A quick history of the cardboard box

September 8, 2018 2:48 pm Published by

Cardboard boxes. We take them for granted, but the shipping industry would not be the same without the invention of the cardboard box – but do you know how long these fantastic creations has been around? We are going to answer some of your questions within this blog.

 

What year was the cardboard box first created?

The very first cardboard box was first introduced all the way back 1817, here in the UK, yes, you read that right!

The original cardboard box was simple paperboard based and was not corrugated – but it was still a box.

Since this event, there have been many interpretations and incarnations of the cardboard box along the years, which we will highlight next!

How has the cardboard box evolved since 1817 then?

Corrugated paper was patented in 1856, but used as a liner in hats for the beginning of its existence – who knew!

It wasn’t until 1871 that the corrugated cardboard box came into existence as a means of shipping and handling materials.

It took three years for the very first machine to produce large quantities of corrugated board to come into production, creating the corrugated cardboard box we all know and love to use today.

1890 brought about another huge innovation in cardboard boxes, as pre-cut single pieces of board that could be folded into boxes were invented, making moving today very handy indeed.

By 1895, corrugated cardboard boxes were becoming popular and soon enough, America had heard of this creation and began to produce them for the first time.

So, what did we use before the cardboard box?

Before cardboard boxes, we used wooden crates to move materials – which we still use today but they are more expensive than cardboard boxes so these two products have flipped in terms of price and usage.

How can we use our cardboard boxes that we no longer use?

There are many creative and innovative uses for cardboard boxes! From building a castle for the children to picture frames to even a phone or iPad holder! Due to the material being quite durable, you can also change the shape of the cardboard box dramatically.

Contact us today for advice and any questions you may have!

Categorised in:

This post was written by admin