It is weird to think about where we would be without the invention of the cardboard box. From home storage and supermarkets displaying their products, to large corporations such as Amazon sending out masses of parcels per day. Corrugated cardboard boxes have saved thousands of companies and individuals stress over the years. It helps products arrive at their destination safely, improves the presentation of the contents and increases customer excitement when unboxing their orders. But how was this all made possible? Let Davpack help you understand the history behind the material that we can no longer live without.

The Beginning of Cardboard

The first creation of a cardboard box was made in 1817 by the firm M. Treverton & Son. Germany also joined the United Kingdom in using cardboard as a container. However, these cartons were only formed using single cardboard sheets that had no resemblance to what we use as a cardboard box today. The corrugated paper was then produced in 1856 by British inventors Edward Allen and Edward Healey, but this material was only used for lining tall hats instead of for shipping. It wasn’t used during transit until Albert Jones of New York was granted the patent for single corrugated cardboard as a form of protection, using it to wrap around glass bottles to ensure they arrived at their destination safely. From now, it wouldn’t be long until the ideology for corrugated cardboard boxes was conceptualised.

The Cardboard Boxes We See Today

The parcels that we use today were first created by Oliver Long in the year 1874. He improved the current design used by Albert Jones by adding liner paper on both sides of the cardboard and folding it into a cardboard box shape. This new mould allowed heavier loads to be stacked on top of one another, provided a higher amount of protection to bulky items, and added an extra layer of security to objects getting transported to distant locations.

A Happy Accident

The corrugated cardboard box was actually invented by accident by a Scottish man named Robert Gair. Whilst working for a Brooklyn printer and paper bag manufacturer, Gair by chance developed the pre-cut box when printing paper bags. A metal ruler – which he used whilst creating the bags – jolted out of his control and cut the bags. Robert then conceived the idea of making pre-cut paperboard boxes by cutting and creasing paperboard in one operation. Not only did he realise that compared to wooden crates this form of packaging would be a significant amount easier, lighter, and cheaper to produce. But he also recognised this method would improve the efficiency of the packing process and reduce costs by cutting, printing, and creasing boxes from one piece of corrugated cardboard on the same press.

The advantages of the cardboard boxes providing high levels of security as well as having the capability to keep items such as tea, cereal, biscuits, crackers, and tobacco fresh during transit were also discovered. Alongside the beneficial factors of being able to use each carton as a way to market businesses through painting, branding, and adding imagery to each parcel. Robert Gair found success with his invention with his first customers including the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, the Kellogg Company, the Lorillard Tobacco Company, and Nabisco (the National Biscuit Company).

The Innovation Continues

Since the first development of the cardboard box, packaging products involving corrugated cardboard have come a long way. You now have single or double-walled boxes that provide different levels of strength. As well as postal boxes that have secure lock-in tabs or adhesive seals, and now new environmentally friendly ranges which provide the same stability and durability as the original cardboard box, just at a lesser cost to the ecosystem! Our range of cardboard boxes are now made from at least 75% recycled cardboard, here at Davpack we further help the environment by planting a tree with every order, this ensures that forests are replenished due to our efforts in assisting in global reforestation. Cardboard packaging can also be manufactured without the need to add bleaches or dyes in the process – enabling our water systems to stay clean and free of pollutants.

If you are looking for high-quality, environmentally sound and reasonably priced packaging for your products, shop with Davpack today. We can provide you with strong, crush-resistant and cost-effective cardboard boxes, alongside a huge amount more choices in packaging such as postal envelopes, interior protection, UN-approved containers and so much more! So, what are you waiting for? Shop from a supplier you can trust, and we will deliver up to your expectations.

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Sarah Hickson

With more than seven years experience as a member of the Davpack sales team, there are few who know more about the range of packaging materials we sell than Sarah. She recently left the company to become a full-time mother, but still maintains regular contact with her former colleagues. As well as sharing her own accumulated wisdom and experience on the blog, Sarah is looking forward to passing on stories from the front line of packaging sales. Davpack

Latest posts by Sarah Hickson (see all)

• What is Sugarcane Fiber and Why is it the Most Sustainable Material on the Market? - 1st September 2022
• Packaging that is More than Just a Cardboard Box – Easy Branding Boxes - 27th July 2022
• How to Protect Temperature-Sensitive Goods During Transit - 14th July 2022