Whose responsibility is it work to properly package up the equipment to return to a former employer

I am returning computer equipment and marketing stuff to m andThe company sent a shipping label by email. Fedex and UPS only pick up between hours of 8 am and 8pm so I might have to wait all day, Given I am returning a brand new Ipad and I phone I cannot just leave them out on my porch for pick up nor can I wait all day because I have returned to work at my former job. I also do not have packing materials for these items as they were handed to me without original boxes. I do not want to pay for shipping materials for their stuff. When I went through 2 layoffs, each company, ( although much larger) had a 3rd party come and pick up the equipment, check it in, gave me a receipt so I had PROOF that it was all returned. How can I protect myself if the equipment gets damaged and I had to pack it? Am I ultimately responsible? I am also frustrated with them for changing my starting date after I was asked by my manager agreed and did home study because the HR person thought that since I was still under contract at my old job and finishing my last week (doing home study at night) it was not ok although I had already done several days of home study and then was not paid for it. Should they be paying me for that week. I did the same thing for another large corporation and they had no problem since they understood that I had an obligation to give proper notice. The company is very small and kind of a start up. I am not sure they have thought much about the proper way to do some of these things. Any suggestions would be helpful