Cardboard

materials · paper · recycling · everyday

Made from trees. Cardboard starts as wood that gets broken down into tiny fibers, mixed with water, and pressed into sheets. These sheets are then layered together to make cardboard strong and rigid.

Wavy middle layer. The toughest cardboard, called corrugated fiberboard, has a wavy layer sandwiched between two flat layers. The waves are like tiny arches that give the cardboard strength without making it too heavy.

Super recyclable. Cardboard is one of the most recycled materials in the world because it breaks down easily and can be turned into new cardboard or other paper products over and over again.

Everywhere you look. Cardboard boxes hold everything from cereal to shoes to pizza, making it one of the most useful inventions for storing and shipping things safely.

Surprisingly strong. Even though it feels light, cardboard can hold really heavy objects because of how its fibers are arranged and layered together.