Corrugated Cardboard Boxes: The Complete Guide to Corrugated Packaging
Corrugated Packaging Definition:
The corrugated packaging definition: Corrugated cardboard boxes or corrugated packaging is packaging which utilises at least 3 layers of cardboard to protect the product within. The inner and outer layer is a flat piece of cardboard and the middle layer is fluted.
What Is Corrugated Packaging?
Depending on the desired level of protection, corrugated packaging can either be single, double or triple-walled. It is primarily made up of timber or paper pulp. Corrugated cardboard packaging (such as corrugated cardboard boxes) is used in everyday day life from pizza boxes to online postal boxes, making this type of packaging extremely versatile.
Robert Gair invented corrugated cardboard after an accidental discovery. During the discovery, by which he was making paper bags, he found out that cutting and creasing the paperboard at specific places would create 2D boxes. This meant that the customers, who brought the 2d boxes, would just have to fold the paperboard where the creases were to create a 3D box.
Thanks to Gair, who revolutionised the packaging industry. The corrugated packaging industry has since taken off. eCommerce businesses, in particular, are driving the increase toward corrugated packaging due to its many benefits. Some of which we will go through below.
Why Is Corrugated Cardboard Used for Packaging?
Corrugated Packaging Is Lightweight
There are many corrugated cardboard advantages, one of which is its weight. Corrugated cardboard is lightweight due to the fluted edge in the middle. This can be seen as waves between two pieces of cardboard. If you compare corrugated cardboard to paperboard you would need more layers of paperboard to offer the same level of protection that one layer of corrugated cardboard would need and this would ultimately be heavier. That’s why paperboard is used for items which require little or no protection like teabag boxes.
As corrugated cardboard is lightweight it has the added advantage of minimising your shipping costs.
If you are looking to cut costs or save money, you can choose a packaging type, like corrugated packaging. It is a lightweight solution which can help cut your transport costs whilst simultaneously protecting the goods. Third-party postal companies, like Royal Mail, usually charge you for the weight of the packaging. The more the entire packaging weighs (including the product within), the more it will cost to transport and deliver.
Corrugated Packaging Offers Enhanced Product Protection
Corrugated packaging box manufacturers design the packaging so that it remains solid and rigid throughout transportation. The packaging is also weatherproof. If it rains or snows then it will not go through the corrugated packaging, thus protecting the product within.
Perishable items such as fresh fruit and vegetables need to remain fresh during shipping all the way to when it gets brought by the customer and sometime after that. Corrugated packaging keeps moisture away and keeps food from spoiling.
Corrugated packaging is available as single, double and triple wall. Triple wall corrugated cardboard offers the most protection, making it suitable for heavier and fragile items such as glassware, to be protectively and securely shipped. The design of the packaging means that it can resist impacts which may cause the product within to break such as vibrations and bad handling of the product during transit.
An Environmentally Friendly Packaging Solution
With many corrugated cardboard advantages, corrugated packaging is also environmentally friendly. Corrugated cardboard is the most recycled packaging material out there today. In the UK we recycle 80% of corrugated cardboard. Not only is the packaging made out of recycled material, (paper pulp), but due to its sturdy material, corrugated cardboard can also be reused. End users can collapse the packaging and then construct it again when and if they need it. They can also use it for other uses such as storing goods.
Compare this to plastic bags which have a recycling rate of less than 10%. Plastic bags are used for a huge range of packaging such as to store fresh vegetables and package clothes. Some types of plastic packaging cannot be recycled if it is made out of a combination of different plastics which cannot be easily split in a recycling plant. It should also be noted that the low percentage may also be reflective of the user not knowing whether to recycle the item or not looking to see if it is recycled. As well as changing the user's perception that plastic equals not recyclable.
Flexible and Easily Customisable
Corrugated packaging is extremely versatile, allowing for the shape, size and design of the graphics on the packaging to be customised based on the products and your needs.
The size of the packaging can also be customised to meet your specifications. Thus, ensuring that the items are well protected.
Nowadays the packaging a product comes in is nearly as important as the product within. Having graphics on the outside of the packaging helps to increase brand awareness whilst also marketing the product at the same time. To create the graphics on the inside and the outside of the corrugated cardboard, we utilise IterumFive. This allows us to print directly onto the packaging itself, without compromising its strength. It gives us the ability to print up to two colours on the outside of the box and three colours on the inside.
The amount of protection your product needs can also be customised. With the choice between single, double or triple-walled corrugated cardboard, we can advise you on the most suitable protection your product may need.
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