The historical record tells us that the Chinese invented paper as long ago as 105 AD! By the early 1600’s, it’s demonstrated that China had extensive knowledge of papermaking, with different varieties available. The country also lays claim to the invention of cardboard, achieved by overlapping pulp layers to create thicker sheets of paper.
Cardboard didn’t arrive on the world stage until around the 17th century. And it wasn’t until the early 19th century that cardboard boxes were first seen in Europe - when the people of Valreas, French made small versions to transport silkworms.
A breakthrough followed in the US in 1879. When a Brooklyn paper factory owner learnt to score a single sheet of cardboard and cut it at the same time. This stopped the need for time-consuming hand -cutting. The flat pieces were folded together and the cardboard box we now know and love, was born.
The stiffness and durability popularized cardboard as a packaging material. It could hold a moderate amount of weight and be formed into different shapes, revolutionizing many industries and enabling companies to transport their wares safely across land and sea at minimal cost.
They say: “If something isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” so the fundamentals of making cardboard packaging have changed little over the years. But given the trend towards environmentalism and sustainability, it’s now increasingly common for cardboard to be manufactured with a large percentage of recycled fibers.
While the fundamentals may change scarcely, numerous trends impact the space – we recently explored these trends in ‘Your guide to quality corrugated’. This guide also offers you best practice insights into the testing applications that will protect your corrugated materials and packaging – you can access this here.