In the UK alone, only one in three of us has received all of their package deliveries as planned, per year. Increasingly, the ever-expanding shipping industry is leaving shoppers in the cold, with packages becoming damaged, stolen or tampered with before delivery is completed.
The first line of defence for packages against this rising problem is tamper evident tape; which leaves behind clear evidence if someone should interfere with the packaged good. When we decide to leave packages on our doorstep or in our safe spaces, tamper evident protocol preserves this barrier of trust between courier and customer.
This incredibly useful tape, though, is not used in shipping alone. Its unique features and capabilities have resulted in the tape lending itself well to a number of industries. Below, we list what tamper evident tape is, as well as its importance in our economy.
What is Tamper Evident Tape and How Does it Work?
Funnily enough, tamper evident technology isn’t new. Letters - ever since ancient times - were sealed with wax and pressed with the sender’s signet ring to prevent information from being leaked. If that envelope was opened before reaching its destination, there would be tangible evidence of interference and a solid paper trail of blame. In modern times, however, we’ve gotten a bit more nuanced with postage.
As explained, tamper evident tape works by leaving behind clear evidence when a package has been opened. As soon as the tape is pulled away from the package, the tape leaves behind the words “VOID OPENED”. More often than not, this initial deterrent will prevent people from interacting with packages they shouldn’t. It also makes it obvious for businesses to keep track of packaged goods on site, especially those with sensitive materials and products, such as the medical industry.
Tamper evident tape works by leaving behind a relatively aggressive form of adhesive. When the tape is peeled, the adhesive residue left behind spells out the aforementioned words. These tapes contain a type of adhesive known as “sensitive transfer adhesive”. Typically, quality in these products equates to how well it’ll work on tougher, less common packages.
Uses for Tamper Evident Technology
Tamper evident tape is used in a number of industries and disciplines, including:
- Food delivery: Following a series of PR-related disasters from food couriers being caught stealing food, some food delivery companies are now opting to add tamper evident tape to their package options.
- Jar food packaging: Tamper evident plastic is often found around jars to guarantee the good’s sanitary condition.
- Tamper evident bags: Used for transferring bagged contents that require authorised access. Commonly, these are used to transfer money between locations.
- Pharmaceutical packaging: Tamper-evident labels are essential to maintaining the safety and security of medicine and pharmaceuticals.
- Shipping: As mentioned previously, the shipping industry relies heavily on tamper-evident packaging to provide a layer of trust and security.
- Other tamper products: Tamper evident products can be used for unique purposes such as seals on caravan doors, tape to stop unauthorised entry, tape for warranty purposes, as well as security seals, which Label Source stocks.
It pays to have good tamper evident tape that works, so Label Source has stocked the best in tamper evident tape for a variety of uses. For more from the ever-changing world of labels, be sure to follow Label Source on Facebook and Twitter.
