About Corrugated Packaging

About corrugated packaging

Corrugated packaging has many advantages, such as:

light weight;
high mechanical strength;
good protection of goods even in low temperature and humidity conditions;
superior product presentation - thanks to them, today more than 50% of goods produced worldwide are packaged and stored, transported or marketed with their contribution;
For multiple uses, corrugated packaging is designed for industries such as food, technical articles, furniture, footwear, cigarettes and cosmetics.

benefits

Eco friendly: Corrugated packaging paper is made almost entirely from natural resources, with any new fibres used, wood is harvested from sustainably managed forests.

Easy to recycle: We are continually increasing our use of recycled fibres, which now account for 88% of the raw material for new corrugated packaging.

Adds value after use: Today's market for recycled paper as a secondary raw material provides value to every stakeholder in the supply chain.

Prevents food waste: Production processes that kill microbes give corrugated packaging unique levels of hygiene that prevent cross-contamination and spoilage of fresh produce.

Design ecologic încorporat: Ambalajele din carton ondulat pot fi modelate cu ușurință pentru logistică, depozitare, manipulare și reciclare eficientă din punct de vedere al costurilor - economisind timp, energie și bani, protejând în același timp mediul.

The true champion of the circular economy: Recyclable corrugated packaging, based on renewable and biodegradable sources, is circular by nature.

Classification of packaging according to flexibility:

a) flexible – paper bags such as those used to package pet food, bags of crisps and paper or plastic bags commonly used to transport purchased products.

b) semi-flexible – these are cardboard boxes containing cereals and other food products, small household items, toys, etc.

c) rigid – include crates, glass containers and metal boxes
Due to the increasingly worrying increase in pollution levels and WHO reports on the effects of pollution on human health, as well as the measures that EU Member States and International Organisations are obliged to take on environmental policies, there is also a shift in packaging towards environmentally friendly packaging methods, such as:

Packed with mushrooms;
Packed with seaweed;
Biodegradable plastics and recycled plastics;
Organic organic textiles;
Edible films.
Biodegradable packaging peanuts;
Corrugated foil with bubbles;
Air pillows made from recycled content;
Recycled cardboard and paper;
Corn starch packaging;

As the consumer perspective changes, we also see that the market for zero waste and sustainable materials is expanding.
Compared to other materials – especially plastic – a cardboard box reduces oil and carbon dioxide emissions by 60%. In addition, as an organic material, cardboard is 100% biodegradable and can be recycled 5-7 times.
According to the latest FEFCO study, reusable plastic packaging would need to be reused 63 times to be better in terms of climate change impact than corrugated cardboard.

The history of corrugated cardboard

1856

First recorded use of corrugated (pleated) paper.

1874

Prima utilizare înregistrată a hârtiei ondulate (plisate).

1930

The penetration of corrugated board into Europe via France, England and Germany.

1956

Romania's first corrugated cardboard factory opens.

2000

European companies enter the national market, including Rondcarton, DJ Smith, etc.

PRESENT

Technological evolution allows to reduce production times and increase quality.

The emergence of corrugated cardboard is related to the fashion industry, because in fashion there was a need to use this material especially in the manufacture of hats, but also of extended collars as a stiffener.
The fathers of cardboard as we know it today are Edward G. Healy and Edward E. Allen, who patented the process of producing corrugated paperboard or corrugated paper. They succeeded in implementing a mechanical process of passing the paper through two grooved presses, which gave it its corrugated shape, hence the name corrugated board.

Albert L. Jones obtained permission in America to use corrugated cardboard for packaging bottles and kerosene lamps, giving it its packaging utility. Thus corrugated cardboard gained popularity because of its advantages:

As a raw material, in addition to textiles, sawdust was used in those days, which was put inside the boxes to fill the space and fix the objects. Later, cardboard outgraded sawdust because it was much more hygienic, being not only a cleaner product but also more efficient.
In 1874, also in America, it was Oliver Long who succeeded in adding two strips of paper, on top of corrugated paper, to form a sandwich, thus improving on Jones’ patent. The result is a product with increased flexibility, much better shock absorption during transport and much more resistant. The corrugated cardboard thus retained its shape and properties even when subjected to mechanical action.
In 1894, Henry Norris and Robert Thompson succeeded in producing the first corrugated cardboard boxes, they invented the first continuous paper corrugating mechanism and thus designed a production line.
In 1895, their invention is sold to Wells, Fargo & Co, a highly popular financial institution that provided banking and courier services. Microwave boxes, however, failed to win the confidence of Wells Fargo, despite their obvious advantages, and they continued to use wooden boxes in parallel. Eventually, cardboard boxes gain popularity, proving their sturdiness and strength during courier shipping.
The first machines producing corrugated cardboard appeared in the early

In Romania, the first cardboard production machine is put into operation in 1956, in Ghimbav, a town in the Brasov Depression.
The carton is now considered to “embody the entire essence of the packaging industry, translating into durability, reliability and efficiency”.
The corrugated board packaging industry is represented today by the European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers, known as FEFCO (https://www.fefco.org/ ), a non-profit organisation founded in 1952, which protects its interests and has developed a world-recognised classification for the types of packaging produced from corrugated board.
The growth of online commerce makes the packaging industry essential, both for companies marketing their products online and for the end customer. The global e-commerce packaging market has been estimated to be worth around $30 billion in 2022, with a projected growth of up to 50% by 2026.
Competition in the packaging industry is fierce and retailers need to find the formula to satisfy even the most demanding customers. This means:

In a competitive environment, brands need to pay more attention to the way products are packaged to adapt to the needs and requirements of the online customer, who wants trust and efficiency.
The corrugated box continues to be popular and remains by far the most used packaging product worldwide.
Its use will continue to lead the way, especially as the whole world turns its attention to environmentally friendly packaging solutions that have the lowest possible environmental impact, and cardboard is a 100% recyclable product.

Manufacturing technology

The corrugated board manufacturing process involves several phases and stages. In the first phase the corrugated layer is made.

The outer linings are glued with a special, very strong adhesive.

After the entire board is glued and cooled, it will be cut to size according to each customer’s wishes.

Depending on the number of layers of corrugated cardboard, the cardboard can be of several types: Type II, Type III, Type V, Type VI. According to the type of corrugation, board can be classified into:

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