Corrugated Cardboard Board and Material Grades

 

In this blog, we will make you understand what is corrugated board (cardboard) and material grades that used in sustainable packaging.

Table of index:

• What is corrugated board?
• What types of corrugated board are available?
• What is chain of custody certification?
• Corrugated board flute profiles
• Is corrugated board sustainable?
• Where to buy cardboard boxes?
• Conclusion

What is corrugated board?

Corrugated board is a material consisting of a fluted corrugated sheet and up to two flat linerboards. The fluted sheet and linerboards are then glued together to form corrugated board. This is made using special machines called corrugators and is essential in the process for making cardboard boxes. Corrugated board is sometimes referred to as corrugated fibreboard, corrugated cardboard, and paperboard.

Originally developed as packaging solution in 1871, corrugated board and the packaging industry as a whole has incurred incremental innovations over the last century, enabling corrugated board to have multiple uses and functions in the current day.

Find out more about the history of corrugated.

What types of corrugated cardboard are available?

Corrugated cardboard board is available in many different material grades with varying paper weights and finishes. All of our materials at Saxon Packaging are sourced from within Smurfit Kappa Group, to ensure our cardboard material is cost effective and of the highest quality.

Standard finishes include KRAFT (brown), white, LT (recycled paper) and TEST (recycled inner liner). White papers can be coated to provide superior substrate for greater print quality.

Standard nominal paper thicknesses start at 85gsm (grams per square metre) and increase up to 275gsm. Different flute weights are also available and is determined by the strength of material required.

 

What is chain of custody certification - forest stewardship council (fsc)?

All of our corrugated board that we utilise is chain of custody certified under FSC.

The FSC is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests.

They have developed a system of forest certification and product labelling that enables people to identify responsibly sourced wood, paper and other forest products.

Chain of Custody Certification (COC) is an internationally recognised system, of ensuring that a product of forestry origin has originated from a legal and responsible source. It ensures traceability from the original logging phase, the journey throughout the entire supply chain and the eventual delivery to the merchants/manufacturers.

 

Corrugated board flute types

Standard flute board profiles that we work with at Saxon Packaging are E, S, B, C, BC and EB. Each of these materials are mentioned in greater detail below:

‘E’ Flute

1300 – 1600 microns (1.3mm – 1.6mm) in thickness and gives excellent crush resistance. It provides a high quality surface to print upon and is most commonly used in smaller cartons and die-cuts applications.

 

‘S’ Flute

1900 – 2200 microns (1.9 – 2.2mm) in thickness S flute is balanced perfectly for both retail and transit packaging. It sits between E and B Flutes to provide the performance characteristics of B Flute, whilst producing the outstanding printability and good strong crush resistance characteristics.

 

‘B’ Flute

2600 – 3000 microns (2.6mm – 3.0mm) in thickness and probably the most common type of fluting. Seen in all types of applications including die-cut and regular cases it gives a good all-round performance.

 

'C’ Flute

3600 – 4200 microns (3.6mm – 4.2mm) in thickness it offers greater box compression strength than ‘B’ flute thus giving slightly better stacking strength for lighter products. It can be prone to more crushing if used in the wrong application.

 

‘EB’ Flute

3800 – 4300 microns (3.8mm – 4.3mm) in thickness this is a double wall material combining the fine ‘E’ flute and the commonly used ‘B’ flute. The results give an excellent performance level in both print finish and impact protection.

 

‘BC’ Flute

6100 – 6700 microns (6.1mm – 6.7mm) in thickness this is another double wall material that marries two flute profiles together – ‘B’ and ‘C’, both giving excellent all round performances this material is most often seen in shipping cases where a high protection level is required.

 

Also read: Prevent Transit Damage With Quality Packaging

Is corrugated board sustainable?

Corrugated board is a sustainable, eco-friendly, packaging material. Additionally, our Kraft corrugated cardboard is often produced without the use of dyes or bleaches, further reducing its carbon footprint and recyclability.

Corrugated board is an eco-friendly packaging material, comprised of recyclable materials like used cardboard carton and old newspapers. 

• 100% Renewable, Recyclable & Re-usable.
• Corrugated fibres can be reused up to 8 times.
• The majority of our boxes are made from approximately 75% recycled cardboard; some are made using 100% recycled materials.
• Cardboard boxes have one of the best recycling rates for any packaging material and only a small percentage of cardboard boxes end up in landfill.
• Saxon Packaging material is obtained from responsible sources.
• Corrugated cardboard can be recovered through composting and biodegradation.
• Corrugated cardboard may be incinerated for energy recovery.
• Virgin papers are sourced from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified plants.

WWhere to buy cardboard boxes?

You can buy cardboard boxes from Saxon Packaging, in small or large quantities. We have the ability to produce ‘one-offs’ and low volumes, but we do have cost-effective minimum order quantities which are determined by the area of material used, material type, style of box and print requirement. In any instance, it is always best to get in touch so that we can advise the most cost-effective packaging solution for you.

For choice, value, quality and expertise, we are unrivalled. At Saxon Packaging, we have been manufacturing corrugated products since 1986, during this time our knowledge and capabilities have grown dramatically and continue to do so. We are able to solve any packaging, shipping or storage problems and requirements.

As we are a cardboard packaging manufacturer, you have the benefit of buying direct from us, saving you money and time that would otherwise be experienced through buying from a packaging merchant. Buying straight from the manufacturer minimises lead times and keeps costs to a minimum, whilst maintaining high quality standards.

With an ever-growing range of tried and tested sustainable packaging solutions, we are able to offer cardboard boxes that help to minimise the use of raw materials, reduce packaging waste and that can easily be re-introduced back into the recycling chain, helping your business to achieve its environmental goals.

With the aid of our design team, and ever-expanding knowledge, we are able to provide exceptional packaging solutions in a cost-effective manner and provide detailed advice on best-fit packaging materials, print processes & print finishes.

Also read: Sustainability – Plastic Packaging Alternatives

Conclusion

We continually strive to seek the best cardboard packaging solution for our customers to ensure packaging performance is met, costs are kept to a minimum and deliver an end result that we are proud to have manufactured and that you are proud to use for showcasing your own products.

In need of Bespoke Packaging? Submit an enquiry.