The Paper Beverage Carton: Past and Future
This history of the paperboard beverage carton, emphasizing recent developments culminating in development of a paper carton replacement for the metal can, demonstrates how the various advances over the years were heavily dependent on available technologies.
The need to carry liquids is as old as mankind. In the beginning, skins and shells were used. These were followed by ceramics and glass and, more recently, metals. In the 20th century, two new materials emerged: paperboard and plastics. At first, the idea of carrying liquids in a form of paper seemed unconvincing, yet it has proved highly efficient and, because it is made largely from a renewable resource, meets the ecological challenges of the 21st century better than any of its competitors. To…
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