In love with cardboard

Straw?

About a hundred years ago, cardboard was made from straw, later from wood and old paper fibers. It was discovered that by gluing paper sheets into patterns (often with potato starch) a stronger piece of paper was created. Very nice to protect and wrap things with, right? That's what they thought at the cardboard factories all those years too. Innovations came in the field of production speeds, raw material choices, transport, recycling and you name it. But the innovations remained stagnant when it came to what could be made with it. And that is exactly what Kartent was created from !

Cardboard was developed as a packaging material but you can do so much more with it! Lamps and toys made of cardboard have become more prevalent on the market in recent years. Too bad that many are of poor quality but it is a step in the right direction. Cardboard is one of the few materials that has the ability to become new cardboard again without too much difficulty and energy. Have they come up with something clever at the cardboard factories! And how nice is it to use that property for other products?

Cheaper and more convenient

Last weekend a documentary about waste happened to pass by . Plastic waste that cannot be recycled. Or maybe it can be recycled, but then it would be ugly and no marketer wanted it. Well, then it really becomes a difficult story. That is why I find cardboard so beautiful because that problem does not actually exist. Even if you throw it somewhere in nature, it will be solved in no time. In addition, I also believe that people do not change if something is more sustainable, but they do if it is cheaper or more convenient. It is important to make one of those two properties a spearhead of your design and then achieve sustainability as a result. So why don't we actually make everything out of cardboard?

I personally think it's great to try to make everything out of cardboard. Not just toys but also beds, cupboards, walls and maybe even a whole house? I think that many people still find this an exciting idea, certainly to make the switch, but that will definitely happen. I also understand the fear very well if you are only used to thin boxes that come by post, how can you make a house out of this? It is our task to show everyone how strong and beautiful cardboard can be.

The Future

Can you imagine what would happen if the cardboard factories would make cardboard that is not meant for packaging but for furniture, constructions and other applications. The possibilities that would then be endless and who knows, maybe everyone will live in a cardboard house with a cardboard car in front of the door...