# Box > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Box > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Box.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box > Source revision: 1343021243 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For other uses, see [Box (disambiguation)](/source/Box_(disambiguation)) and [The Box (disambiguation)](/source/The_Box_(disambiguation)). Type of container This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Box" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) A wooden box with a hinged lid An empty corrugated fiberboard box An elaborate late 17th to early 18th century box ([Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art), [New York City](/source/New_York_City)) A **box** ([plural](/source/Plural): **boxes**) is a [container](/source/Container) with rigid sides used for the storage or transportation of its contents. Most boxes have flat, parallel, rectangular sides (typically [rectangular prisms](/source/Rectangular_prism)). Boxes can be very small (like a [matchbox](/source/Matchbox)) or very large (like a shipping box for furniture) and can be used for a variety of purposes, from functional to decorative. Boxes may be made of a variety of materials, both durable (such as [wood](/source/Wood) and [metal](/source/Metal)) and non-durable (such as [corrugated fiberboard](/source/Corrugated_fiberboard) and [paperboard](/source/Paperboard)). Corrugated metal boxes are commonly used as [shipping containers](/source/Shipping_container). Boxes may be closed and shut with flaps, doors, or a separate lid. They can be secured shut with adhesives, tapes, string, or more decorative or elaborately functional mechanisms, such as catches, [clasps](/source/Fastener) or [locks](/source/Lock_(security_device)). ## Packaging Several types of boxes are used in [packaging](/source/Packaging) and storage. - A [corrugated box](/source/Corrugated_box_design) is a [shipping container](/source/Shipping_container) made from [corrugated fiberboard](/source/Corrugated_fiberboard), most commonly used to transport products from a warehouse during distribution. Corrugated boxes are also known as cartons, cases, and [cardboard boxes](/source/Cardboard_box) in various regions. [Corrugated boxes](/source/Corrugated_box_design) are rated based on the strength of their material or their carrying capacity. Corrugated boxes are also used as product packaging, or in [point of sale](/source/Point_of_sale) displays. - [Folding cartons](/source/Folding_carton) (sometimes known as a box) are [paperboard](/source/Paperboard) boxes manufactured with a folding lid. These are used to package a wide range of goods, and can be used for either one-time (non-resealable) usage, or as a storage box for more permanent use. Folding cartons are first printed (if necessary) before being [die-cut](/source/Die_(manufacturing)) and scored to form a blank; these are then transported and stored flat, before being constructed at the point of use. - A [gift box](/source/Gift_box) is a variant on the folding carton, used for birthday or [Christmas](/source/Christmas) [gifts](/source/Gift). - Gable boxes are paperboard cartons used for liquids. - Setup boxes (also known as rigid paperboard boxes) are made of stiff paperboard and are permanently glued together with paper skins that can be printed or colored. Unlike folding cartons, these are assembled at the point of manufacture and transported as already constructed ("set-up"). Set up boxes are more expensive than folding boxes and are typically used for protecting high-value items such as cosmetics, watches or smaller consumer electronics. - [Crates](/source/Crate) are heavy duty shipping containers. Originally made of wood, crates are distinct from [wooden boxes](/source/Wooden_box), also used as heavy-duty shipping containers, as a wooden container must have all six of its sides put in place to result in the rated strength of the container. The strength of a wooden box, on the other hand, is rated based on the weight it can carry before the top or opening is installed. - A wooden wine box or wine crate, originally used for shipping and storing expensive wines, is a variant of the wooden box now used for decorative or promotional purposes, or as a storage box during shipping. - [Bulk boxes](/source/Bulk_box) are large boxes often used in industrial environments, sized to fit on a [pallet](/source/Pallet). - An [ammunition box](/source/Ammunition_box) is a metal can or box for ammunition. Depending on locale and usage, the terms **carton** and **box** are sometimes used interchangeably. The invention of large steel [intermodal shipping containers](/source/Intermodal_shipping_container) has helped advance the [globalization](/source/Globalization) of commerce.[1][2] ## Storage See also: [Decorative boxes](/source/Decorative_boxes) Boxes for storing various items in can often be very decorative, as they are intended for permanent use and sometimes are put on display in certain locations. The following are some types of storage boxes : - A jewelry ([American English](/source/American_English)) or jewellery ([British English](/source/British_English)) box, is a box for [trinkets](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/trinket) or [jewels](/source/Gemstone). It can take a very modest form with paper covering and lining, covered in [leather](/source/Leather) and lined with [satin](/source/Satin), or be larger and more highly decorated. - A [hat box](/source/Hat_box) is used for storing or transporting a hat. Hat boxes are often cylindrical or oval. - A [humidor](/source/Humidor) is a special box for storing cigars at the proper humidity. - A "strong box" or [safe](/source/Safe), is a secure lockable box for storing money or other valuable items. The term "strong box" is sometimes used for safes that are not portable but installed in a wall or floor. - A [toolbox](/source/Toolbox) is used for carrying tools of various kinds. They are usually used for portability rather than just storage. - A toy box is name of box for storing [toys](/source/Toys). - A box file is used in offices for storing papers and smaller files.[3] ## Gallery - Cartons - A box or [carton](/source/Carton) of cereal - Hard [cigarette pack](/source/Cigarette_pack) or [paperboard](/source/Paperboard) box - Corrugated box used for storage of archives - Reusable shipping boxes - Box in [bakelite](/source/Bakelite) for storing cigarettes. Manufactured by Vynckier in Ghent. Collection [Museum of Industry](/source/Museum_of_Industry_(Ghent)) Ghent. - [Drink boxes](/source/Drink_box) - Milk in gable-top carton - Set-up box made of non-bending paperboard - Wooden Box - Moving box - Cigar box - Ammunition boxes - Reusable box or transit case - A corrugated box with a folding lid used for [pizza](/source/Pizza) - Round pill box in [bakelite](/source/Bakelite), collection [Museum of Industry](/source/Museum_of_Industry_(Ghent)) Ghent. - A [juice box](/source/Juicebox_(container)) with *[soju](/source/Soju)* - Cake boxes - A wooden box for [fireworks](/source/Fireworks) - Round box manufactured by Ebena in Antwerp. Collection [Museum of Industry](/source/Museum_of_Industry_(Ghent)) Ghent. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Levinson, Marc. ["Sample Chapter for Levinson, M.: The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130122131825/http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s9383.html). *[The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger](/source/The_Box%3A_How_the_Shipping_Container_Made_the_World_Smaller_and_the_World_Economy_Bigger)*. Princeton University Press. Archived from [the original](http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s9383.html) on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 17 February 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Gittins, Ross (2006-06-12). ["How the invention of a box changed our world"](https://www.smh.com.au/business/how-the-invention-of-a-box-changed-our-world-20060612-gdnqf0.html). *The Sydney Morning Herald*. Retrieved 2022-09-10. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Hewett, Gwen (2008). [*FCS Office Practice L3*](https://books.google.com/books?id=1VRMPitXlPEC&q=A+boxfile+is+used+in+offices+for+storing+papers+and+smaller+files&pg=PA7). Pearson South Africa. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781770251274](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781770251274). ## Bibliography Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Boxes](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Boxes). Look up ***[box](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Special:Search/box)*** in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. - Soroka, W, "Fundamentals of Packaging Technology", IoPP, 2002, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-930268-25-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-930268-25-4) - Yam, K. L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 2009, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-470-08704-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-470-08704-6) - This article incorporates text from a publication now in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain): [Chisholm, Hugh](/source/Hugh_Chisholm), ed. (1911). "[Box](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Box)". *[Encyclopædia Britannica](/source/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition)* (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. v t e Containers Aerosol spray Aluminium bottle Aluminum can Amphora Ampoule Antistatic bag Bag Bag-in-box Barrel Basket Bin Biodegradable bag Blister pack Body bag Bottle Box Box wine Bucket Bulk box Cage Canister Carboy Carton Cartridge Case Chub Clamshell Coffin Corrugated box design Crate Desiccator Dewar flask Drum Envelope Flagon Flask Flexible intermediate bulk container Foam food container Folding carton Food storage container Garbage bag Gas cylinder Growler Gunny sack Insulated shipping container Intermediate bulk container Intermodal container Jar Jerrycan Jug Juicebox Keg Kōbako Multi-pack Nuclear flask Padded mailer Pail Paper sack Plastic bag Plastic bottle Pocket Popcorn bag Pot Pouch Pressure vessel Retort pouch Sachet Self-heating can Self-heating food packaging Shipping container Skin pack Spray bottle Square milk jug Tin can Tobacco pouch Tube Unit load Vial Wooden box Zipper storage bag Category Commons WikiProject Containers v t e Packaging General topics Active packaging Child-resistant packaging Contract packager Edible packaging Modified atmosphere/modified humidity packaging Overpackaging Package delivery Package pilferage Package testing Package theft Packaging engineering Resealable packaging Reusable packaging Reuse of bottles Shelf life Shelf-ready packaging Shelf-stable Sustainable packaging Tamper-evident Tamper resistance Wrap rage Product packages Alternative wine closure Ammunition box Banana box Beer bottle Box wine Case-ready meat Coffee bag Cosmetic packaging Currency packaging Disposable food packaging Drink can Egg carton Evidence packaging Field ration Flour sack Foam food container Food packaging Fuel container Gas cylinder Glass milk bottle Growler Juicebox Low plastic water bottle Luxury packaging Milk bag Milk churn Optical disc packaging Oyster pail Popcorn bag Pharmaceutical packaging Pizza box Plastic milk container Purdue Improved Crop Storage bags Sand bag Seasonal packaging Self-heating food packaging Screw cap (wine) Single-serve coffee container Spray paint Toothpaste pump dispenser Unit dose Water bottle Wine bottle Containers Aerosol spray dispenser Aluminium bottle Aluminum can Ampoule Antistatic bag Bag-in-box Bag Barrel Biodegradable bag Blister pack Boil-in-bag Bottle Box Bulk box Cage Case Carboy Carton Chub Clamshell Corrugated box design Crate Disposable cup Drum Endcap Envelope Euro container Flexible intermediate bulk container Flexible tank Folding carton Glass bottle Gunny sack Inhaler Insulated shipping container Intermediate bulk container Jar Jerrycan Jug Keg Mesh bag Multilayered packaging Multi-pack Packet (container) Padded envelope Pail Paper bag Paper sack Plastic bag Plastic bottle Retort pouch Salvage drum Sachet Water sachet Security bag Shipping container Shipping tube Skin pack Soy sauce fish Spray bottle Squround Stand-up pouch Steel and tin cans Tetra Brik Thermal bag Tub (container) Tube Unit load Vial Wooden box Materials and components Adhesive Aluminium foil Bail handle Bioplastic Biodegradable plastic BoPET Bubble wrap Bung Cellophane Closure Coated paper Coating Coextrusion Container glass Corrugated fiberboard Corrugated plastic Cushioning Desiccant Double seam Flip-top Foam peanut Gel pack Hot-melt adhesive Humidity indicator card Kraft paper Label Lid Linear low-density polyethylene Liquid packaging board Living hinge Low-density polyethylene Meat absorbent pad Metallised film Modified atmosphere Molded pulp Nonwoven fabric Overwrap Oxygen scavenger Package handle Packaging gas Pallet Paper Paper pallet Paperboard Plastic-coated paper Plastic film Plastic pallet Plastic wrap Polyester Polyethylene Polypropylene Pressure-sensitive tape Pump dispenser Screw cap Screw cap (wine) Security printing Security tape Shock detector Shock and vibration data logger Shrink wrap Slip sheet Staple (fastener) Strapping Stretch wrap Susceptor Tamper-evident band Tear tape Temperature data logger Time temperature indicator Tinplate Velostat Processes Aseptic processing Authentication Automatic identification and data capture Blow fill seal Blow molding Calendering Canning Coating Containerization Converting Corona treatment Curtain coating Die cutting Die forming (plastics) Electronic article surveillance Extrusion Extrusion coating Flame treatment Glass production Graphic design Hazard analysis and critical control points Hermetic seal Induction sealing Injection moulding Lamination Laser cutting Molding Package tracking Papermaking Plastic extrusion Plastic welding Printing Product development Production control Quality assurance Radio-frequency identification Roll slitting Shearing (manufacturing) Thermoforming Track and trace Ultrasonic welding Vacuum forming Vacuum packaging Verification and validation Machinery Barcode printer Barcode reader Bottling line Calender Can seamer Cap torque tester Cartoning machine Case sealer Check weigher Conveyor system Drum pump Extended core stretch wrapper Filler Heat gun Heat sealer Industrial robot Injection molding machine Label printer applicator Lineshaft roller conveyor Logistics automation Material-handling equipment Mechanical brake stretch wrapper Multihead weigher Orbital stretch wrapper Packaging machinery Pallet inverter Palletizer Rotary wheel blow molding systems Seed-counting machine Shrink tunnel Staple gun Tape dispenser Turntable stretch wrapper Vertical form fill sealing machine Environment, post-use Biodegradation Can collecting Closed-loop box reuse Environmental engineering Extended producer responsibility Glass recycling Industrial ecology Life-cycle assessment Litter Packaging waste Paper recycling PET bottle recycling Plastic recycling Recycling Reusable packaging Reverse logistics Source reduction Sustainable packaging Waste management Category: Packaging v t e Paper products Containers Box Carton Cigarette pack Coffee cup sleeve Corrugated box Corrugated fiberboard Envelope Molded pulp Oyster pail Paper bag Paper cup Paperboard Shipping tube Hygiene Facial tissue Napkin Paper towel Toilet paper Wet wipe Stationery Continuous stationery Greeting card Index card Letter Manila folder Notebook Postage stamp Postcard Post-it note Financial Banknote Business card Coupon Paper money Passbook Visiting card Decorations Ingrain wallpaper Mat Wallpaper Media Book Magazine Newspaper Newsprint Pamphlet Recreation Confetti Paper craft Paper toys Playing card Quilling Other Drink coaster Filter paper Form Paper model Sandpaper Security paper Authority control databases National United States Japan Israel Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Box](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.