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Mississauga, ON — serving Toronto & the GTA
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Buyers use "cardboard box" to mean almost any paper-based box, which is fine in conversation and a problem on a purchase order. The distinction matters because the two materials fail in different ways and cost different amounts.
Corrugated board is made of at least three layers: an inner liner, an outer liner, and a fluted (wavy) medium glued between them. Those flutes act as columns — they absorb impact and carry stacking load. Paperboard, what most people call cardboard, is a single solid sheet with no flutes; it folds neatly and prints beautifully, but it will not protect a load in freight.
Short version: if it is going in a truck with other freight stacked on it, you want corrugated. If it is a retail carton sitting on a shelf inside a shipper, paperboard is usually enough — and often better for print.
| Construction | Layers | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Single wall | One fluted medium between two liners | Ecommerce orders, general shipping, light to medium goods |
| Double wall | Two fluted mediums, three liners | Heavy, bulky or fragile goods, export freight, stacked pallets |
| Corrugated sheets & pads | Flat corrugated board | Layering between products, pallet separation, in-house fabrication |
| Bulk containers (Gaylord) | Heavy double wall | High-volume bulk storage and handling on pallets |
Flute profiles are described by letter — coarser flutes give more cushioning and stacking strength, finer flutes give a smoother surface for printing and a thinner wall. You rarely need to specify a flute yourself: describe the product weight, whether it stacks, and how far it travels, and the flute and board grade follow from that.
We manufacture RSC, die-cut, heavy-duty, sheet and Gaylord corrugated packaging in Toronto and the GTA, and we quote board against your actual product rather than a catalogue size. If shelf presentation matters too, see retail display packaging.
Not quite. In everyday use people say cardboard for both, but corrugated board has a fluted middle layer glued between two liners, which is what gives it cushioning and stacking strength. Plain cardboard (paperboard) is a single solid layer used for things like cereal cartons.
Single wall suits most ecommerce and general shipping. Double wall is specified for heavier, bulkier or higher-value goods, longer transit chains, export freight, and loads that will be stacked.
Yes, corrugated is widely recyclable through existing paper streams, which is one reason it remains the default shipping material for brands with packaging waste targets.
Send product dimensions, packed weight and whether loads are stacked — we'll specify wall type and board and quote the run.