Cardboard facts for kids

Cardboard is a strong, thick type of paper. It's known for being stiff and lasting a long time. It was first made in China around the 15th century. Today, cardboard is used for many different things, especially for packaging and making boxes.

Cardboard boxes were first sold in 1817 in England. Later, in 1856, a special type of paper called corrugated (or pleated) paper was patented in England. It was first used inside tall hats! But it wasn't until December 20, 1871, that corrugated cardboard was patented for shipping. Albert Jones of New York City received this patent for single-sided corrugated cardboard. He used it to wrap bottles and glass lantern chimneys.

In 1874, G. Smyth built the first machine to make lots of corrugated cardboard. That same year, Oliver Long made Jones's design even better. He invented corrugated cardboard with smooth paper sheets on both sides. This is the kind of cardboard we mostly see today!

How Did Cardboard Boxes Become Popular?

Robert Gair was a printer and paper-bag maker in Brooklyn during the 1870s. One day, while he was printing seed bags, a metal ruler accidentally cut the bag instead of just creasing it. Gair realized that he could cut and crease cardboard in one step to make ready-to-fold cartons. When corrugated cardboard became available, it was easy to use this idea for stronger boxes. By the early 1900s, corrugated cardboard boxes started to replace the heavy wooden crates that were used for shipping goods.

The First Cereal Box

The famous Kellogg brothers were among the first to use cardboard cartons for their flaked corn cereal. When they started selling it to everyone, they wrapped a special heat-sealed, waxed bag called Waxtite around the outside of the box. This bag had their brand name printed on it. This was the very beginning of the cereal box! Today, the sealed bag is usually made of plastic and is kept inside the box, not outside.

Cardboard and the Environment

In recent times, cardboard packaging has changed a bit because people care more about the environment. Now, it's common for cardboard to be made using a lot of recycled paper fibers. This helps to protect our planet.

Images for kids

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  Pieces of corrugated cardboard.

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  Tubes made of cardboard, which require high stiffness but are not meant for printing.

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  Playing cards, which need a very stiff single sheet with a strong, printable surface.

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  Egg cartons

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  Corrugated fiberboard, a common type of cardboard.

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  A postcard from 1908, often made from thick paperboard.

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  Posters and display boards at a science fair, often made of cardboard.

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  A hardcover book, which uses stiff cardboard for its covers.

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  A punch card, an early way to store digital information, made of stiff paperboard.

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  A mat used for framing pictures, often made of thick paperboard.

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  A corrugated box used for storing old documents and archives.

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  Business cards, which are printed on thick paper or cardstock.

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  Fiber tubes for rolls of paper, like toilet paper or paper towels.

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  A paperboard jigsaw puzzle.

See also

In Spanish: Cartón para niños