Foldable boxes are all-rounders in which you can literally store just about anything. These boxes are flexible, available in countless size formats and robust. This has advantages for you because you have more options for use, and advantages from a sustainability point of view because of the possibility of upcycling. Find out exactly how it works now.

Sustainability is important to you and you are looking for more information on this topic? Our blog offers you enough reading material.

Advantages of reuse for consumers

Nobody likes having trash at home. In Germany, we are therefore busy throwing away paper, cardboard, cartons and similar waste: we consumed 227 kg of it per capita on average in 2019.

This figure is not bad per se, because a large proportion is recycled. In 2019, this was around 78 percent of all cardboard boxes and similar shipping packaging. The huge amounts of paper waste are therefore not necessarily negative, as the majority can be recycled with little energy. The CO2 balance of this packaging is therefore positive.

Nevertheless, reuse in another form brings many positive aspects:

• Even better than recycling is avoiding waste altogether. By using folding boxes for something else, less paper waste ends up in the garbage can.
• You discover things through reuse that you may not have thought about before and that bring something positive to your life.
• You save money: Instead of buying new items, you simply use shipping boxes that will be sent to you anyway. For example, you could have a picture frame custom-made for 50 euros - or build it yourself from cardboard that costs only a few cents.

Consumers can save money and protect the environment by reusing the packaging. Since you get folding box packaging together with your products when you shop online anyway, you don't have to do without anything: You simply use what you have at home anyway.

Upcycling knows everyone. For example, when children paint an old piece of paper and hang it on the wall, a useless paper has become a picture that gives a little joy. The value of the paper has increased - upcycling.

Sustainability: More benefits through reuse

When it comes to sustainability, all things that are recycled generally do well. Folding boxes are no exception. Anything you don't buy but make yourself from existing material is a good alternative for the planet.

In any case, folding carton packaging has a good standing in this respect. Let's take a closer look at the data. If you choose cartons made in Europe, you get an excellent and sustainable material.

• Slightly more than half of the energy for the production or recycling of the cartons is obtained from CO2-neutral biomass - no burden on the environment.
• Almost all of the water needed to make the boxes is recycled. Only about 5 percent seeps into the groundwater (and it's not toxic).
• A good 80 percent of the wood used to manufacture folding carton packaging comes from forests that are managed solely for wood production. Animals therefore do not lose any habitat.

These are ideal values for upcycling. You use an already very sustainable raw material and then put it to a new use.

Sustainability and plastic packaging - an alternative?

Disposable plastic packaging in particular is poison for the environment. In some cases, this poison is even so toxic that politicians have had to intervene to ban coffee cups, for example.

First of all, this is actually good news for upcycling: You don't throw away problematic packaging, but continue to use it. This massively improves the CO2 balance of this packaging. If you find a new use for a plastic packaging, you should definitely use it!

At the same time, however, the material is often difficult for consumers to use. Depending on the nature of the plastic, it can be difficult to cut it to size. Sharp edges often remain, which can cause injuries.

In comparison, folding box packaging made only of cardboard can be shaped into any conceivable form with a simple pair of scissors. This makes upcycling easier - and the more complex the project, the easier it will be for you with corrugated cardboard & co.

You should not use reusable plastic packaging for upcycling. The CO2 balance is much better there - you would make it worse if you pull the plastic out of the commodity cycle.

What can I use folding boxes for?

There are a wide variety of uses for folding cartons. 

Upcycling is the reuse of an existing item to put it to a new, often better, use. A good example might look like this:

1. You are sent a folding box by a mail order company.
2. You take out the packaged goods and turn the package into a seed tray for vegetables or herbs.
3. Once everything is ripe, harvest your vegetables.

This box used to be "just" a shipping box to get a product from A to B. Now it's a little vegetable garden that supplies you with peppers, tomatoes and more. Now your box is a small vegetable garden that supplies you with peppers, tomatoes & Co. The new purpose is more valuable than the old application, which is why this is a good example of successful upcycling.

Storage box for everyday items

Little things from everyday life need a place. If they all disappear together in one drawer, there will be a lot of chaos after a short time. With a few simple tricks you can bring order:

1. Carefully cut off the top lid of a folding box packaging.
2. Use the cut-off lid to build partitions out of it.
3. You put these dividers in the box. You can either glue them down or hook them together so that they stand.

You can assign a purpose to each section in your new box. Rubber bands, pens, stamps and USB sticks? You could neatly place these in a four-section box. There are no limits, you can simply place all the items that seem to make sense to you in these boxes - that's it.

Storage place for vegetables

Vegetables usually just want to be stored in a dark and cool place. A refrigerator does not have to be. Onions, potatoes, carrots & Co. therefore find a reliable place in any normal folding box packaging.

Such a box is best to pad it a little, some dry cloth or fabric will do. This will absorb moisture that might leak from fruits. For all vegetables that do not require extra refrigeration, a box of this type is well suited as a storage place.

Also, you can very easily cut the box to the size you really need. Families will probably need a larger box than single households. Since material like corrugated cardboard is very easy to cut, you won't have any problems trying this kind of upcycling.

Colorful picture frame

If you want to do a little painting, you could build your own picture frames. It works like this:

1. You cut the folding box packaging into small and large sections - depending on how big the pictures you want to hang are.
2. You place the pictures you want to hang on the box sections. Then you cut the cardboard so that the picture fits on it and a little margin is left for the frame.
3. Now paint the frames the way you want them. Then you stick the pictures inside - done.

New picture frames aren't cheap - and certainly not if you want them custom-made for specific photos. By using folding box packaging, you're guaranteed to get a frame that fits in a style that suits your home. If at some point you don't like your choice, you can easily replace or repaint the frames. The cost is negligible when you use mail order boxes.

Fun for your pet

Many pets love to crawl into holes and explore burrows. Cats are the prime example, hamsters or guinea pigs behave similarly. If you have pets, you can build them a den out of a large folding box. To do this, cut entrances and exits in the cardboard or even small windows. If you want to be very creative, you can line the animals' "new home" with fabric or otherwise embellish it - whatever you like is allowed.

The advantage of this new type of toy is that the animals - for example, cats with their sharp claws - can also break it quietly. The cardboard would otherwise just end up in the trash anyway, so you don't risk anything if the animals demolish the den while playing. If you are a pet owner, you also know how expensive these play dens are in stores. With a converted folding box packaging you get everything for free.

Conclusion: Upcycling beats recycling

By upcycling, you can put the folding box
to good use even after you've used it.

Folding carton packaging is easily moldable and can be put to countless uses. If you're ordering something soon and have a cardboard box in your hand, you can think about how you can put it to good use. Because while recycling is a good thing, you'll make it even better by upcycling it in your own home.

FAQ

1. Where does the idea of upcycling come from?

   The term first appeared in 1994, when Rainer Pilz mentioned it in a British magazine. It was important to the engineer at the time to mention that we should find a way to give old objects a higher value. That's how the term upcycling was born.

2. How much recycling is done in Germany?

   In many areas, we cooperate in an exemplary manner. For example, we have high recycling rates for electrical appliances, cardboard and paper, and biowaste (100 percent, 99 percent and 97 percent). In terms of total packaging waste in Germany, we occupy one of the top positions in Europe.