Food and beverage companies are the largest users of corrugated boxes in the U.S.
So, what is corrugated and what makes it such a great choice for food and beverage packaging?
Corrugated packaging containers are built from fiber-based materials. They are comprised of three layers — two flat outer layers called liners and a wavy middle layer called medium. Together, they become the sheet that is converted into packaging used to contain and protect the contents.
Corrugated packaging is customizable and versatile. It can be designed to fit any product or application. It is also sturdy and strong yet lightweight. Why is that important? Custom packaging designed with "fit to purpose" in mind ensures less waste in both corrugated materials and fillers. This can also mean less warehousing space and lower transportation costs.
Common Corrugated Terms
Singlewall is the most common corrugated board combination. It consists of two sheets of linerboard and one fluted medium in between.
Doublewall is combined corrugated board that consists of three sheets of linerboard and two fluted mediums in between.
Flute: The wave shape the inner corrugated medium is formed into. Flute profiles are available in various sizes. A, B, C, E and F are the most common flute types.
Knocked Down Flat (KDF): Refers to an unopened box whose manufacturer's joint has been sealed.
Kraft: Pulp, paper or paperboard produced from wood fibers by a sulfate process and has a light brown appearance.
Why corrugated is great for food and beverages:
Corrugated protects:
Custom corrugated boxes are designed to be right sized for any product so there's no need for fillers such as packing peanuts. This also provides ability to ship more boxes per truckload reducing freight costs.
For most conditions, stronger corrugated boxes can be produced with less raw material, without compromising performance—even in the most humid environments1.
The ability to recycle the boxes also discourages repeated use, which can reduce the chances of cross-contamination.
Corrugated helps keep food fresh longer:
Properly treated, paper and paper-derived packaging such as corrugated acts as a barrier against oxygen and water vapor, two elements that hasten the spoilage of food2.
Corrugated promotes:
Corrugated packaging and displays can be designed and printed to promote and display food and beverage products.
Corrugated is eco-friendly:
Corrugated packaging is the most recycled packaging material. On average 90% are returned and reused to make next boxes.
Corrugated is made from a renewable resource — trees. The forest products industry plants twice as many trees as are harvested on an annual basis. There are 1.7 million new trees planted every day, contributing to the long-term viability of North American working forests. These forests preserve wildlife habitats, sequester carbon dioxide and offset greenhouse gas emissions.
Sources:
1 Fibre Box Association. Relative Humidity study about the effect of moisture content
on the top-to-bottom compression (BCT) of average boxes in the marketplace today.
2 7 Ways Smarter Food Packaging Has Made Food Safer | Mental Floss