Often just taken for granted in today's hectic world, the humble cardboard box was true innovation when it was first created. Its really was a defining moment in packaging design.

Cardboard boxes are industrially prefabricated boxes used for a wide range of activities. This article will look at some of the typical uses of the cardboard box in the 21st century. In order to do this, we first need to look at the different construction types of boxes available to buy in the UK to understand how these meet different needs.

Single Wall Corrugated Cartons - this consists of two sheets of cardboard with a third sheet running at an angle through the middle. This third sheet can either be set in a wavy line or in zigzags. It is the third layer that makes the cardboard box suitable for carrying heavy weights.

Double Wall Corrugated Cartons ' this type of box consists of three sheets of cardboard with additional sheets set an angles in between them. This type of design offers additional durability and more protection. As more card is used in this design of box, they are generally more expensive than the single wall variety.

Cardboard Boxes as Packaging
Cardboard packaging is probably one of the most common uses of cardboard box. Most things bought in the UK today come in some form of cardboard box from your regular cereal purchase at your local supermarket, to the wrapping that comes around a new bed. One of the main reasons that cardboard is used for packaging is that it is durable and offers some protection to the item inside, thus avoiding damage during transport either in your shopping bag or on a lorry. Another reason is that it is lightweight and not too bulky so doesn't add too much additional cost or space during the transportation process. Finally cardboard is a very cost effective material and therefore much cheaper to use than polystyrene for example.

With the rise of online shopping from ecommerce websites and home selling sites such as Ebay, there has been a huge increase in the need for cardboard postal boxes. These make it safer and more convenient for people to send things to each other and come is a wide array of sizes and shapes.

Domestic Usage
In today's materialistic world, we all accumulate a lot of items in our homes but with new housing being smaller than ever, there is often a need to store things out of site. This is where the cardboard box comes into its own. If you look around the average home you'll be sure to find cardboard boxes everywhere ' from you under stairs cupboard, to your attic, to the bedroom and the kitchen.

With a bigger range of different sized cardboard boxes on the market in the UK than ever before, there are boxes to suit every domestic need.

In the domestic market, one of the main uses of the cardboard box is to move house. Noted as being one of the most stressful things in life, moving requires a lot of packing and unpacking. Many people would be lost without cardboard boxes for moving house as they are able to hold a lot of weight, offer protection to fragile items and are cheap to buy. Double wall corrugated cartons are generally the design of choice for this purpose.

Business Useage
Although the business world is moving towards paper-less systems, there is still currently a need for offices to have copious amounts of paperwork, whether as a back-up in the event of computer problems, or to comply with legislations. Whatever the reason, many businesses use cardboard boxes to store away their filing. Archive boxes are the type of box designed specifically for this purpose and they often have space for content lists and notes to be written on the side or lid of the boxes to make it easier for office staff to find what they are looking for. These are generally made from single wall corrugated construction to reduce bulk.

If a business is in the supply of goods market, they are likely to use cardboard boxes to store materials or goods until purchased or used. As mentioned in the packaging section of this article, cardboard boxes offer durable protection for many items and as they come in a good range of different sizes, they are suitable for almost anything.

So whether you're moving house or re-organising the office, there is a cardboard box to suit your needs.

Copyright (c) 2010 Filton Kingswood