Cardboard Box Types or Classes

Shipping boxes are not manufactured with food-grade cardboard.

Cardboard is a paper product used in the food, packing, shipping and crafting industries. Cardboard box manufacturers fold and cut large pieces of cardboard, creating boxes. The different grades or classes of cardboard box are based on cardboard thickness, function and source material. Manufacturers create cardboard boxes for either a variety of uses or one sole purpose, as is the case with food-grade cardboard boxes.

Corrugated

Three types of corrugated cardboard are single-wall, double-wall and triple-wall. Single-wall consists of two flat outer sheets of cardboard with one sheet of fluted cardboard between. Double-wall adds one additional flat sheet and one fluted sheet, creating a five-layer cardboard. Triple-layer adds one flat sheet and one fluted middle sheet onto the double-wall construction, resulting in seven layers. The most common form of corrugated cardboard as of 2011 is single-wall, which holds up to 350 lbs. Double-wall holds up to 500 lbs., and triple-wall holds in excess of 500 lbs.

Food Grade

Food-grade cardboard boxes must meet federal regulation guidelines established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food grade cardboard cannot contain or come into contact with chemicals, toxic materials or food additives that may cause human harm. The FDA defines food additive as "any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result, directly or indirectly, in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food (including any substance intended for use in packing, packaging or holding food)."

Non-Food Grade

"Non-food-grade" is the generic term used to describe all cardboard boxes not approved for use with food. Types of non-food-grade cardboard boxes include crafting, packing and shipping boxes.

Recycled

Dry cardboard boxes free from grease and other food stains are recycled into paper, paperboard and new cardboard boxes. Companies label recycled cardboard boxes based on the percentage of old cardboard used in the production process. For instance, companies using post-consumer cardboard used to manufacture new cardboard boxes list the percentage of post-consumer material. The label reads, "Recycled from 50 percent post-consumer waste."

References

• Keller Heckman Packaging: Topics in Food Contact; Jerome H. Hackman; June 2005
• Earth911: Tips on Recycling Cardboard
• Packmeister: Grades of Corrugated Cardboard