How to Use and Recycle Corregated Cardboard?

Answer 1

Corregated cardboard, also known as corregated fiberboard or pleated paper, was first developed in England in the mid 19th century as a way to protect tall hats from being crushed in storage. About two decades later the first U.S. patent was issued, inspiring corregated cardboard’s popularity as a packaging material that would enable glass bottles and chimney lantens to be protected from breakage during the shipping process.

Although corregated cardboard was originally designed to be one layer of flatboard attached to a layer of arched paper known as fluting, Oliver Long is credited with designing the style of corregated cardboard popularly used today, fluting surrounded by flatboard or a liner sheet on both sides. The use of corregated cardboard as a device to aid in safe shipping really took off after the development of the corregated cardboard box in 1890, a more lightweight and economical alternative to the traditional wooden box used for shipping purposes at the time.

Today corregated cardboard is available in a variety of strengths based on the weight of the inner fluting. There are five standard degrees of strength in corregated cardboard, ranging from A to F. Manufactured by machine typically in mottled white, brown or white, corregated cardboard can also be special ordered in a variety of colors.

Not only is the corregated cardboard box used for shipping breakables and glass objects, it is extremely popular in exporting fruits and vegetables around the world without having the produce items get bruised or crushed during the shipping process. In addition to boxes, corregated cardboard is available today in rolls that serve as packaging material for everything from glassware to figurines.

Corregated cardboard is even a valuable material after it is used, being a highly coveted material to sell for recycling purposes because its fiber can be used to make new paper products once any extraneous materials such as metal staples or adhesive tape is removed from the cardboard.

Many gardeners use corregated cardboard as an environmentally friendly mulch that helps keep plant roots warm, helps retain the moisture in the soil and helps to prevent the soil surrounding the plant’s roots from washing away. Corregated cardboard can be easily recycled into gardening mulch by cutting it into one or two-inch squares or strips, then soaking in water and positioning a layer around the roots of each plant.