Cardboard Boxes

What is the difference between Single Wall and Double Wall cardboard boxes?

Single wall corrugated cardboard is made from three distinct parts a flat paper “outer liner”, a corrugated paper “fluting” and a flat paper "inner liner".

Double wall corrugated cardboard is made from five distinct parts. The same components as single wall board are used but double wall has an additional "inner liner" and an additional "fluting" for extra strength applications.

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What is corrugated cardboard?

Corrugated board is essentially a paper sandwich consisting of corrugated medium layered between inside and outside linerboard. Throughout the distribution cycle of moving goods from producer to consumer, corrugated cardboard is the most widely used shipping container. Traditionally, corrugated is best known for its structural strength that offers protection to packaged products throughout the transportation cycle. However, it has evolved over the course of time and today it is a much more versatile product.

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How are boxes made?

Layers of paper are assembled in a way which gives the overall structure a better strength than that of each distinct layer. This ingenious construction forms a series of connected arches which are well known for their ability to support strong weights. This structure gives corrugated board considerable rigidity and resistance. The air circulating in the flutes also serves as an insulator which provides excellent protection against temperature variations.

Rolls of paper are fed into a corrugator machine to acheive the corrugation - the paper components are then bonded together with a water based glue which results in a strong sandwich type construction which gives the final product its excellent cushioning characteristics, rigidity and structural strength.

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The Environmental Impact of Cardboard Boxes

Consumers are becoming much more concerned about the questions of environment and waste management and for this reason it is important to look into the question of the valorisation of used packaging materials.

Corrugated cardboard is a reusable material made from a natural and renewable resource. It is environment friendly, being recyclable and ultimately biodegradable. Over 70% of the cardboard produced each year in the UK is made from recycled fibers. After use, it becomes new paper again for the benefit of our environment. Corrugated packaging contributes to forest growth by encouraging good forest management - it is not made from paper derived from tropical forest hardwoods as they are unsuitable for the process. Instead the paper industry uses fast growing softwoods that are being replanted faster than they are being used.

The adhesive which is applied to the tips of the flutes is starch, usually originating from products of natural origin - the most common being maize (corn).

Do you know that recovered packaging is the first raw material source of the corrugated packaging industry. The increase in recovery and recycling is an efficient way to reduce landfills.