Histrory of Corrugated

History of Corrugated

950 BC The ancient Egyptians produced the first writing material by pasting together thin layers of plant stems..

100 BC The Chinese created the first authentic paper from bamboo and mulberry fibers.

1400s AD Paper mills appeared in Spain, Italy, Germany and France.

1690 The first sheet paper mill in North America was built near Philadelphia.

1767 England wanted to regain their loss of colonial paper exports. They imposed the Stamp Act, which included a tax on all paper made in the colonies. Many consider this fuel for the American Revolution.

1803 The first continuous papermaking machine was patented.

1854 In England, the first pulp from wood was manufactured.

1856 The first known corrugated material was patented for sweatband lining in tall hats of Victorian Englishmen.

1871 Unlined corrugated first appeared as a packaging material for glass and kerosene lamp chimneys.
1874 A liner was added to one side of the corrugated material to prevent the flutes from stretching.

1894 Corrugated was slotted and cut to make the first boxes. Wells Fargo began using corrugated boxes for small freight shipments.

1903 Corrugated was first approved as a valid shipping material and was used to ship cereals.

1909 Rubber printing plates were developed which allowed for greater design creativity.

1914 Tariffs imposed on corrugated shipping containers were ruled discriminatory.

1957 Flexographic printing virtually replaced letterpress and oil-based ink.

1960s The flexo folder-gluer was invented.

Early 1980s Preprinted linerboard emerged.
Late 1980s New developments in the anilox roll, plate and press design drove the industry into short-run, high-graphic products.

1991 The edge crush test was added to Item 222 and Rule41 as an alternative to burst strength and basis weight, allowing the manufacture of lighter weight liners.

corrugated.org

How to Recycle Corrugated

When you're finished using and reusing your corrugated boxes, be sure to recycle them! To find a local recycling center in your area, click the link on the left hand side of the screen, under "Earth 911" - then enter your zip code and let us find it for you!

1 To get the best prices for your OCC and to ensure proper recycling, follow these guidelines:
Separate any contaminants from the corrugated, including strapping, plastic bags, Styrofoam, food waste or floor sweepings. Dealers pay the highest prices for clean corrugated. Some dealers and mills will accept loose material, but large bales are generally preferred.

2 Remove any boxes that cannot be recycled, especially those that are contaminated by toxic or hazardous materials. If it has been treated with plastic extrusions or laminates, wax coatings, etc., it cannot be recycled (unless it is marked with either of the recyclable certification symbols shown below, which indicate the coating has been tested and proven recyclable):

corrugated.org

Econoic viability and contribution

The corrugated industry recognizes the breadth of its economic impact.
1 Industry members are reliable suppliers of efficient and effective packaging with consistent quality that enhances the financial sustainability of our customers.
2 We manage our operations with ever more efficient use of energy and natural resources which contributes to the financial competitiveness of our products.
3 U.S. corrugated manufacturing is a $25.8 billion industry, with 1,341 industry plants operated in 996 U.S. communities. We are contributing to the GDP of America while supporting distribution of products throughout the world.
4 The U.S. corrugated industry provides jobs and benefits to over 80,000 employees and their families.
5 Corrugated is vital to distribution systems in the U.S. It is the most frequently used shipping material because it is cost-effective, lightweight, functional and versatile. Its use contributes to more costefficient and fuel-efficient packaging of products from point of origin to point of sale and end use.
6 Corrugated packaging is custom designed for each product it protects, allowing the use of minimized materials and the most efficient space utilization possible by reducing “head space” within the package and maximizing cube efficiency in trucks.

corrugated.org

Corrugated Sustainability

The corrugated industry has been providing cost-efficient fiber-based packaging for over 100 years, always managing our businesses according to sustainable values. Because of our relationship to natural resources, we have long understood the connections between our economic performance, environmental stewardship and the positive impact of our products in people’s everyday lives. We see sustainability as an interconnected, reinforcing dynamic for managing a successful enterprise: wise environmental stewardship, stable financial performance and commitment to sustainability make our industry financially sound and aligned with the broader values of society and the needs of sustainable operations, leading us to develop creative packaging to meet those needs.New Sustainability Brochure available now from CPA (800-886-5255):

Corrugated.org