As of: April 3, 2024, 6:58 a.m
By: Bjarne Kommnick, Julia Hanigk
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The symbols on packages often cause confusion. Because for many it is not immediately obvious what they actually stand for.
Bremen – Regardless of whether it is dangerous goods, electronic items or just a book: there are hardly any things that cannot be sent. To ensure that transport works properly and the package is handled with the necessary care, there are various symbols that identify the packages.
It makes sense that most of these symbols are also easy to understand. For example, most people immediately know that a sticker with a wine glass on it indicates that the contents are fragile. But not all symbols are so obvious – one symbol in particular could cause confusion.
What does the diamond symbol on the package mean?
A black and white diamond symbol that can be seen on many packages does not reveal what it means at first glance. However, DHL clarifies with an information sheet: The black diamond, which is black at the top and bottom and white in the middle, is a shipping item that contains "limited quantities" of substances and items approved under the ADR dangerous goods law - also known as " “Limited Quantities”.
These substances include, among others, flammable and toxic substances that are liquid or gaseous. The individual products are listed in the “Directory of Dangerous Goods”, also known as ADR (Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road). It is important to note that a package with this marking cannot weigh more than 30 kilograms. Recently, however, consumer advocates also warned of a scam involving Amazon packages.
The symbols on packages have important meanings for shipping. (Symbolic image) © Sascha Steinach/IMAGO
Substances that meet this classification must be clearly and permanently marked. According to DHL, the minimum dimensions for the symbol must be 100 by 100 millimeters and the minimum width of the diamond boundary line must be two millimeters. If the size of a package so requires, this mark may be reduced to not less than 50 by 50 millimeters and the width of the boundary line may be reduced to one millimeter, provided that it remains clearly visible.
Detect hazardous substances in advance: package labeling makes this possible
In practice, the symbol could mean that an approved hazardous substance could be supplied in, for example, 20 different 1 liter containers, but not in a single 20 liter container. Because if a single container of the 20 different containers is damaged, only one liter of the dangerous substance could leak. If a single 20-liter container were damaged, the entire amount could leak at the same time and the damage would be correspondingly greater.
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However, the information is rather irrelevant for the recipient of the package. Rather, it informs suppliers and logistics companies about how their employees should handle the goods in question. Customers usually don't have to pay any attention. DHL customers repeatedly complain about packages with destroyed contents.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.