Important Facts about Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard boxes are used quite commonly in the packaging industry. In-fact it is one of the most widely and commonly used packaging material used for packing different items. Since these boxes are tough and sturdy, transporting goods in these boxes keeps them safe.

But have you ever wondered that these cardboard moving boxes could have interesting facts related to it? While some of the facts are funny, some of them are quite surprising as well. Mentioned below is a list of such facts, which will surely be an interesting read for you:

• Cardboard was invented long back by the Chinese. They mainly used this item for wrapping various kinds of food items. But they never thought of making boxes with cardboard. It was Sir Malcolm Thornhill of England, who first produced a cardboard box for commercial use in the year 1817. 
• In the year 1840, cardboard boxes became extremely popular in France. Silk manufacturers in the country used these boxes for transporting Bombyxmori moth eggs all the way from Japan. 
• We all know about the various cereal products from Kellogg. In 1850, The Kellogg Brothers used cardboard boxes for marketing their product to the general masses. Mainly cereal products were marketed in these boxes. 
• British gentlemen loved wearing high hats in the 1850s. In the year 1856, first patent for cardboard product was used for such hats. 
• In 1879, there was an accident in a factory in New York and it led to ruining of almost 20,000 paper bags. But instead of throwing away the ruined bags, something could be done with them. It was the idea of Robert Gair that he could make folding box templates with the ruined bags. The same man later devised a machine, which could produce pre-cut cardboard boxes. Flat pieces would be folded together to form a box. 
• In 1896, famous biscuit manufacturer of US, Nabisco, started using cardboard boxes in various sizes for packing and distributing their items and products to people.
• By 1900, boxes and wooden crates began to be replaced with cartons made of corrugated cardboard. This became a very popular choice of packing for shipping products. 
• In 1939, cardboard boxes played a pivotal role in Work War II. The main purpose of the boxes was offering protection to the gas masks which were distributed amidst all citizens in the UK during the start of the 2^nd World War. 
• A particular place in London came to be known as ‘Cardboard City’. And the reason behind the same is pathetic. This place was home to innumerable homeless people, who lived inside cardboard boxes. This incident dates back to 1983. 
• Cardboard boxes are extensively used in constructing and building houses. A whole house was designed based on cardboard boxes and the man behind the idea was Peter Ryan, who was Melbourne based architect.
• By the end of 2009, almost 7 million tons of cardboard was used for packaging only in UK. This volume also includes making of removal boxes made of cardboard.
• Generally re-used materials are used for making cardboard boxes. Also, almost 70-80% of the cardboard boxes globally are recycled after use.
• France has an exclusive cardboard museum, which exhibits different kinds of cardboard boxes in varying shapes, sizes and patterns.