Cardboard vs. Plastic

Well, it’s storage time again! It means finding stuff to put away stuff in. Yes, that’s just as important – finding the best supplies to safely store your stuff away, is priority. That’s why we’ll lay out some of the pros and cons of two different types of storage supplies that people usually use. We’ll talk about cardboard boxes versus plastic boxes. You ready?
Cardboard is usually your first choice because it’s pretty cheap and environmentally friendly, but in terms of long-term storage will it really do the trick? Let’s see.

Environmental Impact
• Cardboard: Biodegradable – it can be easily recycled.
• Plastic: Non-biodegradable – can take thousands of years to decompose.

Cost
• Cardboard: Very cheap. You can get them most times, for a couple dollars or less. You may even be able to get them for free if you ask around.
• Plastic: Definitely more expensive. Prices depend on the brand quality and the size of the boxes required.

Handling
• Cardboard: Usually more difficult to handle and move around, as they don’t come with things like handles and other options for holding.
• Plastic: Much easier to handle and move around. Many of them have handles or wheels. Some of them even come in designs that allow them to lock into each other too.

Protection
• Cardboard: They are way less secure. They pretty much just fall apart when they get wet, warp when they get damp and they don’t offer much protection against insects and rodents.
• Plastic: They are generally waterproof. They keep bugs and pests out. Although the weaker plastic boxes don’t offer 100% security against rodents that may be able to gnaw through, the stronger plastic boxes can make that virtually impossible for them to bite through.

Stability
• Cardboard: They can get bent out of shape or crushed really easily if they aren’t packed away properly.
• Plastic: They usually hold up just fine, unless they’re made of very weak plastic.

We definitely recommend plastic boxes as opposed to cardboard boxes for long term storage use, but the choice is yours! We’ve got what you are looking for concerning self-storage in Ottawa. We’re the number one source for storage in Ottawa and Gatineau. Give us a call so we can discuss your storage locker options at Just Right Self Storage. We’re conveniently located in the heart of Ottawa’s downtown core and only minutes away from Gatineau.