Cardboard versus Corrugated Boxes

Custom cardboard box

Although the names are sometimes, used interchangeably, cardboard, and corrugated boxes are not the same. When considering your product packaging, chances are you will come across references to both choices. It is important to understand how they differ to ensure you make a suitable choice that will be suited to the type of product you offer and meet customer expectations.
Conducting market research and consulting with your box manufacturer are effective ways to work out your best options for product packaging. It is also important to figure out what your packaging needs are. For instance, the packaging you would use for individual products is not likely to be the same as what you would use to ship wholesale quantities of products. Where possible, also try to source for your other packaging needs like filler and tape from the same supplier for affordability’s sake and to ensure cohesion in packaging design.
Both these box choices are highly popular choices for packaging that offer multiple benefits. This includes being easily customizable, Eco-friendly, recyclable, and affordable. Here are a few ways you can tell the difference.

Corrugated boxes material

Cardboard boxes are made of heavy paper pulp or thick paper stock. They are used to create packaging for small items and for providing enhanced structural support for flexible items like clothing. An example of the latter is the cardboard used to hold the shape of folded button shirts in display boxes. Corrugated boxes are made up of several layers of material, which may include recycled cartons and virgin tree pulp from sustainable forests.

Strength of corrugated boxes

Cardboard boxes are not extraordinarily strong and do not provide much protection for products. Additional packaging materials like corrugated cartons and bubble wrap may be needed to ensure a product is safe, especially during shipping.
A corrugated box is a stronger choice of packaging as its design features at least three layers of corrugated material. This includes an inside liner, medium and outside liner. At least two layers include fluting. Flute size and shape are what determine the thickness of the walls of a corrugated box. So, despite also being lightweight, the fluting will allow the box to support heavier weights than a cardboard box.

Utility

Given the material and strength of the two types of boxes, you will find that cardboard is more often used for packing individual products of smaller sizes and weights, while the corrugated option is used for heavier products and for shipping purposes where protection is needed.

Folding Carton Design Enhancement

Food Packaging Box, folding carton

A folding carton is a popular choice for individual product packaging that serves multiple purposes including marketing and protection. They can be made into custom designs with a variety of finishing and windows for easy viewing of the product within. The windows can be covered with clear window film that ensures that though the product is visible, it is kept clean and safe even as the box is handled.

They provide a valuable opportunity to boost the visibility of the brand and sales. However, many businesses do not make good enough use of this platform and may benefit from applying these helpful tips in their packaging design.

Folding carton marketing

Many businesses focus on the bare minimum when it comes to sharing information on their product packaging. Folding cartons provide ample room to communicate with consumers. You do not have to stick to just the legally required tidbits like product weight, ingredients, and brand name. You can seek to appeal to modern consumers by showing off your commitment to sustainability and indicating the sources of your packaging materials.

You can also indicate other social causes the business supports and whatever range of active social media channels consumers can use to connect with the brand. This can be done on the packaging itself, on interior surfaces or by adding flyers and other marketing materials within the folding cartons.

Tactile folding carton

Businesses tend to focus on just the visual appeal of product packaging. However, it is also possible to appeal to a person’s sense of touch. Especially if the products will be stocked in retail stores where consumers are likely to see and want to pick them off a shelf.

A folding carton with an interesting tactile design featuring such enhancements as embossing, use of gloss, or coatings is likely to stir more interest. Anything that helps a product to standard out from the crowd should be considered a worthwhile investment.

Authentication

Counterfeit products are a big problem in many industries. Investing in anti-counterfeiting solutions within your packaging designs can help make it easier for your customers to discern if they are handling a genuine or fake product.

From holographic and tamper-evident seals to colour-shifting inks and QR codes, there are many solutions you can incorporate that would be difficult for counterfeiters to replicate. While the solutions mentioned are easier to identify visually, they should also be complemented with the use of covert authentication solutions like thermochromic inks and Digimarc barcodes.

Disposing of Cardboard Boxes in Canada

Eco-Friendly Packaging, Eco Friendly Custom Boxes
With online shopping having become more prevalent, the use of cardboard boxes in Canada has also grown substantially. It is not uncommon for many households to take delivery of packages several times a week. More for businesses who order their goods in wholesale boxes in Canada. This means that there is often a sizable build-up of cardboard boxes in many homes and businesses, with limited space for storing them. Here is how you can go about disposing of them before it turns into a mess.

Recycle boxes in Canada

Recycling is a great way to get rid of unwanted cardboard boxes. Every local authority will have certain rules about how you can dispose of your cardboard boxes through recycling. This can include the use of specifically coloured bins or trash bags and instructions on how to break them down.

Ensure that before you recycle, the boxes are indeed recyclable and that the bins or bags you pack them into are clean. Greasy transfer and other dirt may contaminate the boxes and make them ineligible for recycling.

If you have too large a quantity of boxes for roadside pickup, you may want to look up a local recycling center and deliver the boxes there. This disposal is often free. Remember to empty the box of other packing materials like Styrofoam, packing peanuts, labels and tape. Then flatten them before placing them in the recycling bins.

Reuse

Intact cardboard boxes can often be reused for multiple purposes. You can use them to send packages or as storage for items like Christmas ornaments. If you are a D.I.Y. enthusiast, many home projects can make use of cardboard box materials. they can also make for interesting and entertaining projects for kids’ playtime and art projects.

Donate boxes in Canada

You can also donate boxes in Canada. Check local listings online and on notice boards at your local shops. There may be people looking for cardboard boxes they can use for their businesses or simply to help with moving. Even if you have limited use for cardboard boxes, you may find that others want to reuse or repurpose them.

Decompose boxes in Canada

Create compost with corrugated wholesale boxes in Canada. If you have a garden, you can add the cardboard to your compost to bulk it up. If you do not have a need for compost, your local gardening center or nursery will likely be able to make good use of your old boxes.

Eco-Friendly Packaging Business Ideas

Eco-Friendly Packaging, Eco Friendly Custom Boxes
Consumers have grown increasingly concerned about how their purchasing decisions have an impact on the environment. This has led to greater demand for Eco-friendly packaging from businesses that want to demonstrate that they share the same values.

This packaging is from renewable, recyclable, reusable, biodegradable, and composable materials that ensure a minimal negative impact on the environment from their sourcing of raw materials, manufacture, and disposal. The materials used to package products tend to generate a lot of waste around the world, hence the need for alternatives that will be less of a strain on the planet.

Corrugated cardboard is the most environmentally friendly material. It is used on a wide variety of packaging including shipping boxes, mailer boxes, R.S.C. boxes, countertop displays, and much more. Customize and package corrugated cardboard easily.

Choosing to use corrugated cardboard is, however, just the beginning. If you are dedicated to ensuring that your business does the least possible harm to the environment, here are other Eco-friendly packaging options you can include.

Recycled Eco-friendly packaging

While cardboard is minimally harmful to the environment, it can sometimes come from less sustainable sources when newly made. A better option would be to use cardboard made from recycled materials like old cardboard and paper. This is especially suitable for lightweight products like clothing, as the resulting boxes tend to be weaker. Consult with your box maker to find out how they can include this when delivering your order.

Biodegradable packing peanuts

When it comes to packing peanuts, Styrofoam has long been a popular choice; however, it is not biodegradable nor recyclable. The loose pieces often find themselves in landfills and waterways where animals can ingest them and harmed. A better way to provide added cushioning to your products when packing would be biodegradable packing peanuts that are far less harmful to animals and polluting to the environment.

Biodegradable plastics

Some products will require the use of plastics to ensure safe shipping. Thankfully, there is the option of recycled and biodegradable plastics. Using plastics made from recycled material is better than those sourced from raw material extraction are. Bio plastics are from biological materials as cornstarch, mushrooms, animal oils, and more.

Eco-friendly packaging bubble wrap

Plastic bubble wrap works well in protecting fragile items like glass as they provide an air cushion. It is effective at absorbing vibration and other shocks. Not to mention the fun many people experience from popping the bubbles afterward. A better option is corrugated bubble wrap. Bubble wrap is from recycled cardboard and is fully biodegradable.

Mailer Boxes Safety Tips

Mailer boxes
The mailer box is a unique packaging option that is immensely popular with high-end products. It features a one-piece design with a self-locking lid that secures the contents tightly. A mailer box can reopened without causing damage to the box. It is one of the most reusable choices of packaging.
Customize mailer boxes and incorporate branding on both the interior and exterior surfaces using colorful graphics and Litho lamination. You can incorporate all kinds of branding, writing, coloring, and imagery. This box also often incorporates the use of inserts to help stabilize products within. This often makes for an attractive presentation and a superior unboxing experience. Use beautiful mailer boxes as gift boxes, disseminating promotional materials and subscription services.
All these benefits and features of the boxes also mean that they can be an expensive choice of packaging and thus should be carefully stored when not in use. For businesses that include the mailer box in their packaging options, here are some tips to ensure they can be safely stored before use.

Avoid moisture

Ensure that the storage area for these boxes is free from any moisture. Cardboard can easily absorb liquids and result in the formation of mold and mildew. Choose a storage area that is away from taps, pipes, and any other source of moisture.

Keep off the ground

Storing your boxes off the ground will reduce the risk of exposure to moisture if there is a burst pipe or other flooding on the premises. It will also help to discourage insect activity. Insects and other pests can consume these boxes or break them down to build nests. Keeping the boxes off the ground will make it easier to detect any invasion of pests and clean the storage area.

Organize your mailer boxes according to size

Keeping your storage area organized will help make retrieval of what you need easier. Since mailer boxes can come in assorted sizes, it makes sense to arrange them accordingly so you can quickly pick out what you need, as needed.

Easy access mailer boxes

Ensure that the storage space you are using is easily accessible. This means you can easily get around locating, retrieving, or replenishing your boxes when you need to. It also means it is an easy space to keep checking on. Inspect mailer boxes to ensure that threats like moisture and insect activity.

Custom Box Design Essential Tips

Custom mailer box
There are many good reasons to create a custom box design. Custom boxes are uniquely configured to perfectly match the size and shape of your products. This ensures better protection for your products as they are packaged in boxes that conform better with the item than any standard-sized box. This is especially true when you make use of custom cardboard cutouts and inserts. With better protection for products, you are assured they are more likely to arrive at vendors or end clients in a safe condition. This reduces the risk of returns being made or replacements being demanded.

Custom designs also ensure optimal use of packaging material, which can save the business money and is beneficial to the environment. They also allow for greater opportunities to promote your brand and set it apart from the competition. With a good custom box design, you can market your brand and products more strongly and provide your clients with a more exciting unboxing experience.

When developing this custom design, there are three key factors you should consider.

Custom box design dimensions

Boxes can come in all sizes and shapes. Cardboard is a versatile material that can be customized to whatever specification. With a custom design, you can ensure that the box is a good fit for the product. The box should not be undersized to avoid the threat of the contents bursting out. Neither should it be oversized to allow the contents to rattle around inside. A snug fit, supported by such extras as inserts or fillers is ideal.

Custom box design weight

When customizing a box, you need to ensure it will be strong enough to support the weight of the product. Boxes for heavier items will require thicker walls. More fluting will make the cardboard box stronger. The purpose of the box will also guide this factor. For instance, die-cut boxes that are used for displaying products or as gift boxes will need to be stronger and thus require more fluting.

Type of product

It is important to match the type of box to the correct product type. For example, if the product is made of a fragile material like glass, you will need a box design that offers maximum protection. It should combine the use of inserts and extra padding to restrict movement and prevent friction while in transit. You can be less stringent on this with products that are less delicate like clothing and books.

How To Pack Items for a Shipping Box

With more consumers now opting to shop online rather than in stores, the shipping box has become a must-have for making deliveries. The typical cardboard shipping box is ideal for this purpose as it is lightweight, affordable, and strong. It can also be easily customized for whatever size or shape of the product and incorporate branding in its design.

Given the wide variety of items that can be shipped, it is important to adhere to these rules when packing to better ensure that the items arrive at their destination in good condition.

Vary your shipping box sizes

Unless you only deal in one product and a set quantity, then chances are you will be dealing with orders that vary. This means you should invest in shipping boxes of diverse sizes that can adequately accommodate the range of orders you get. When packing the box for delivery, ensure it can accommodate the items ordered while leaving a little extra room for filler material or inserts that will keep the items more stable and secure.

Customize your shipping box

It is a waste to just use plain cardboard boxes for shipping. It does not cost much to have shipping boxes branded. Incorporating such details as the brand name, brand colors, slogans, logo, social media handles, and so on is a terrific way to connect with your target market and build brand awareness and recognition. It is a wasted opportunity to send out a shipping box with no branding at all.

Use new shipping boxes

While it can save money to reuse boxes, save that for your end client. Used boxes with even minor damage can compromise the safety of your items while in transit. The last thing you want is a tear that provides access to pests or thieves along the way, forcing you to pay for a replacement or give a refund. Stick to new boxes for your packaging demands.

Order in bulk when needed

Depending on the products you deal in, there will be times of the year when demand will rise. For instance, those that sell popular gift items like chocolates, perfumes, clothing, and electronics will often see an increase in orders during peak shopping periods like Black Friday and Christmas. During such times when you know your clients will make more orders, you should ensure you have enough boxes on hand. Be sure to reach out to your box manufacturer to have them deliver shipping boxes near me so you do not have to worry about running out and delays in fulfilling orders.

Tips For Developing Custom Packaging For Small Business

Custom packaging for small business
Custom packaging is crucial for businesses that want to make a strong impression on customers receiving their merchandise. When you can make a positive impression, it increases the chances that the recipient will speak well of the brand, recommend it to others, and become a repeat customer.

Customization allows for product packaging to appear unique from offerings from competitors. Standing out will draw attention and make it easier for your repeat customers to pick out your product when displayed. With custom-fit packaging, you can also limit shipping costs while ensuring the materials used in production are eco-friendly.

Developing custom packaging for small business is important as this is the stage at which most brands enter the market. They need to appear distinct from other related products in the market and make it tempting for shoppers to want to try the product. When working on these designs, here are some key considerations to factor in.

Custom packaging for small business customer preference

You need to consider your target customer demographic and what kind of packaging will appeal to them. If you are dealing with a high-end market, then luxury packaging will be your best bet. If your target market is made up primarily of a single gender, then even the choice of colors, font, and imagery will matter. It is a clever idea to research comparable products in the same niche that are already in the market and consider testing your product packaging with your target clientele to see what kind of feedback they will give before settling on a final design.

Custom packaging product specifications

Various products require diverse kinds of packaging to ensure they are a good fit and well-secured. Custom packaging ensures that you get boxes that are specifically designed to fit your product. Even with odd-shaped items, it becomes possible to create a box design that perfectly matches the shape. This can be a safe way to make a product stand out in the market, however, most businesses will opt to retain a box shape to their packaging as it makes it easier to arrange on a display shelf and ship. While trying to create unique packaging, it is advisable to also consider the practicalities.

Safety of custom packaging for small business

One of the key qualities of packaging is its ability to protect the contents within. To ensure your product is kept safe within the packaging, you need to consider several factors including the thickness of the walls of the box, how it is to be sealed, and what kind of cushioning you may need to incorporate in the interior. For instance, you will find that mailer boxes can be self-locking while ordinary cardboard boxes would require sealing with tape. When designing your box, ensure the contents are well secured, beautifully presented, and will impress your target customers.

Why Offer Countertop Display Boxes to Retailers

countertop display
Countertop or counter display boxes are typically found around checkout areas. They offer brands a fantastic way of displaying their products and tempting shoppers to make a purchase. It is a promising idea to incorporate them as part of your marketing strategy, especially if your products are sold through retailers.
A display box is usually used for small retail items. They are customized in assorted styles, colors, sizes, and shapes, with the goal being to capture the attention of people and make them want to try the product. They need to be compact enough to accommodate a selection of the product and fit in with the limited counter space that shops offer. Here is why you should budget for their production and encourage retailers to display them well.

Display boxes encourages impulse buying

With times having become harder, people are striving to keep their shopping within budget, this makes them less likely to try new products and tend to be focused when they enter stores to get what is just on their shopping list and nothing else. This means displaying new products alongside the competition will result in shoppers quickly walking by to get what they usually do and head to the checkout. However, when you have display boxes next to the checkout, you can capitalize on this idle time to capture their attention and tempt them into picking out a sample of the product. That exposure to the display as they wait to check out is more likely to result in impulse buying which is a gateway that turns a prospective customer into a repeat one.

Display boxes capture attention

A display box is designed to capture the attention of customers. They are customized in diverse ways that will make them eye-catching and appealing. This is what drives impulse buying as it makes the shopper aware that this is a new product they have yet to try. Since the item sizes are small to fit in such displays, you will often find that this means the items are more affordably priced and thus more likely to encourage a customer to try it.

Neat display

When you have a customized display for your products, they are more elegantly presented. Having an organized display can help appeal to shoppers who tend to ignore items that have been haphazardly strewn about on a shelf. Keeping your products meticulously organized will more easily tempt shoppers to want to read what is written on the display about the product and reach out for it. Neat displays are better at capturing the attention of shoppers and making them want to engage with the product and information being shared.

Top 4 Corrugated Cardboard Benefits

Custom cardboard box, corrugated cardboard
Corrugated cardboard boxes can be found in about any kind of business. They are utilized by all kinds of industries and brands thanks to the many benefits they offer. This includes being lightweight, low cost, easily customizable, and available. They also offer reliable protection that makes them well-suited to protecting goods while in transit.
Their benefits when it comes to safeguarding the environment can also not be understated. Environmental concerns have become a hot-button issue, especially for younger consumers. For businesses to appeal to younger demographics, they need to ensure their activities are having minimal or a positive impact on the environment. By incorporating corrugated containers in their packaging, these businesses can benefit the environment in these four ways.

Recyclable corrugated cardboard

Cardboard containers are easily recyclable. This means that after use, instead of just disposing of them, you can return them to manufacturers who will break down the material to make new cardboard boxes. This action makes it possible to reduce reliance on trees to produce new boxes. Old boxes become repurposed as raw material to produce more boxes, meaning that fewer trees need to be felled to support this process.

Strength of corrugated cardboard

Despite being lightweight, corrugated containers can be quite sturdy and long-lasting. This makes them easily reusable. Some people can even manage to keep reusing such boxes for years. Being reusable has a similar effect as recyclability as it reduces the need for a person to purchase new boxes. With less demand for new boxes, fewer trees or wood pulp is required to make the boxes. It is advisable to collapse, and store corrugated cardboard boxes in a clean and dry place to better preserve them for repeated use.

Sustainable production

Corrugated boxes can be sustainably produced. This is partly due to the variety of trees that are processed into wood pulp for their production. These varieties tend to be fast-growing, making it possible for manufacturers to organize growth and production processes without the need to expand deeper into indigenous forests. With some of the raw material supply coming from recycled boxes, there is also less reliance on the wood pulp for production.

Biodegradable

Corrugated boxes are easily biodegradable and do not produce a harmful residue. This means that even if they are disposed of in the natural environment, they do not cause any harm. However, this may not be the case if certain dyes, bleaches, and other materials have been incorporated into the box design. Since most boxes are partially made up of recycled material, you can expect them to degrade even faster.