Packaging Materials Marketed for Forensic Use
There are a number of forensic supply companies that manufacture and/or sell
packaging materials for forensic use. On one supplier website (Evident, Union Hall, VA),
packaging materials are labeled as “Evidence Bags,” and “Evidence Containers.” Under
evidence bags, 30 different types of evidence bags (not counting the different size
selections) are offered, of which only five are made of traditional paper. Similarly, on the
evidence containers page, there are 19 different types of evidence containers (not counting
the different size selections), of which only six are made of traditional paper. Although a
number of the products sold are described for specific use such as “Resealable Anti-Static
Laptop Computer Bags” and “CD Cases” the majority of the items do not have such a
distinct purpose (4). Therefore it is possible, that without the proper training, items of
evidence could be packaged in the wrong type of packaging. Furthermore, there are
packaging materials available that are not specifically mentioned in the TWGBEP handbook. For example, glassine envelopes are reported to be breathable by a forensic
supplier (4), however, proper validation would be necessary before implementation in a
forensic setting.