Paper was famously invented by Ts’ai Lun, a Chinese court official, in 105 AD. In those days it was made from pressed, dried wood pulp. It was only in the 17th century that cardboard was invented in the UK.
Early Cardboard
In the 1600s, cardboard was made of thick, paper-based materials. The world’s first cardboard packaging was built from stacked paperboard. Shortly thereafter, the first corrugated paper was patented to protect fragile products during shipping. It was only in 1890 that the pre-cut folding boxes we know today were designed.
Modern Cardboard
Modern cardboard is made by pulping wood into fibres. That pulp is then pressed into sheets and glued to corrugated sheets. This strengthens boxes and makes them easy to fold during shipping.
Recycled Cardboard
Not all cardboard is made directly from pine. It can usually be recycled up to seven times, so sustainable businesses such as https://capscases.co.uk/services-2/sustainable-cardboard-packaging/ repulp their paper waste to create new boxes. As long as the fibres are long enough, the materials can be reused. The better the quality, the more often it can be repulped.
Removing Contaminants
Recycling is a lengthy process that demands plenty of cleaning and refining. There are six steps involved in cardboard recycling, but AI-driven sorting has made the process far easier.
Today’s cardboard has a recovery rate of up to 74%, but some corrugated boxes can rise to 93%. These numbers are growing constantly. Modern recycling plants now rely on automated, closed-loop sorting methods, so eco-friendly packaging is more affordable than ever before.
