How a Familiar Material is Helping to Save the Planet


Retail packaging boxes

When it comes to versatile material that everyone seems to have at least some use for, cardboard ranks quite highly. Whether you are in need of cardboard mailer boxes or are looking to create a retail packaging design, or your project is a bit simpler, like making a poster or packing things up to move elsewhere, cardboard is a good go-to. And its positive properties go further than it simply being lightweight or easy to manipulate. The fact that cardboard is recyclable makes it much more valuable in regards to the health of the earth.

Connecting cardboard mailer boxes and the health of the planet

Though you may not immediately think of saving the earth when you are trying to decide what cardboard mailer boxes to use, the fact that you are using recyclable material is quite significant. In today’s day and age, you can find things made of just about anything, and too few people conscious about where each of those things end up eventually. But if more people do not start thinking about what they are buying and the long term impact each purchase could have, we could very easily find the planet completely overrun with landfills, and little to no room for anything else.

The wasteful habits of developed societies, and the lack of access to environmentally friendly solutions in other areas are destroying so much space and so many resources that could be used for better things, not to mention the natural habitats of countless living things. By the time these wasteful actions affect well-off people personally, in a way that is noticeably detrimental to their comfort and lifestyle, it will be far too late to do anything about it. But by using materials like cardboard now for everyday uses like cardboard mailer boxes, and being intentional about recycling, we can start to make a difference today.

The longevity of cardboard use

Corrugated packaging is one of the most popular uses of cardboard, and one of the largest sectors of the packaging industry, with over 1,500 factories on the North American continent. And for over 100 years, corrugated boxes and similar packaging solutions have been a clear preference for consumers, particularly for the cost efficient aspect of it. And considering the fact that over 90% of all of the products in North America are either delivered or on display in some way with the use of corrugated packaging at one point or another over the course of that product’s lifespan, it is likely that the trend will continue. This is good news for the planet.

Recovering from damaging habits

We as a species have done quite a bit to this planet that does not quite show our appreciation of it. But at least for now, our actions do not have to mean permanent damage. There are things that can be done to reverse some of the damage and hopefully provide a better home for future generations. Recycling is one of the main actions we can take right now to help improve the world around us. Just a single ton of recycled cardboard can free up more than nine cubic yards of space in a landfill. And the good news is that word is spreading, and the positive movement is catching on. In just one year in the United States, about 91% of all of the container board that was produced was recovered after use and recycled.

Human beings have certainly not taken the most environmentally friendly path to reach the achievements that we have made to bring us to where we are today. But now that we have all of the information available to us, and we have ways to remedy the damage we have caused, it is most definitely time to act. Progress does not and should not come at the cost of the planet.


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