Tag Archive: Cardboard

M & M Box Proudly Participates in MFG Day this October 2nd!

The upcoming Manufacturing Day celebration is the go-to event showcasing modern manufacturing and was created to inspire those who are either established or starting out in the dynamic and ever-evolving field of manufacturing. MFG Day celebrates the next generation of those who will be leading the way in manufacturing innovation and greatness. Normally this event begins on the first Friday in October, but this year is pushed to October 2, 2015. Mark your calendars!

MFG DAY has several purposes, but arguably the most important is to give those who are in the forefront an opportunity to collectively open wide their factory floors to not only illustrate what modern manufacturing is all about, but to also reveal what are common misperceptions and erroneous assumptions made by those who are not yet exposed to the reality of manufacturing today.

M & M Box & Partitions of Chicago is thrilled to be one of a group of industry sponsors and co-producers supporting MFG DAY. M & M Box understands how vital it is to get the proverbial word out about what individual manufacturers strive to achieve on a daily basis and to join in the collective chorus of manufacturers driven to trumpet the many opportunities for the future. MFG DAY, in a nutshell, is a vehicle for manufacturers to collectively address their common challenges and to help make communities and future generations all the more prosperous.

M & M Box Partitions Company has been manufacturing chip, corrugated and specialty board partitions since 1968. M & M Box has the machinery and capability to deliver on every design need, from cell sizes ranging from 1/4″ to 60″ in length and width to heights from 5/8″ to 24″. Give M & M Box a call today to find out more about its strict quality control program and its various premiere services and products.

Posted in: Manufacturing, Manufacturing Day

Tags: Cardboard, Chicago, MFG

The TICCIT to Sustainability

One of the key buzzwords in manufacturing in recent year has been sustainability. As manufacturers, we have realized that responsible, sustainable manufacturing practices are the way into the future. Eco-conscious, sustainable production is good for our environment, our community, and our business. As part of a sector that can do great things with sustainability, we here at M&M Box & Partitions always keep abreast of developments.

TICCIT

The TICCIT program is a yearly outreach program, held to honor Earth Day. The name stands for “Trees Into Cartons, Cartons Into Trees”, and helps to show the renewability and sustainability of paper and paperboard packaging. The event involves box and packaging manufacturing companies partnering with local schools.

The companies donate saplings of native trees, and have students bring in paper-based containers such as milk or juice cartons, a tissue box, or other similar box. The companies then show the children how to plant the saplings in their boxes, and instructs them on planting the units in the ground. The cartons work as both protection and as a water funnel for the trees, and will eventually biodegrade, helping to feed the tree. This helps to demonstrate the cycle to the children.

100% Recycled Chipboard

It’s not just once a year that we at M&M practice renewable, sustainable manufacturing. We aim to reduce the waste in manufacturing by utilizing post-consumer materials as much as possible in our processes. The chipboard used in our recycled packaging products is made of 100% recycled material, and is perfect for use in industries ranging from automotive to pharmaceutical.

On top of using recycled materials, we return scraps, paper, and box cuttings back to the paper mills. At the mills, these bits and pieces are pulped and filtered, blended, rolled and died, and then sized and sheeted and returned back to manufacturers. The resulting chipboard is just as high-quality and as useful as fresh chipboard, but with a sense of environmental responsibility.

At M&M Box and Partitions, we will continue to seek out ways to introduce sustainability and renewability into our manufacturing process. The packaging sector is one of the leaders in sustainable manufacturing, and we will strive to be one of the leaders in the packaging sector into the future.

Posted in: Recycled Packaging Materials

Tags: Cardboard, Chipboard, Manufacturing, Recycle, Sustainability

How the Cardboard Box Was Invented

Sometimes to really appreciate something that is so simple, like a cardboard box, requires no more than a little imagination or, perhaps, some research into the past. That which we take for granted often can be the most sorely missed from the day-to-day.

Imagine No Cardboard

Imagine all those trips to the post office to mail something that won’t fit in an envelope, or pouring out cereal from that colorful box with the free game on the back, or that big move where you packed box after cardboard box of your belongings. Actually, how about imagining the alternative? This would be a life without cardboard. Likely the alternatives would be any combination of the following: Heavy, breakable and/or prohibitively expensive. Yes, this is the surprising importance of the ever so humble cardboard box.

Origins

As with so many things paper-related, (or with noodles and gunpowder), it all begins in ancient China, some three or four thousand years in the past. Apparently, citizens of the Han Dynasty utilized thick, treated sheets of tree bark to wrap and protect food items. After a long stretch of time, paper in general and cardboard in particular made it to European culture in large part due to the famous Silk Road. It would still be quite some time before we would see something taking the form of what we now know as the “cardboard box.” In 1856 a certain haberdashery wanted a material shaped as a box that could retain its own shape and protect the hats contained within. One might say that cardboard boxes perhaps owe their ubiquitous quality to the difficulty posed by storing and protecting something akin to Lincoln’s stovepipe hat.

M & M Box, which has been manufacturing chip, corrugated and specialty board partitions since 1968, owes its very existence to this invention. Call or email today to discover how M & M Box can help fulfill your shipping material needs.

Posted in: Paperboard

Tags: Cardboard, Chipboard, History, Packaging, Paperboard

FOLDING CARTON BOOT-CAMP: EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CARTONS BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK

In every industry excellence comes with practice and the dissemination of the latest information around trends and processes. Cartons are no different. With several environmental concerns plaguing packaging in general, cartons made of recycled paper have been touted as a compromise between deforestation and non-biodegradable choke up or pollution.

The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) is serious about keeping industry related organizations in the U.S and Canada updated in terms of the whole manufacturing time-line of a carton right from paper selection and prepping to customer delivery, without skipping any steps between.

The Folding Carton Boot camp is a bi-annual event. It is generally held once in winter and once during spring with the latter being the more popular edition. However December 2014 saw an unprecedented 35 individuals from companies far and wide attend the Boot Camp to glean knowledge around:

• Paper production
• The different kinds (grades) of paperboard available
• The process of packaging creation
• The intricacies and best practices of using presses to coat the paperboard with ink
• The complexities of the pre-press process
• The utilization of Computer Aided Design (CAD) in creation and visualization of new carton designs and prototypes
• Colour theory and the direct interrelation between ink colour and consumption (absorption) by the different grades of paperboard
• Creasing, windowing and gluing of cartons

June will see an encore of the event and enthusiastic participation is expected by the PPC.

A part of the allure of the Camp, over and above the detailed information and industry insights, lies in the free resources offered. Not only will students receive The Ideas and Innovation Handbook, the will also get their hands on a binder of paper and carton samples and a consolidated glossary of printing terminology to guide their solo efforts.

The Folding Carton Boot Camp is a certification event and participants have the advantage of going over the material discussed in the form of comprehensive take-home PDFs and worksheets.

Paperboard Packaging Council’s President Ben Marken expressed his delight at the keen interest shown in the Boot Camp and hinted at more value to be delivered to future attendees.

M&M Box participates in this PPC event regularly and is proud to invest in itself and its continued quest to be the best in the market.

Posted in: Paperboard

Tags: Cardboard, Carton, Packaging, Paperboard Packagaing Council

Back to School Bliss with Corrugated Boxes

Somehow we’ve reached the end of summer. For many adults all this means is a change in wardrobe. But for parents and children, it’s back to school season. Soon enough, desks will be filled with pencils and craft supplies, and lockers will be stuffed to the brim with books and other personal items. We’re all familiar with how quickly these things can pile up.

But with a little creativity and diligence, even the busiest student can maintain some order in their school supplies.

Corrugated box partitions are versatile and can often be reused from packaging materials. On top of a desk, in a cubby, or inside of a craft supply box these partitions can keep paints, crayons, markers, tape dispensers, and many more items safely stowed. This is especially helpful for individual paint containers that can leak or spill when being put away after use.

And even the ubiquitous corrugated box can find new life during back to school season. Older students can turn shoe boxes and other boxes of similar size on their sides and decorate them with colorful wrapping paper, or can cover them with paint and self-made designs. These boxes can then be used as shelving for textbooks and notebooks, protecting them from wet rain jackets and dingy gym clothes. Not only that, but it also gives kids a fun after-school activity to get them more excited during their first days and weeks.

Do you have any other creative uses of cardboard and corrugated materials that can help during back to school season? Head over to our Facebook page and let us know!

Posted in: Uncategorized

Tags: Back to School Organization, Cardboard, Cardboard Locker Shelves, Craft Supply Organization, Creative Uses of Cardboard

Make Sustainability a Priority on World Environment Day (and Every Day After!)

Most people remember Earth Day on April 22^nd each year, but did you know that June 5^th marked World Environment Day? Having these days set aside reminds us to be mindful of the impacts our activities have on the world as a whole. It’s the perfect time to reflect on current business practices, and come up with ways to make them more sustainable.

One easy way to green your business is by looking no further than your suppliers. If your company uses corrugated paperboard for packaging, look for suppliers that offer products made from recycled materials.

Recycled cardboard not only saves trees (60 boxes equals about half of a one-ton pine tree), it also saves energy and landfill space. Using recycled cardboard saves 25% of the energy required to make cardboard from scratch. In addition, it’s estimated that in the average person’s lifetime, they will be able to save 7 trees, 35 gallons of oil, and over 3,000 gallons of water just by recycling all of their moving boxes. Full details can be found here.

You can also incorporate sustainability in your business plan by making small changes within the company. Make an effort to go paperless in the office, trading memos for emails, and encouraging staff to use online banking and direct deposit. Set up recycling bins in high traffic areas for a simple yet effective transition. And of course, make it a habit to turn off all computers, monitors, and other non-essential electronics before heading out at the end of the day.

What other tips do you have to increase sustainability in a business? Let us know in the comments.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Tags: Business, Cardboard, Corrugated, Environment, Manufacturing, Recycling, Sustainability

How the Right Packaging (Safely) Preserves Your Food

Keeping food intact throughout processing and shipping is an important objective for manufacturers and distributors. But food preservation isn’t the only consideration that should be made. Plastic packaging and cans are usually effective at protecting food from damage, but additives within the materials can impact the food’s integrity.

Recently, studies have linked BPA, a common chemical in plastics and cans, to numerous health concerns. Autism, asthma, obesity, and even cancer have all been linked to exposure to BPA. By making the switch to cardboard or corrugated packaging for food, consumers can reduce their risk from exposure.

Cardboard can be used in most food storage applications. Even soups and other liquids often found in a can are able to make the transition to cardboard by taking advantage of aluminum foil linings inside the package.

And for food that is packaged as a group but kept separate – such as chocolates and other confections – cardboard partitions can keep individual pieces divided without relying on plastic inserts. This can mean the difference between pulling apart candy that has melted together, and being able to enjoy each piece as desired (Donuts and other baked goods could greatly benefit from this, too!).

Cardboard partitions are also ideal because they work well as far as impact protection goes. Fragile wine bottles may travel long distances from the bottling facility to their final retail destinations. Having cardboard divisions protects them from the outside environment, and also keeps the bottles from bumping into each other during transit.

Choosing cardboard packaging and partitions will allow intact delivery and lower health risks. Always make sure to find an FDA-approved cardboard manufacturer for food preservation needs.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Tags: BPA, Cardboard, Cardboard Partitions, Corrugated, Food, Food Packaging, Food Partitions, Food Preservation, Packaging