Any pointers for shipping cans? I'm assuming considerably less packaging can be used vs shipping bottles?
Put something stiff over the top (I use heavy cardboard). The biggest danger is the box being jostled & one of the pop-tops getting punctured. If you have locals who use those plastic tops on 4 or 6 packs of cans, save them. I use them for the same reason, to protect the tops. Make sure you put something between them so they don't clank. Newspaper, or just about anything, will do. You are correct, you don't need to pad them nearly as much as you do bottles. Good luck!
That's what I've been doing too, just not bubble wrapping as hard core as I would bottles. Everything's come out ok, but I still think it's an overkill. Just wondering what everyone else was doing.
I hate shipping cans. Styrofoam and pulpboard shippers make bottles so easy and safe. But cans...there is a small market for a product to ship cans. I will often keep them together in a six pack in the center of a box with plenty of padding all around. My theory is the box can get bumped and banged but they are less likely to get hit being in the center. I've also taken them and stacked one on top of another and put bubble wrap around those two, kind of treating them then like a bottle.
I've done it many ways -- indiv cans getting their own Ziploc bag, throwing a sixer into a gallon bag, etc. -- generous use of bubble wrap/padding to eliminate movement like normal, trash bag liner like normal, and off you go. I did a combo of this for 24x cans in a package once -- that thing was an absolute brick, but it was packed tight as heck and made the journey just fine. tl;dr - be smart, but yeah prob less packaging.
I love shipping cans (and crowlers)...so much less weight from package. I agree with using/reusing the plastic tops from 4packs and 6packs. Also, the cardboard inserts from wine/bomber cases works great in between the cans to prevent them from rubbing/clanking together. I then usually wrap the whole thing (whether it is one six pack or three six packs) in a couple of layers of bubble wrap and then tape it. It makes one big bundle that is protected from being punctured and helps take up some space in the box.
