William Post

Large and Small Cardboard Boxes–What are They and are We Really Killing Trees



Posted: Saturday, October 30, 2010

by William Post
http://www.largecardboardboxes.net/

Cardboard boxes were invented in the nineteen hundreds and their use and proliferation peaked and remained steady in the twentieth century and nowadays. They were originally manufactured by stacking sheets of paper on top of each other until the desired strength is reached. This technology was doomed to be replaced by something better and commercial-grade. Later on, manufacturers realized that using arches they could achieve a lot more reliable and durable material. Arches have been known to men for ages and are widely popular in construction of bridges, walls, overpasses etc. An arch is a natural way to securely stretch space across.

Arches in large cardboard boxes are referred to flutes. They are the wavy, triangle-shaped medium which makes up the walls of a cardboard box. The proper name for cardboard is corrugated fiberboard. Normally, it is a sandwich of two or more linerboards and flutes. Both the linerboard and the corrugated flutes are made from containerboard a type heavy paper used in box production. Flutes themselves have several grades and can be used according to desired strength and product requirements. The uniqueness of flutes comes from the fact that they can bend and absorb pressure while a box is in motion and protect the contents within a reason. It is important that design specifications are met when assigning loads to boxes etc. Wider flutes would generally improve the ability of boxes to stack high, while denser flutes would increase shock and puncture resistance. Additionally, the corrugated wavy triangles act as an insulating layer protecting food items from temperature, humidity etc.

For a small or large cardboard box to become marketable, it has to be made attractive. This generally suggests that the outside linerboard has to be printable and filled with commercial logos, company contacts etc. Linerboard can be made from virgin or recycled pulp. Recycled pulp is always mixed in with some new one to improve appearance and predictability of the final product. Often recycled pulp contains traces of adhesives, plastics, chemical compounds which require use of some bleach or other intervention to increase printability qualities.

To sum up, cardboard boxes have gone through an enormous advancement in technology and ecological awareness of the manufacturing process. Latest studies show that the amount of planted trees in Europe is growing (a fact in the US for a long time) while increase of paper and products is also on the rise. This leads to believe that steady and long-term focused forestry management is at the base of sustainable paper and corrugated industry development. Next time you need to move or ship something, get that fancy-looking "green" box at the moving store more than likely it is fully recyclable and made from recycled fibers already.
William Post has worked for various designers and packaging material manufacturers for the last twenty years including his own brand.

William Post's areas of expertise include corrugated fiberboard, small packages, environmental trends in packaging and best shipping practices. They are synthesized at the cardboard central site.

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