How many dismantled packaging boxes are lying in your attic or basement? If you are like me, then I must admit I have quite a few in my home. Some hold useless things in them but others have my memories, like photos and memorabilia.
England started this magical revolution in 1817 and the United States commercialized their box in 1895. Unfortunately our forefathers had to contend with heavy wooden and metal boxes to protect their belongings. I can remember how my grand parents pushed and pulled at their heavy wooden boxes and due to this, there wasn't a lot of moving and stacking and repacking done in those days. Then, along came corrugated paper and of course the packaging industry really took this and mastered packing techniques to its fullest. We have such an array of shapes, sizes and colors to choose from, that packaging has become a fun activity to do. The hunt for that perfect box become a pleasant past time, especially if you have a good packaging company to assist you.
The word that springs to mind now, is storage. In an age where everyone hoards stuff, it has become so important to purchase the correct packaging boxes. We need to take into account that the box we buy should be durable, cost saving and friendly to the environment.
By now you might have noticed, we are mainly talking about how to store things. Three things that are imperative to look at are; price, strength and safety, the latter being whether the material is safe to store in your home, etc.
Of course cardboard is by no means the only form of packaging. The creativity in this industry is truly mind blowing. You can find anything from paper, carton, film, foam, plastic, textile and I am sure they are working on some space age way to store your goods as we speak.
The different styles of packaging has also come a long way. Nowadays one can order a style, shape and color for every occasion. For hard to pack items like photos, artwork and fragile items it's always best to use customized packing boxes. Finding the right box is extremely important. Your packaging supplier will want to know a few things from you before giving you the best solution.
Lets look at a few basic objectives:
*is heat, cold, shock or vibration a factor when considering your packaging
*is preserving shelf-life a critical factor in your packaging requirements
*will your products or objects be grouped together in one package for reasons of efficiency
*do you need communication to the end user on your packaging
*do you need your packaging to be tamper-proof i. E to stop pilferage
*would you need to re-pack your products into smaller units
*do you require packaging that will be convenient for the end user to open or stack
Packaging boxes has become such an integral part of our lives. How we value our objects or possessions has driven the market to come up with ingenious solutions. So when you are out scouring for packaging remember how the humble box had it's beginning.
More Information:
Melinda Stockton has been a packaging professional for over 15 years. Find out more on
boxes by visiting her company website about
packaging materials.
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