Now thrive the cardboard makers

Indeed:

That’s the wrapping of the new sofa, which arrived the day before yesterday.

It interests me that cardboard seems to have defeated expanded polystyrene as the delivery wrapping of choice these days. It’s basic superiority is structural. It is weak in compression, but strong in tension, at least in one direction. Polystyrene is weak in every direction. Its only strength is as padding. And even there, cardboard (or just scrunched up paper) usually seems to suffice. Worst of all, expanded polystyrene is (the clue is in the “expanded”) takes up too much warehouse and lorry space.

Expanded polystyrene looks cooler. But cardboard does the actual job better.

And consider also the sofa itself. Central to its low price, compared to the big bulbous monster sofa style, is that it can be folded flat. Again, far less warehouse and lorry space.

Originally posted at Brian Micklethwait’s Old Blog

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