outer boxes for the same order are made in 4–7 working days after the free proof is approved, with tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses free and taking 2–3 working days. Damaged parts or wrong print reported within 10 days are replaced or refunded. Very delicate instruments that need softer cushioning move to foam inserts cut to shape instead.