15 surprising facts about packaging
5min read
16/07/2019
A cardboard box, tape or bubble wrap may seem trivial (or boring)… Yet they are the source of a series of surprising facts! Below we gather the fifteen most remarkable peculiarities.1 From the construction of a cardboard house to the origin of bubble wrap to the famous Tape Festival….What did you not know?
Fifteen surprising facts about packaging materials
► 1. How can you tell the difference between PVC and PP tape?
In order to distinguish them from each other, you need to test their elasticity: PVC tape can be stretched much more than PP (= polypropylene) tape.A quick test: stretch a piece of tape and try to pierce it with a pen.If you succeed, it’s PVC tape.If the tape tears, it’s PP2.
► 2. In Ohio, the Tape Festival is held every year
The town of Avon, Ohio, holds an annual festival where tape takes centre stage. You’ll see artwork, sculptures, clothing, etc. all made of tape. Avon is the home of the Duck Tape brand and is therefore the “Duck Tape Capital of the World “3.
► 3. With tape you can get a scholarship
“Stuck at Prom” is the competition of an American tape manufacturer. The student who uses Duck Tape to design and produce the most beautiful dress or elegant costume for his or her prom wins a scholarship. A total of $20,000 will then be awarded to the individual winners3.
► 4. Make a frosted glass transparent again with tape
Frosted glass is not clear.But you can change that with clear tape.How is that possible? Frosted glass is actually glass with many small imperfections.By taping it up,these imperfections will disappear and the light will be able to pass through it again. Check out the video here. 4
► 5. In France you will find a museum dedicated to cardboard
If you want to visit a cardboard museum, you’ll have to go to Valréas, the cardboard capital of France. The Musée du Cartonnage et de l’Imprimerie presents the history of cardboard and the art of printing.
► 6. Reinforced tape was invented by the army
Before the invention of reinforced tape, ammunition packages were made watertight with wax and some sort of paper tape.They were often difficult to open and soldiers lost precious minutes in the heat of battle.The idea for reinforced tape came from Vesta Stoudt, mother of two Illinois Marines.She wrote a letter to President F. Roosevelt during World War II with the idea of reinforcing the tape with fabric, to make it much stronger.Roosevelt passed the idea on to Johnson & Johnson, who thus created reinforced tape as we know it today.
► 7. Tape saved the Apollo 13 mission
From the very beginning, duct tape has been in the rescue kit of every NASA mission. And that’s a good thing, because an explosion during the Apollo 13 flight got the three crew members in serious trouble. The air filter system was in danger of collapsing… With the help of duct tape (and Houston), they were able to repair the air filters and get them out alive.
► 8. Did you know that the cardboard box is over 200 years old?
- 1817: The first cardboard box is launched on the market in England.
- 1850: Kellogg’s is the first brand to permanently use a carton as packaging.
- 1856: The first patent for corrugated cardboard is granted – the box as we know it today is born!
- 1883: The first corrugated factory is opened in London.
- 1914: wooden boxes are increasingly replaced by lighter cardboard boxes.
► 9. In Melbourne, you’ll find a house made of cardboard
Architect Peter Ryan proves that cardboard is a strong material, and has been living in a house made entirely of cardboard since 2004
► 10. Paper and cardboard are the most recycled materials in Europe
Of all raw materials, paper and cardboard are the most recycled, followed by glass and metal, among others. Paper can be recycled up to 7 times; a cardboard box up to 10 times.
► 11. Bubble wrap reduces your stress levels
[Research has shown that spending 1 minute popping bubbles in bubble wrap is as relaxing as a 30 minute massage. This may have something to do with our ancient habit of squashing ticks or other insects that used to torment us, with the typical noise that goes with it. It may also have something to do with the fact that people calm down by touching them. By rubbing the bubbles and popping them, tactile sensations are simulated.
► 12. Bubble wrap was originally a type of wallpaper
In 1957, engineer Al Fielding and Swiss inventor Marc Chavannes wanted to bring a texture-enhanced wallpaper to the market.As an experiment, they glued 2 shower curtains together.Once the edges were sealed, air bubbles remained in the centre.As a wallpaper, this idea never gained much traction, but the packaging industry soon became interested.
► 13. In January you can celebrate Bubble Wrap Day
The last Monday in January is the day we celebrate the benefits of bubble wrap. Thanks to this versatile protective material, a multitude of products arrive safely at their destination every day.
► 14. For the pallets, no extra trees will be cut down
Wood from wooden pallets is a by-product of the manufacture of furniture or building materials for residential construction. At the end of their life cycle, the majority of wooden pallets are recycled into fuel, wood fibre pallets or garden or pet litter. In 2015, there were 3 billion pallets in circulation in the EU. That’s 4 times more than the total population.
► 15. The best protection against impact is… air!
No paper cushions, no air cushions, no foam cushions…. No! The best protection is in the air of these materials. Shocks are best absorbed with clean air.
Sources:1 www.rajapack.es/blog-es/curiosidades/sabias-que-trucos-curiosidades-sobre-embalaje/2 mentalfloss.com/article/74550/10-durable-facts-about-about-tape/3 www.duckbrand.com/festival/2019-avon-heritage-duck-tape-festival/4 lifehacker.com/see-through-frosted-glass-with-a-piece-of-clear-tape-5800404/
