Corrugated Archives - M & M Box Partitions Co.

Tag Archive: Corrugated

Cardboard Boat Regatta

June 15, 2015 12:00 am Leave a Comment

When most people think about the durability of cardboard, they imagine how many bottles a particular box can hold and how heavy those bottles can be. But have you ever thought how well your cardboard box can hold up when it has to get two teenagers across a swimming pool? Probably not. But a physics teacher in Longview, Texas was and left it up to her students to answer.

The teacher, Jennifer Smith, hoped to teach the students about the Archimedes’ Principle which states that in order for something to float, it must displace its own weight in the water. So a student weighing 150 lbs. must be able to displace 150 lbs. of water to stay afloat. The students are allowed to use three layers of corrugated cardboard and can only use packing tape or duct tape on the seams of the boxes to help hold it together. Once they feel the boat is seaworthy, they put it in the water, get themselves in and try to make it across the 75-foot pool in the Lobo Aquatic Center. One boat almost made it across before sinking.

Smith said that while she can teach all day in a classroom, it’s more important to get the students involved and learn things hands-on. The Lobo Regatta has been practiced for the last 15 years. This endeavor helped the students not only learn the Archimedes principle, but also the importance of teamwork to solve complex problems. The students said that they understood the principle but really enjoyed the activity because it was exciting and fun.

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

June 11, 2013 12:00 am Leave a Comment

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.

How the Right Packaging (Safely) Preserves Your Food

March 24, 2013 12:00 am Leave a Comment

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.