Cardboard Box: Its Functionality and Versatility

A cardboard box is a type of a prefabricated industrial box. It is commonly used for multifunctional packaging needs. As commonly misconceived by most people, a cardboard box is made not of cardboard but rather of corrugated fibreboards. It was first invented early in the 1600’s by the Chinese. However, it was England which paid the invention to commercialise it n 1817. It was the United States which first manufactured the cardboard box in 1895. However, it was only in the 1900’s when the crates and boxes of wood materials were replaced by cartons or corrugated papers. It was through the growing popularity of the cereal products particularly that of Kellogg’s which paved the way for increased use of cardboard box for flake cereals.
The early usages of the cardboard box served as a lining for the men’s hats.  Later, it served as a cushion for fragile glass and kitchenware that are ready for transhipment.  As time passed, the cardboard box was strengthened to achieve maximum efficiency by Robert Gair, an American national.  It was Gair who pioneered the idea of putting into it a folding mechanism in order to allow it to be laid flat in storage for future use.  

Through time, the cardboard box was refined to enable it to become multifunctional. Usually, it can be recycled to make papers. Nowadays, it can be a source of cheap material for the construction of a wide array of low cost materials for construction purposes and thereby, substituting labour-intensive materials. The cardboard has also been used as a substitute for space consuming wooden storage materials such as wooden crates. The cardboard box is increasingly replacing the functions of wooden boxes due to its light weight, cost efficiency, and durability.

At present time, the cardboard box is commonly used due to its recyclable and earth friendly quality.  It has been used for a number of purposes such as children’s experimental science works, doll houses, recreational or fun and creative play materials.  It has also been recognised as an excellent source for creative play materials which allows children to widen their imagination and improve their creativity.  The children’s all-time favourite Disney castle can be constructed through a cardboard box for children’s role play.  A variety of designs of dollhouses may also be constructed using it. It can also be used to create children’s toys such as planes, trains, cars, ships and children’s costumes. In the industrial side, the cardboard box had long been used as lining for insulators. Modern houses are now adorned by colourful decorative boxes made of cardboard box. In the offices, the cardboard box plays the great task in organising the paper works.  It has been used as a storage box and file sorter for quick access to these files.  In the electronics business, the cardboard box is used to house those appliances such as refrigerators, televisions, washing machines and other electronic appliances and gadgets.

Certainly, the cardboard box is a flexible and versatile material for multifunctional use.