Plastic boxes come in all shapes and sizes. Similarly, pricing and costs of plastic boxes also vary depending upon several factors such as size, color, brand, type of plastic used and more. When deciding on purchasing plastic boxes for your business, determining the costs involved will help you stay within your budget.

There are many retailers that have just the right type of plastic boxes for your business. You can also buy used or recycled plastic boxes to cut costs. Plastic box wholesalers are also a great option if you know you will need a large number of plastic boxes.

1. Determine your budget before you purchase plastic storage boxes.

2. Rent industrial plastic boxes to stay within your budget.

3. Consider buying plastic boxes wholesale to save on costs.

Action Steps
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Research plastic boxes in order to set a budget

It is necessary to outline a budget for plastic boxes before you venture out to make purchases. List all of the features that your business requires the plastic boxes to have and begin your research online. Consider size, weight and the type of plastic that you will need in order to find the right price.

I recommend: The Box Depot provides a wide selection of clear plastic retail boxes. Prices range by size and embellishment. If your business is seeking plastic boxes for storage, Office Depot stocks a great variety. Its website allows you to search plastic boxes by price, which helps with planning and staying within your budget.

Rent plastic boxes to stay within your budget

Plastic box rental is a great solution if you need plastic shipping boxes. They are efficient and will usually cost less than buying plastic boxes.

I recommend: Rentacrate rents plastic storage boxes with a focus on office relocation. Rentagreenbox.com is an innovative solution which provides green rental plastic boxes for moving which are made from recycled plastic. It even delivers and picks-up the boxes from your door.

Consider buying used, recycled or refurbished plastic boxes

If you need large scale or industrial plastic boxes, buying used or refurbished boxes helps cuts costs considerably. These boxes are ideal for industrial storage usage and transport.

I recommend: Terminal Steel deals in used collapsible storage boxes. These industrial plastic boxes are great for start-ups as they are cheap, but do not compromise on functionality. REUSABLE TRANSPORT PACKAGING also deals in used industrial boxes.

Purchase in bulk from plastic box wholesalers to save on costs

If you require large quantities of plastic boxes, such as for retail, then your best option is to buy plastic boxes wholesale.

I recommend: PAPER MART offers a wide variety of plastic boxes in many shapes including round, cylindrical, rectangular, conical and more. The more you buy, the cheaper the prices. You can also buy plastic boxes wholesale at Uline.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To get embellished and custom plastic boxes without the custom price tag, buy clear boxes and personalize them yourself with printed labels. Or, line a clear plastic box with colored paper, rather than springing for a more expensive colored plastic box.

Plastic boxes can also play an important role in your storage system. Sturdy plastic storage boxes can protect goods and materials from the elements. Clear plastic storage boxes can allow you to view stored contents without having to manually move and open boxes. In addition, if you sell heavy products that need superior protection during shipping, you should consider using plastic shipping boxes.

Whether you’re looking for plastic packaging boxes, plastic storage boxes or plastic shipping boxes, you have a wealth of choices. To find plastic boxes that suit your needs:

1. Determine which style of plastic boxes works best to display your products.
2. Evaluate the quantity of plastic boxes you need and order accordingly.
3. Consider plastic storage boxes that are stackable.

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Choose plastic packaging boxes for retail

For retail packaging, plastic boxes can lend an air of sophistication while providing protection to food and other products. If your products are beautiful enough to sell themselves, clear plastic packaging boxes may be your best bet. Frosted plastic boxes can also add appeal to your product line.

I recommend: Paper Mart Packaging Store and U.S. Box Corp. carry large selections of plastic packaging boxes in dozens of styles and sizes. Additional plastic box suppliers can be found in the listings at Business.com.

Choose specialty or novelty plastic packaging boxes

Specialty plastic boxes can help your products stand out on store shelves. Plastic boxes with holiday themes or unusual shapes may make your goods more memorable.

I recommend: Find an array of novelty plastic packaging boxes and decorative plastic boxes at U.S. Box Corp. or at The Box Depot.

Look for durable plastic storage boxes and plastic shipping boxes

If you need to store or ship bulky or weighty items, choose heavy-duty plastic storage boxes and plastic shipping boxes. Sturdy plastic boxes are less likely to tear or rip and can help prevent injuries to employees who are moving or stacking boxes.

I recommend: You can find a great selection of heavy-duty, stackable plastic storage boxes and plastic shipping boxes at Global Industrial or at Anytime Products. Find more plastic box vendors at Business.com.

Use plastic boxes to tote equipment

If your business requires you to be on the road and you have to carry tools or equipment that need protection, consider plastic boxes or plastic cases as a tote. A sturdy plastic shell and foam interior can provide the protection your equipment needs.

I recommend: The Plastic Forming Co. and Plasticase offer a variety of plastic boxes and plastic cases that can be custom designed to work with your tools or equipment.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For plastic storage boxes, decide if you need large boxes to store bulky items or small boxes to hold small individual pieces.
• •  Make sure plastic shipping boxes and plastic storage boxes are sturdy enough to protect your materials.
• •  When choosing shapes for plastic packaging boxes for retail, consider how they will be displayed on store shelves - lying flat, sitting at an angle or hanging from a rack.

Whether you want to sell a variety of plastic boxes as part of a storage materials business, need custom plastic boxes to package your retail offerings or require industrial plastic boxes for your business's own storage needs, it is important to understand the vocabulary that describes plastic boxes.

By familiarizing yourself with plastic boxes key terms, it will be easier to decide which plastic box solutions are appropriate for your business needs. Different applications require different types of plastic and many of these plastics are identified by highly technical names. In order to make the right choice when sourcing plastic boxes for your business you must first:

1. Determine which type of plastic is best for your needs.

2. Understand the different styles of plastic boxes that are available.

3. Decide between industrial and commercial plastic boxes.

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Learn the technical terms that describe the plastics used for making plastic boxes

There is a vast array of specialized terminology used to describe the plastics used to create all styles of plastic boxes from acrylic plastic boxes to clear plastic boxes. It is important to be knowledgeable of the different types and specifications available before making a selection.

I recommend: Hammarplast defines the different types of plastics used in easy to understand detail. Coroplast offers a useful glossary that defines the different specifications of the resin that it uses to make its plastic boxes.

Discover the common terms for different plastic box shapes and styles

Plastic boxes come in all different shapes and sizes to meet all manner of applications. If you need a clear plastic box for retail purposes, the available options are almost endless. Save your business time and money by learning the basic terms for the types of boxes you wish to acquire.

I recommend: Cargille-Sacher Laboratories explains the different shapes it has available for plastic boxes. Familiarize yourself with the most common styles of plastic boxes including hinged, friction fit and conductive by browsing the full color photo galleries at Althor Products.

Familiarize yourself with the vocabulary of industrial plastic boxes

If you need plastic boxes for shipping and storage applications, look to industrial plastic boxes. Industrial plastic boxes come in many different shapes and sizes and are made from various types of plastic. Read up on all of the options to determine the right fit for your business.

I recommend: Universal Container Incorporated provides specifications of the terms associated with its corrugated plastic storage boxes. TotesUSA provides a handy glossary covering terms related to all of its storage and plastic shipping boxes.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before you buy plastic boxes, ask the company for samples. This will allow you get a better sense of the properties of the different types and styles of plastic available before you make an investment.

Almost any business owner will need plastic boxes for some part of daily operations. It could be as simple as using clear plastic boxes to store paper clips or as large scale as using plastic shipping boxes to send goods to customers overseas.

You should do some research to determine what plastic box types and styles are most appropriate for your business. You may find that several types will be beneficial to you such as:

1. Plastic storage boxes that are good for keeping the office neat and organized.

2. Industrial plastic boxes made for sending out large amounts of merchandise.

3. Custom plastic boxes that can hold promotional items.

Action Steps
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Buy plastic boxes you can use to organize your office

Everyone's seen offices that have papers and office supplies strewn about, but not everyone knows that plastic boxes can help prevent this from happening. Plastic boxes are prefect organization tools because they are durable, lightweight and easy to label. You can even get transparent boxes so you can view what's inside without having to open them.

I recommend: Use clear plastic cases like the ones Organize-It sells to keep small items like paper clips and tacks in their proper place. For larger items, consider bins from Newell Rubbermaid . They come in four different sizes, with the biggest one holding 54 gallons. Each bin comes with a lid, and most are stackable so they can fit on closet shelves.

Look at plastic shipping boxes for sending out products

While crates or pallets work for shipping some items, using sealable plastic shipping boxes may be a better choice if your merchandise can be damaged if it gets wet. This can prevent loss of your valuable merchandise before it reaches its destination.

I recommend: Hardigg Industries sells plastic shipping cases for electronics which can help ensure they arrive without damage, even under harsh circumstances. These cases are designed for the military, so they're built to be tough. Amatech Polycel sells plastic boxes that have carry handles and flaps, making them as easy to use as cardboard boxes. They can even lie flat for storage.

Consider promotional plastic boxes that can be stocked with a variety of items

If you're giving out a small item as a promotion, a branded plastic storage box is the perfect thing to put it in. If either the box, the item or both is of high quality, the recipient may keep it for future use.

I recommend: Look at the sewing kit that Branders sells in a promotional plastic box. It contains needles, thread and buttons and is useful at home and for taking on trips. Then check out Inkhead Promotional Products' first aid kit that comes in a plastic box. The lid can be embossed with your logo in a one- or two-color imprint. The box fits into most desk drawers and handbags and can be endlessly refilled.