What is cardboard made of chemically

You use it in the morning to pour your milk and cereal, and at the end of the day when you order pizza for dinner.

And if you’re a papertarian, you’re aware that cardboard is a responsible choice—made from a renewable resource and one of the most widely recycled materials out there. 

But at some point, you might have wondered: How exactly is cardboard made?

Lucky you: You’re about to find out.

What Is Cardboard?

Unless you’re in the paper and packaging industry, you probably use “cardboard” as a generic term to refer to most paper products that are thicker and heavier than paper.

What is cardboard used for

The sturdy boxes that your online deliveries come in, the thinner material that protects frozen meals, thick moving boxes meant for strength, the chic packaging from your local bakery—all are forms of paper packaging.

But within the industry, different terms emerge.

The thinner, more flexible material that houses frozen meals and boxed pasta is referred to as paperboard. This means it has one layer of material, perhaps with a coating.

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