For a Hobart business, almost every carton that leaves the state crosses Bass Strait, and that sea leg is often the single largest transport cost in the whole supply chain. When freight is that expensive, a carton that fails in transit is not just a replacement, it is the freight paid twice. That is the case for a carton seal that bonds into the board and holds. Carewell supplies water activated tape to Tasmanian producers with distribution into Hobart.
Key points
- Bass Strait freight is proportionally the biggest cost in a typical Tasmanian supply chain, so a failed carton is an expensive failure.
- Water activated tape bonds into the corrugated fibres, so one strip holds through a long sea and road journey where plastic tape can peel.
- Premium Tasmanian food and beverage brands can pair it with recyclable kraft cartons and branded print for a parcel that matches the product.
- Carewell will work to your required minimum order quantity. Talk to our team, whether you are a small-batch producer or a processor shipping pallets.
The Hobart packaging picture
Southern Tasmania’s packaging demand comes from premium food and beverage: Atlantic salmon and ocean trout from the Huon and D’Entrecasteaux, whisky and gin distilleries around Hobart and the Coal River Valley, berries, honey, dairy, and the Salamanca and Huon Valley maker economy. More than 80% of Tasmania’s food and beverages are sold interstate or overseas, so most of this output is packed for a long journey, not a local one.
That journey is a road leg to Devonport, a Bass Strait crossing, then road distribution on the mainland or a transfer to export. Long dwell times, humidity, and multiple handling points are the norm.
Problems Hobart businesses tell us about
- Freight is too expensive to redo. With Bass Strait the largest line in the supply chain, damage, rework and returns cost far more from Tasmania than from a mainland capital. The seal has to be right the first time.
- Long, humid transit. A carton sealed on a Huon Valley bench might not be opened for a week or more, after a sea crossing. Plastic tape can lift at a corner over that time; a fibre-bonded seal does not.
- Premium provenance, premium presentation. Tasmanian brands sell on quality and origin. A recyclable kraft carton with a branded paper seal reflects that better than clear plastic tape, and meets mainland retailers’ sustainability requirements.
- Small batches. Much of the state’s output comes from small producers who cannot take a pallet of one tape. Flexible minimum orders matter here more than anywhere.
Where water activated tape fits
- Producers shipping interstate: reinforced grade for the long sea-and-road journey, full H-pattern top and bottom. See reinforced vs non-reinforced and sealing for the journey.
- Premium DTC and gift brands: non-reinforced or light reinforced, printed with your brand, on a recyclable kraft carton.
- Chilled seafood and dairy: water activated tape seals the ambient outer carton; it is not for the refrigerated surfaces inside. We will advise where it fits your process.
- Higher volume processors: an electric dispenser keeps seal quality consistent across a shift. See the dispenser guide.
Supply into Hobart and Tasmania
Carewell supplies Tasmanian businesses with national distribution. We supply the whole dispatch line, not just the tape: reinforced and non-reinforced water activated tape, dispensers, cartons, kraft paper mailers, honeycomb mailers, paper void fill, and custom-designed packaging built to your product.
Carewell can meet all your packaging needs
One supplier for the tape, the carton, the fill and the branding, designed to work together and delivered to Hobart and across Australia. If your product needs a specific carton, insert or seal, we engineer it to fit rather than making you adapt to stock sizes. Talk to our team about what you ship and we will work to your required minimum order quantity, whether you are a small-batch distillery or a seafood processor packing pallets.
Carewell is certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, and is an APCO member. Request a quote and samples or call +61 (02) 8760 1491.
Frequently asked questions
Do you supply water activated tape in Hobart?
Yes. We supply Tasmanian businesses with national distribution into Hobart and southern Tasmania.
Why does the carton seal matter more for a Tasmanian business?
Because Bass Strait freight is often the largest single cost in the supply chain, a carton that fails in transit means paying that freight twice. A fibre-bonded seal is built to survive the long sea-and-road journey.
Can you supply small quantities for a small producer?
Yes. Talk to our team about your volume and we will work to a minimum order quantity that suits a small-batch operation.
Is water activated tape suitable for chilled seafood cartons?
It seals the ambient outer carton, not the refrigerated surfaces inside. Talk to us about your process and we will advise.
Can the tape carry our branding?
Yes, flexographic or digital print in water-based inks, so the carton stays recyclable.
Written by Alif Vasaya, digital and content strategy, Carewell Group. Carewell Group is an Australian packaging, food packaging, tape, industrial safety and 3PL supplier serving Hobart and all of Australia. Last updated 10 September 2026.