Food drives and other charity initiatives can be difficult to wrangle. There’s people to manage, outreach to perform, and donations to catalogue and sort. That’s why organization is key to making things progress smoothly, and packaging supplies are a big part of that. They’ll help ensure that the right items reach the right people in the right way, benefiting everyone that’s involved. Whether you’re doing the donating or the organizing and distributing, this list of packaging supplies for food drives will help keep your efforts on the right track.

Corrugated Boxes

Boxes are a go-to for any packing, sorting or storing projects. They’re a tried, tested and true way to handle the collection and grouping of objects, which is why they’re important as supplies for food drives. Really, any corrugated box will do the trick, provided it’s new or undamaged and can accommodate what you want to put in it. Cube boxes, heavy duty boxes and even moving boxes are suitable, but there are two types which might be particularly of use for distribution.

Multi-Depth Boxes can be cut down to a lower height as needed, without sacrificing support or protection. This is ideal for packing more boxes into a crowded truck or storage unit.

File Storage Boxes have lids (often attached to the boxes) that aid in both easy access and easy closure. They also have pre-cut hand holds on the sides of the boxes which makes carrying them around a lot easier. However, despite their strength, it’s best not to overload them with cans.

Paper Grocery Bags

Depending on the amount of food your operation’s able to distribute, paper grocery bags are a boon to your collection processes. Shipped flat for maximum space, a thumb notch makes them simple to open, and gusseted walls make packing bulky or multiple items easier. Their strength and construction make them both reusable and recyclable. After all, there’s a reason they’re still popular in grocery stores.

Corrugated Bins & Cargo Bins

If you’re not prepped and ready to receive and sort food as it comes in the door, you can be overwhelmed quickly. And once things pile up in unsorted stacks, it can be difficult to ever catch up. Corrugated bins act as sort-and-move-on areas to collect items like cans, boxes, and soft packages such as noodle packs and bread bags. Large bins are ideal for those rush times, but smaller bins can help keep little things like condiments and spices stored until needed.

Corrugated Trays

Soup cans are well-designed objects. A lip at the top and a groove at the bottom make most of them easy to stack on shelves and in cupboards. But what about in a mass sort-and-store environment like your charity project? After stacking up a few levels of cans, they won’t remain stable for long. That’s why corrugated trays are key packaging supplies for food drives. They help collect cans (or bottles, boxes or anything of similar sizing) in easily managed flat containers. They’re easy to build, easy to carry and easy to layer in far more secure and stable stacks.

Kraft Paper Rolls

Kraft paper is a versatile packaging material. It’s a great way to keep certain items separated and protected from each other. And it’s also ideal for providing some discretion and privacy as to what it’s wrapped around. That’s a big plus when dealing with the donating and distributing of food to those in need. We all have our pride, no matter what position we’re in.Kraft paper sheets are pre-cut for quick use, while kraft paper rolls are ideal for using during high-volume times.

Charity and volunteer work is quite the undertaking. But with these packaging supplies for food drives helping to guide the way, you’ve got the solid foundation your plans need. Coupled with your integrity and determination, we know you’ll have things well in hand. For your source of all things packaging, be sure to stick with The Packaging Company.