This guide explains what octabins are made of, why the shape matters, where they are used, how much they hold, how to assemble and stack them, and how they compare with alternatives like IBCs, drums and rigid pallet boxes. It also includes practical tables, a step by step packing checklist and short answers to the questions teams ask most often.
What is an octabin?
An octabin is a form of a large cardboard box known for their innovative design. As the name suggests, octabins have eight sides – making them more durable than traditional four-sided cardboard boxes and can be easily secured to pallets.
An octabin gives you the efficiency of a pallet box with the strength of triple wall corrugate, so bulk goods travel safely without the cost and handling pain of drums or rigid bins.
What is an octabin made out of?
An octabin is a three part packaging system designed to sit on a standard pallet footprint.
- Base: either a corrugated base tray or a timber or plastic pallet.
- Sleeve: an octagonal tube made from heavy duty corrugated board. Most sleeves are double wall or triple wall for extra compression strength.
- Lid: a snug fitting cap that locks the sleeve in shape, spreads stacking loads and protects contents.
Many octabins also use an inner liner. Liners can be plain polythene for dust protection, food grade for ingredients and powders or barrier grade for moisture sensitive products. For high flow materials you will sometimes see integrated chutes, tear off panels or fitments that make discharge easier at the destination.
What are the characteristics of an octabin?
Octabins are known to be extremely heavy-duty, constructed from double or triple wall board grade for additional protection. Most octabins have a base and sleeve design, with a lid to fit. The walls of an octabin are typically secured together using metal staples, making them great for handling heavier products or bulk goods.
Eight panels create more vertical support than a square wall and reduce stress points during handling. The rounder geometry helps resist bulging when you fill with powders or granules. It also gives a better compromise between board usage and usable volume, which is why octabins are a common choice for bulk resin, pet food and dry ingredients.
What are octabins used for?
Octabins move bulk products that pour or pack down well, especially when you want pallet level quantities without the cost of rigid containers.
Uses include:
- Fresh produce: Great for seasonal harvests like pumpkins and root veg, with food-grade liners and vent options to protect quality in transit.
- Liquids: Best for viscous or semi-liquid products only when used with engineered liners and a tested fill height, otherwise choose IBCs.
- Pet food and animal feed: kibble, meal and supplements.
- Chemicals: Suited to non-hazardous powders and pellets using triple-wall board and clear handling marks for safe storage and transport.
- Granules: Ideal for polymer pellets, resins and salts, with liners to control dust and tear strips for cleaner discharge.
- Small goods in large quantities: Consolidates many small items into a single pallet unit to speed loading and keep line-side areas tidy.
- Recycling and waste: lightweight loose materials, offcuts and defective items awaiting certified destruction.
Learn more about how our octabins were used as an ideal packaging solution for the UK’s leading pumpkin supplier here.
What are the benefits of octabins?
There are many benefits of using octabins, including:
- Sustainability – our octabins are 100% recyclable and are made from a renewable source, helping to achieve a circular economy.
- Affordability – compared to metal or timber octabins, cardboard is a much more affordable alternative. Reducing your costs overall.
- Durability – the intelligent design combined with the strength of heavy-duty cardboard provides maximum strength and durability.
- Bespoke – our octabins can be made bespoke, customised and tailored to suit your needs and specifications. This includes the dimensions as well as printing.
- Optimises warehouse space – as well as being shipped flat, our octabins are easy to assemble. This reduces the space needed to store them as well as saving time on construction.
Octabins are a great way to improve your supply chain, as they are shipped flat to utilise space in your warehouse. As they are made from cardboard, this makes them lighter in weight compared to other material alternatives which allows you to reduce shipping costs.
Here at Lesters, we offer bespoke octabins to meet your sustainable packaging needs. Our octabins can be made to your specifications, with added features such as discharge points.
How Lesters Packaging can help
Choosing the right bulk pack is only half the job. The value shows up when octabins move quickly through goods in, store safely and flow to customers without damages or delays. That is where Lesters Logistics supports your team.
- Storage and distribution that match your peaks and lulls, so full pallets move on time and empty sleeves never clog your aisles.
- Pick and pack standards that keep lids tight, labels clean and loads stable through the carrier network.
- Stock and Serve routines that maintain accurate counts for your bulk SKUs and trigger replenishment at the right moment.
- Environmental disposal for damaged or obsolete stock with full certification when you need a secure route out.
Share your volumes, seasonality and carrier mix and we will design an octabin flow that protects product, space and cost. At every point in the chain our goal is the same.
If you are looking for sustainable, innovative and cost-effective packaging, get in touch with our expert team today to find out more or discover our wide range of products to find your ideal packaging solution.
FAQs
Are octabins recyclable?
Yes, they are. The corrugated sleeve, base and lid are recyclable. Separate the liner, which may have a different recycling route.
What is the difference between an octabin and a pallet box?
A pallet box is a rigid container, usually plastic, designed for multiple trips. An octabin is corrugate based, collapses flat and is typically single trip, though sleeves can sometimes be reused if undamaged.
Can I open a side to pick from the bin?
Yes. Choose a sleeve with a drop door or a removable panel. This is common in kitting and line side delivery.