History of Cardboard Boxes
The packaging has gone through evolution through time. In ancient times people were using everything they could find, from Mother Nature that could be filled, for preserving (or packaging) things. Bamboo and other forms of vegetation were widely used to make baskets and other forms of containers. They also used a collection of bones of animals. The used the skin of their live stocks to store (or package water) and so forth.
The wood had been known to be used for packaging before no one knew about cardboard, but it was a cumbersome and lightweight packaging solution was needed to transport, store, and secure goods.
The Early History of Cardboard Boxes
It is not precisely known who was the first inventor of the packaging material that is all around us. However, the credit of the invention of cardboard boxes is given to a company named M. Treverton & Son in England. The date of the invention has been recorded as 1817. The coincidence is that in the same year, the same kind of packaging boxes had been made in Germany.
These boxes are ideal for the transport of goods since they are lightweight and robust and flexible enough to absorb the wear and tear of stacking and transport. One essential feature is they are easily recycled, making them environmentally friendly.
A breakthrough in packaging came when Robert Gair came up with a precut paper board or cardboard in 1890. It was an accidental invention as Gair as he was a paper bag maker and a printer in Brooklyn.
But who invented the cardboard box? It is a matter of considerable debate and controversy. One account suggests that it dates back to ancient China. Cai Lun of the Eastern Han Dynasty has been recorded as the man who discovered the pulping process that is incorporated in the making of cardboard or maybe something similar. Lun's cardboard manufacturing process included tree bark, cloth, hemp, and some form of natural fibers mixed in water.
Lun's invention was a bit thin so that it can be referred to as paper. The craft that he discovered spread other parts of the world like Japan and the Islamic world before finding its way in Europe.
The paper can be considered as the thin version of cardboard that was devised to become cardboard that we know in the box shape today. One type of cardboard, more commonly known as paper board, appeared in 1800, similar in the form of today's breakfast cereal boxes.
A breakthrough happened in 1856 that helped building the corrugated boxes of this day and age. It was in England when two gentlemen Edward Allen and Edward Healey came up with a cardboard-like paper in a wavy form to add additional strength. It found its place in the hats of Englishmen for wearing stability. Later on, they were used in the formation of boxes that required extra force, and they are now known as corrugated cardboard boxes.
After Allen and Healy's invention in 1871, Albert Jones, who was an American, improved the cardboard further as he discovered that this kind of material works well to protect glass and delicate goods well enough to be transported safely to their intended destinations. It was a milestone achieved in packaging.
But, the boxes needed further improvements as in 1874, Oliver Long was the one who came up to the closest form of corrugated packaging as we now know it. The corrugated packaging is widely used in modern days and has changed very little over a long time.
In 1879, a German chemist Carl F. Dahl made a significant breakthrough in packaging by inventing Kraft boxes that are also sometimes called Cardboard boxes. The Kraft box material is highly resistant to wear and tear and has incredible flexibility and strength. A packaging material so strong that sacks of cement and chemicals in very high weight can be packaged inside Kraft boxes. The Kraft as a material is also very aesthetically pleasing and has a texture that is high quality. The fashion world is also a big fan of Kraft packaging. Most of the time, this kind of packaging is used by big fashion brands to take away from their shopping.
1895 was the year when the right kind of new cardboard, as we know it knows was invented in the US.
The eCommerce age and Cardboard Boxes
The present age of eCommerce ushered in a new era for the increasing demand for cardboard packaging. Custom boxes made of cardboard is delivering goods around the world. The boom for eCommerce is due to the advent of the Internet, where you can order anything imaginable. It is delivered to your doorstep in cardboard boxes. The packaging has gained new momentum as eCommerce giants like Alibaba, Ali-express, Amazon, eBay, and many other popular online markets are showing phenomenal growth out of the blues. It is something that is deriving the demand for relevant packaging also.
In 2016 alone, some $322 billion of sales have been reported in the United States alone. The sales continue to grow with striking momentum. People are spending more time at home with their families, and shopping stores are closing down and a recording rate.
How the Custom Boxes should Look Like
The packaging that is done other than for transport or shipment has to be attractive and unique. When a product is displayed in a store or an eStore, it should be outstanding and should look as good as possible. This subject is coming on the surface now. As it was ignored to some considerable extent throughout the history of packaging. This concept of good looking packaging and cute boxes is coming into the limelight just recently. The manufacturers, designers, and the markets in the past may have done their best to make the packaging look outstanding, but in recent times it is being studied in research institutions. It has come to light that the link between the sales of a product and its packaging is stronger than you may think.
Custom Packaging Pro
10685-B Hazelhurst Dr. #20696
Houston
Texas
77043
281-393-8119
[email protected]
[email protected]