Beyond Shipping
Corrugated boxes are the Swiss Army knife of the warehouse world. Sure, they ship products — but creative warehouse managers have found dozens of secondary uses that save money and boost organization.
1. Bin-Style Shelf Organizers
Cut the tops off sturdy boxes and use them as bins on shelving units. Label the front face with a marker. Cost per bin: practically zero. This works especially well with smaller Grade C or D boxes that are too worn for shipping but structurally fine for storage.
2. Seasonal Inventory Staging
Use gaylord boxes to create temporary staging zones during peak seasons. Unlike permanent shelving, gaylords can be moved with a forklift, reconfigured, or removed when the season ends. Many fulfillment centers set up temporary gaylord-based pick stations during the holidays.
3. Returns Processing Stations
Designate gaylord boxes for different return categories: resellable, damaged, needs inspection. Fork them to different processing areas as they fill up. Much faster and more flexible than fixed sorting stations.
4. Parts Kitting and Assembly
Line up a row of boxes on a bench, each containing a different component. Workers can kit orders by walking the line and picking from each box. When a box empties, swap in a full one.
5-9: More Ideas
5. Overflow packing stations — Set up temporary pack-and-ship stations using stacked boxes as the work surface during peak periods.
6. Dust covers — Drape flattened boxes over equipment or inventory that needs protection from dust but not full shrink wrapping.
7. Floor protection — Lay flattened boxes on the floor when painting, oiling equipment, or doing messy maintenance work.
8. Vertical dividers — Stand tall, narrow boxes upright inside gaylords to create compartments for sorting smaller items.
9. Training materials — Use empty boxes to set up mock pick-and-pack stations for training new warehouse staff without risking real inventory.