How to label storage bins

Whether it’s in a commercial or domestic setting, storage bins are a great way to separate, store and organise items. The only problem is when you have more than one storage bin storing various things, how do you quickly identify which storage bin you need? This can become a mammoth task, particularly in a commercial setting where efficiency is key. How you label your storage bins is going to be key successfully organising your storage.

Step 1: Choose your label type

First of all, you need to consider what you’re going to be storing. Will the storage bin require specialised labelling, for example, heavy or fragile? It’s also worth noting that there might be a legal requirement to ensure that specific items carry the correct labelling.

Step 2: Choose your label material

For simple office storage, the standard white sticky label may suffice, but for storage which may be subject to weathering, a weatherproof or laminated label might be more appropriate. For storage bins which will have different items being stored in them at different times, a label holder may be more appropriate so that a card label can be removed and replaced when the contents of the storage bin change. You might even decide to use a simple blue painters tape to label your bins, which has strong adhesive but is also easily removable.

Step 3: Colour coding or numeric labelling?

To quickly identify related items in numerous storage bins, you may want to consider either a colour coding system or number labelling system. Which system you choose on what works best for you, but if you have a very large quantity of storage bins, numeric labelling is probably going to be better. 

Step 4: Label by hand or machine

Now that you know what labelling type, material and system you want to use, you can either start labelling manually or enlist the help of a labelling machine. Items such as a hand labeller will make the task easier, we sell various electronic label makers too.

Once your storage bins are labelled, you will hopefully find they are much easier to organise! If you need to better organise your office or warehouse, take a look at our storage bin products on our website.