Pros And Cons Of Cardboard Box Shipping

Cardboard boxes are one of the most commonly used packaging for a variety of items. From electronics to cereal, we encounter these boxes practically every day. Businesses that sell products often use them for shipping purposes. They can be customized or sourced in a variety of standard sizes. When deciding what type of packaging material will be used for your products, you will likely have considered cardboard. Let’s look at the pros and cons of this particular option.

Pros

Cardboard is a relatively lightweight material that manages to possess good tensile strength, especially when corrugated. This makes it a strong and cost-effective shipping material. It does not add much to the shipping weight. Its strength also means that it can capably contain and carry much higher weights.

A cardboard carton can also be easily customized to a variety of sizes and dimensions. The material can also be easily added to include images and writing. For businesses interested in making their brand more visible, this customization is quite helpful. Because the walls of boxes can be quite thin, they are also space-saving. When initially sourced from a packaging company, they typically arrive in a flat pack shape that also makes them easy to store before they need to be used.

You will also find that when kept away from liquids, a cardboard box can prove quite durable. They can be easily re-used, providing even more value to the owner. They can also be responsibly manufactured from sustainable sources and later recycled. Cardboard boxes are cheap to manufacture, meaning that if a business does decide to pass on the cost to customers, it will only have a marginal effect.

Cons

While a cardboard box may be quite strong, it does have its limits. Certain heavy objects cannot be safely packaged using this material. The lightweight material can also be easily deformed through impact or moisture. Even a little water can alter the integrity of a box. When stacking, the contents should not be too heavy as those beneath can easily cave in. This can often make its alternatives like plastic and wood better suited for shipping.

Also, while customizable, cardboard is a rigid material that cannot be easily manipulated into odd shapes. Alternative packaging materials or filler would have to be used. For instance, if trying to pack posters, cylindrical tubes would be a better option. To fill in gaps for oddly shaped items, fillers such as Styrofoam inserts, bubble wrap, and old newspaper can prove handy.