What is Corrugated “Cardboard” (Paper Board)?

What is corrugated “cardboard” or correctly known as paper board? Everybody’s seen or heard of it. Just think of regular brown boxes used for shipping consumer and industrial product such as a pizza box, or a shipping container. Corrugated board is built like a sandwich – a corrugated “wavy fluting” medium lying between two pieces of smooth board on the outside.

Nearly 95% of all the world’s goods are shipped in corrugated containers. Ever since the beginning of the industrial century to the present moment, literally everything from consumer goods to industrial product travels protected by a corrugated container.

Environmentally Friendly

Corrugated is made from a renewable source, making it one of the most ideal environmental conscience choice in distribution and specialty packaging. A large percentage of corrugated material is sourced from byproducts of the lumber industry (chips, shavings, sawdust). Old corrugated boxes can be recycled many times to make new corrugated boxes and/or recycled paperboard.

Uses of Corrugated Packaging

• Corrugated is used to produce rigid shipping containers that can be cut and folded into any shape or size. “Flute” sizes and thicknesses can be customized to meet specific requirements of strength and flexibility.
  
• Corrugated allows for easy direct printing of high-quality, color graphics (with non-toxic, water based inks) to “advertise” the product or company’s message.
  
• Corrugated packaging is inexpensive and always readily available. Its lightweight, “knock down” ability and stackability makes for economical, inexpensive and easy-to-transport options.

Unique Characteristics of Corrugated Packaging

• Corrugated’s unique “cushioning” and flexibility characteristics make corrugated an ideal packaging material.
  
• Corrugated is impact-, drop- and vibration-resistant, as well as lightweight yet durable enough to withstand the rigors of transporting products over long distances.
  
• Corrugated is a strong, versatile packaging material that is universally accepted for recovery and recycling, while being “environmentally friendly.”