= Most common packaging boxes, commonly known as cartons, are manufactured from various types of thick fiberboards or paperboards. The thickness of the box, however, depends on the needs of the customer. The basic cartons found in groceries are usually referred to as ‘stretch boxes’. Other common cartons used in the food industry include sandwich, soup, and flour cartons.
Carton packaging has evolved into a complete process making use of several innovative techniques. Earlier, folding cartons were made of wood. However, with increasing demands for convenience in handling products, the manufacturing industry started using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in producing flexible cartons. Flexible cartons or ‘rigid boxes’ are more convenient to handle than the ordinary hard plastic boxes. In addition, they are cheaper to produce, leading to the rapid growth of this industry worldwide. These rigid boxes are available in different sizes that perfectly fit into a specific package size and do not produce any space problems.
Plastic packaging is the basic product packaging format used by most companies throughout the world. But due to its limited usage and high price, it is hardly utilized by the small and medium scale businesses. Carton products are much cheaper and are widely used by retailers as well as manufacturers. With increased production and reduced cost, it is no longer difficult for companies to manufacture high quality packaging solutions at an affordable price. A variety of packaging options such as bubble wrap, corrugated boxes and custom cartons are easily available in the market today.
Companies usually keep a stock of packaging boxes that meet their specific product packaging needs. Some companies, on the other hand, prefer to order large numbers of high-quality cartons from the distributors at one time. But this needs considerable amount of time and manpower, besides hefty delivery charges. In this case, it is better to purchase packaging supplies from a company that deals with bulk packaging needs. These companies usually work with manufacturers and wholesalers to source small runs of high-quality cartons, rigid boxes and other related supplies.
Today, there is a wide array of options that companies can choose from to fulfill their individual and institutional product packaging needs. However, the most popular carton packaging materials that are used worldwide include polystyrene, PVC, polycarbonate and cardboard. Apart from these, various other unique materials are also used in the carton packaging industry.
Amongst all these materials, the most commonly used cartons are rigid box cartons and corrugated sheet products. Although the cost of manufacturing these two varieties of cartons is comparatively higher than the other, they are preferred more by the end users due to their long life. The most recent development in the field of packaging boxes is the folding cartons. These are basically made up of plastic composite material and have become highly popular among various leading companies in the global market. While using folding cartons in the business, it is very important to make sure that the boxes are highly durable and heavy duty.
