Fit Your Life in a Box |
Posted: June 24, 2017 |
Nothing gets more metaphorically misunderstood than a box. People talk about being 'boxed in.’ The most creative way of thinking is supposed 'outside' a box. For all its connotations of constraint and imprisonment, however, no everyday item gets more use or is more necessary. From the average home to the cargo hold of ocean liners an eight-cornered, six-sided structure finds its way into every circumstance.
Without question, the most famous variety is the traditional, ubiquitous cardboard box. Since the invention of papyrus in Egypt five thousand years ago, the material for the container has been centuries in the making. A much-needed assist came from the Chinese with the innovation of paper around 200BCE. It wasn't until the nineteenth century, however, that a German used cardboard to house a popular game.
Cardboard containers were put to use for storing hats, bottles and other sundry items. People from Paris to New York got into the habit. Producing the boxes, however, was very costly and inefficient. It was Robert Gair in Brooklyn who perfected a technique for mass production. He found a willing client in the form of the National Biscuit Company, who used it to package their new product, "Uneeda Biscuit."
The industrial rectangle didn't only make itself available in cardboard, of course. Wooden boxes (better known as chests) have existed since the dawn of human tool-making. Clay chests, wicker boxes, straw crates and stone basins are familiar items in many cultures. In modern times the materials have become stainless steel, plastic, and other polymers. Light storage and large shipping containers come in all shapes and sizes. The rectangular container is as much a part of industrial expansion as the roads, rails, and ships that carry them to their destinations.
One of the lessons of the current box is the efficacy of reuse and recycling. The industry created long-lasting materials that rival and even outdo stone regarding their permanency. Used metal bins and steel mesh crates have a durability that gives them extended life. Whether it’s intricate work or heavy loads, these containers are safe for packing and can be used for shipping and storage again and again.
Since modern container design is agnostic, the boxes can be labeled and physically modified to carry almost any product imaginable. They come in multiple configurations, including drop-bottom containers or collapsible bins. Most of them have a modular configuration so that they can stack well. Standardized dimensions mean the holders fit well against each other and rest securely within even larger storage spaces.
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