Cardboard Moving Boxes: 5 Facts You Didn’t Know About

Can you imagine moving your home or office without using traditional cardboard moving boxes? Well, until the late 1800s, people did just that, relying on heavy trunks, wooden boxes, and bulky sacks to transport their belongings. Today, cardboard boxes are such a common component of the moving process that most people hardly give them a second thought. But let’s not take them for granted. After all, you could be throwing you back out trying to lift a 100-pound trunk stuffed full of your belongings instead of sliding a lightweight moving box easily onto a dolly. Read on to discover five more facts you didn’t know about traditional moving boxes and why the type of box you choose matters.

1. The First Cardboard Box Was Made in 1817

Paper may have been around since 100 BC, China, but cardboard didn’t make an appearance until centuries later. By the 15th century, cardboard was being used as a packaging supply, and the first cardboard box was finally invented in 1817 by the British industrialist Malcolm Thornhill. However, this first moving box wasn’t very sturdy, and it would be another 67 years until the corrugated cardboard moving box that we know today came into existence. By 1890 the cardboard moving box was being mass-produced for commercial use and became a moving supply staple.  

2. There Are Multiple Types of Moving Boxes

While the corrugated cardboard moving box is the most common, there are many types of boxes to choose from. A new standard is plastic moving boxes, due to their durability and improved features like being reusable and water-resistant— it certainly makes moving in the rainless risky. Moving boxes come in all sorts of sizes, too, so you can nest them, stack them, and even keep them around like furniture. If you’re longing for the olden days, you can harken back to the old fashioned trunk, but just don’t be surprised when no one wants to help you lift that thing.  

3. Free Moving Boxes Often Come with Surprises

You scored moving boxes for free? What a deal! Or so you think. Free moving boxes often come with all sorts of hidden surprises, such as harmful chemicals, dander from pets, and little pests so small you won’t even notice them until you have a full-blown bedbug infestation in your new home. Two other known pests that like to hitch rides in cardboard moving boxes are fleas and cockroaches. Are those moving boxes you found on the sidewalk still looking like a good deal?  

4. You Can Rent Moving Boxes

An alternative to free moving boxes or to cardboard boxes is to rent moving boxes made from plastic. There are companies, like Boxbee, that use 100% recycled plastic for their moving boxes, and will deliver, pick up, and clean the boxes for you. No hidden costs and no scary surprises. By renting moving boxes, you’ll save yourself time and have the convenience of an on-demand service that will provide you with a safe and efficient way to move your belongings. Sorry, bedbugs, you won’t be hitching a ride this time.  

5. Many Moving Boxes End up in Landfills

Renting moving boxes is an eco-friendly alternative to cardboard moving boxes, too. While many cardboard boxes are recycled, approximately 30% still end up in landfills. Even the moving boxes that are recycled use up resources during the recycling process. For a truly green move, reusable moving boxes are the only solution. If you want to go one step further, opt for recycled, reusable, or biodegradable packing supplies to go with your reusable moving boxes. Do you have an upcoming move? Contact us at Boxbee and get the added convenience of free delivery and pickup of your moving supplies, plus the benefit of using green moving boxes.