ASK TOM

Bibliography Update: Fifth Edition

BY RALPH YOUNG

Since the creation of BoxScore, it was our intention to publish a listing of my articles every two, three, or four years. It has now been two years since the last update.

With the new AICC NOW platform at NOW.AICCbox.org, you have access to all these learning opportunities in one shop.

Th e following list contains articles and resources dating to March 2020:

• “Expected Values for Containerboards

Updated” (March 2020): We keep you updated on the strength levels in several grades of linerboard and media.

Th is testing is conducted semiannually through the American Forest and

Paper Association. AICC has access to some information, and we share the highlights with you. You will fi nd a wide range of strength values within each substance or basis weight. Some variations can be more than 40%.

• “Updating Educational Resources” (May 2020) • “Looking Beyond COVID” (July

2020): We focus on current trends impacting your businesses.

• “Times Th ey Are A-Changin’” (September 2020) • “Plastics: A Primer” (March 2021):

Much more details are available in signifi cant research projects such as www.breakfreefromplastic.org and bio-agave.com. And be aware of the impact of what you’re drinking, as

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé were the top three polluters globally. Th e two largest-polluting countries were

China and India.

• “Questions Abound” (May 2021) • “ESG Programs at the Fore” (July

2021): Th is is Deutsche Bank’s yearly conference about ever-increasing global business regulations. You may need to look to suppliers such as International Paper, DS Smith (Mondi), Leipa, SCA, Metsä, and Saica to help develop your responses. You should hear more on these topics going forward. Be aware that the winds of accountability may be changing. “Green infrastructure” will continue to be an ever-evolving subject. Corporate discussions and reports from corporations will relate to: º Renewable energy º Emissions and supply chains º Investors’ perceptions of climate change º Reduced energy º Scope 3 or greenhouse gases through the entire supply chain º Sustainable suppliers º Reducing waste º Measuring emissions º Environmental awareness

• “Expected Values of Domestic

Containerboard Grades: Fourth

Edition” (September 2021): For a more advanced understanding of this raw material, we point you to the digital brochure Understanding the Key Characteristics of Linerboard and Medium and Th eir Impact on

Combined Corrugated Board.

• “Score Cracking Revisited – Again” (November 2021) • “Microfl ute and Paperboard – Another

Update” (March 2022): Th ese are the highlights of the many seminars, webinars, and articles that Tom Weber,

AICC folding carton technical advisor, and others have shared over the past four years. We reintroduced the corner crush and block compression testing methods, most often used for solid fi ber

paperboards but useful with E fl ute and thinner corrugated.

• “Glue Tabs: Failures?” (May 2022):

We discovered a study that answered a question about what the strongest glue tab method is—cold-set adhesive, hotmelt adhesive, tape, or stitch/staples.

Here is what was reported in pounds per inch per tensile: cold-set adhesive: 127#; hot-melt adhesive: 109#; tape: 53#; and stitch/staples: 26#.

• “ESG: Round Two” (July 2022) • “Takeaways From Our Most Recent

Webinars” (September 2022):

Recently, Weber and I collaborated on a six-part webinar series, which is available to you through your

AICC membership: º 2022 Fluted vs. Paperboard

Workshop Update (three-part series) º Testing Requirements to

Guarantee Board Strength º How to Build a Lab:

Material Testing º Physical Attributes of

Paperboard/Containerboard

AICC’s Packaging University has nearly 100 modules. Among the resources are a learning segment, Warp: Its Causes and Remedies, and two white papers, Fluted and Paperboard and Score Cracking: Its Causes and Remedies. 

Ralph Young is the principal of Alternative Paper Solutions and is AICC’s technical advisor. Contact Ralph directly about technical issues that impact our industry at askralph@AICCbox.org.