Four digits that describe a box more precisely than four paragraphs.
FEFCO codes are the international shorthand for box construction. Learning six of them removes most of the ambiguity from a packaging conversation — and two of them predict reuse life better than anything else on a spec sheet.
Quote by style code
Know the code? Put it in Product type and we will match it exactly.
Four panels, eight flaps, one manufacturer’s joint. Roughly 90% of what passes through our yard.
Codes we actually use on quotes.
| Code | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 0110 | Commercial sheet | Flat board, not a container. Layer pads, slip sheets, dunnage blanks. |
| 0200 | SSC — Slotted container, single flap | One set of flaps only. Rare, used as a tray body. |
| 0201 | RSC — Regular Slotted Container | Flaps meet in the middle. 90% of what moves through our yard. |
| 0202 | OSC — Overlap Slotted Container | Outer flaps overlap by an inch or so. Extra edge stiffness, cheap. |
| 0203 | FOL — Full Overlap | Outer flaps fully overlap for edge strength. The best style for reuse. |
| 0204 | HSC — Half Slotted Container | One open end, used as a tray or with a separate lid. |
| 0206 | SFF — Full telescope, two pieces | Two half-slotted containers, one inverted over the other. |
| 0209 | CSSC — Centre special slotted | Flaps of unequal length meeting off-centre. Awkward products. |
| 0300 | Telescope, separate top and bottom | Two trays. Common in produce and retail-ready packaging. |
| 0301 | Full telescope design box | Lid covers the whole body. Heavy-duty, very reusable. |
| 0306 | Tray and lid | Separate shallow lid over a deeper tray. Shelf-ready. |
| 0310 | Telescoping bulk bin | Body plus separate cap — the classic gaylord with a lid. |
| 0320 | Partial telescope with cover | Shallow cap for dust rather than structure. |
| 0330 | Double cover bulk bin | Separate top and bottom caps. Maximum container life. |
| 0402 | Folder with dust flaps | One blank folded around the product; dust flaps close the ends. |
| 0406 | Book wrap / mailer | Self-locking wrap for flat goods. Single-trip by nature. |
| 0409 | One-piece folder | Flat blank folded around the product. Books, print, apparel. |
| 0427 | Roll-end tuck-top mailer | Retail-facing e-commerce mailer. Good print surface. |
| 0501 | Sleeve | Open both ends, slides over an inner container. |
| 0601 | Rigid set-up box | Body plus two separate end pieces. Niche industrial use. |
| 0771 | Octabin / octagonal bulk | Eight-sided bulk container for free-flowing material. |
| 0900 | Interior fitments | Partitions, dividers, pads, inserts. Made to the product, not the box. |
The first two digits are the family.
FEFCO codes are not arbitrary. The leading pair tells you the construction family, the trailing pair the specific style within it.
| Prefix | Family | Characteristic | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Commercial rolls and sheets | Flat material, not a container | 0110 sheet |
| 02 | Slotted boxes | One-piece body with flaps; glued, stitched or taped joint | 0201 RSC |
| 03 | Telescope boxes | Two or more pieces: body plus lid and/or base | 0310 bulk bin |
| 04 | Folders and trays | Flat blank folded around the product; no joint | 0409 one-piece folder |
| 05 | Slide-type boxes | Sleeves sliding in opposite directions | 0501 sleeve |
| 06 | Rigid set-up boxes | Two separate end pieces plus a body | 0601 |
| 07 | Ready-glued cases | Arrive glued, erected by folding | 0771 octabin |
| 09 | Interior fitments | Partitions, pads, dividers, inserts | 0901 partition |
Two styles beat the rest, and one is a trap.
Reuse life is as much a function of style as of board. This is rarely mentioned when boxes are specified.
0203 FOL — best for reuse
Outer flaps fully overlap, so the top and bottom edges get a double thickness exactly where forklifts, racks and strapping do their damage. Costs slightly more board, returns it several times over.
0310 telescope — best for bulk
A separate lid means the body's flaps are never repeatedly folded. On gaylords this is worth two to three extra trips on its own, which is why we push lids so hard.
0409 folder — the trap
Lovely for one-way shipping of flat goods and almost useless for reuse: there is no joint, so the single fold line takes all the stress and cracks early. Beautiful once, tired twice.
What a square foot of each build actually weighs.
The number you need to turn a die-line area into a shipping weight, a carbon figure or a freight class. Multiply blank area in square feet by the figure below.
| Construction | lb per ft² | lb per MSF | Caliper | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single wall, 32 ECT (C flute) | 0.20 | 200 | 0.16" | Lightest practical shipper |
| Single wall, 44 ECT (C flute) | 0.24 | 240 | 0.17" | Heavier liner, same flute |
| Double wall, 48 ECT (BC) | 0.33 | 330 | 0.30" | The reuse workhorse |
| Double wall, 61 ECT (BC) | 0.40 | 400 | 0.32" | Heavy distribution |
| Triple wall, 71 ECT | 0.48 | 480 | 0.52" | Crate replacement |
| Triple wall, 1,100 lb test | 0.55 | 550 | 0.60" | Gaylord standard |
| Honeycomb panel, 1" | 0.35 – 0.60 | — | 1.00" | Dunnage and display substrate |
Fourteen references worth knowing by number.
Specifying packaging gets much easier once you can name the standard rather than describe the requirement. These are the ones that come up in our quotes and our customers' RFPs.
| Reference | Title | Why it matters here |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM D642 | Compressive resistance of shipping containers | The test behind box compression figures |
| ASTM D4727 | Corrugated and solid fibreboard sheet stock | Material specification for board itself |
| ASTM D5639 | Selecting corrugated box dimensions | How to specify L × W × H correctly |
| TAPPI T 811 | Edge crush test of corrugated board | The ECT number on a Box Maker's Certificate |
| TAPPI T 810 | Bursting strength of corrugated board | The Mullen number |
| TAPPI T 412 | Moisture in paper and paperboard | How moisture content is measured and deducted |
| ISTA 3A / 6 | Packaged-product performance testing | Transit simulation for parcel and distribution |
| ISO 12048 | Compression and stacking tests | International equivalent of ASTM D642 |
| FEFCO / ESBO code | International fibreboard case code | The four-digit style codes we quote against |
| ISPM 15 | Wood packaging phytosanitary measures | Why corrugated avoids an export compliance burden |
| ISRI Scrap Specifications | Recovered paper grade definitions | The #11 and #12 OCC specs we bale to |
| GRI 306 | Waste disclosure standard | The format our diversion statements fit |
| EPA WasteWise | Voluntary waste reduction reporting | Compatible reporting format on request |
| FDA 21 CFR 176 | Indirect food additives: paper and paperboard | Why used board cannot be direct food contact |
Mullen and ECT, side by side.
Two tests measuring two different failure modes. The equivalences below exist because carriers historically specified Mullen — treat them as conversational rather than contractual, and pick the test that matches how your boxes actually fail.
| Mullen (burst) | ECT (stacking) | Wall | Max size sum | Max gross weight | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 lb | 23 ECT | Single | 40" | 20 lb | Light retail, folding-carton replacement |
| 150 lb | 26 ECT | Single | 60" | 40 lb | Small parcel, light goods |
| 175 lb | 29 ECT | Single | 65" | 50 lb | General light shipper |
| 200 lb | 32 ECT | Single | 75" | 65 lb | The standard single-wall shipper |
| 250 lb | 40 ECT | Single | 85" | 80 lb | Heavier single wall |
| 275 lb | 44 ECT | Single | 95" | 95 lb | Top of the single-wall range |
| 275 lb | 48 ECT | Double | 100" | 120 lb | Entry double wall — the reuse workhorse |
| 350 lb | 51 ECT | Double | 110" | 180 lb | Heavy distribution |
| 400 lb | 55 ECT | Double | 120" | 225 lb | Industrial parts |
| 500 lb | 61 ECT | Double | 140" | 260 lb | Heavy double wall, bulk bins |
| 600 lb | 67 ECT | Triple | 160" | 300 lb | Entry triple wall |
| 700 lb | 71 ECT | Triple | 165" | 600 lb | Export crating replacement |
| 900 lb | 77 ECT | Triple | 170" | 1,200 lb | Heavy bulk bins |
| 1,100 lb | 82 ECT | Triple | 180" | 2,400 lb static | Gaylord standard |
“Max size sum” is length plus width plus depth. Exceeding it voids the certification even if the box is physically capable, which matters in a freight claim.
Seven ways to put a mark on a box.
Ranked roughly by setup cost. The last two are what we use on recovered board — removing somebody else's brand is a different job from applying your own.
| Method | Setup cost | Quality | Recyclability | Use | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flexographic, 1 colour | Low | Basic | Fully | Identification, logistics marks | 3 – 7 days |
| Flexographic, 2 – 4 colour | Medium | Good | Fully | Brand on shipper | 10 – 15 days |
| High-graphic flexo | High | Very good | Fully | Retail-ready packaging | 15 – 20 days |
| Litho-lamination | Very high | Photographic | Reduced | Premium retail display | 20 – 30 days |
| Digital inkjet | None | Good | Fully | Short runs, versioning | 3 – 10 days |
| Blank-out over-print | None | Functional | Fully | Removing a previous owner's brand | Same day |
| Stencil | None | Industrial | Fully | Pool container marking | Same day |
The liners and mediums underneath every box.
Board specification starts one level below the box: which liner, which medium, at what basis weight. Basis weight is stated in pounds per thousand square feet.
| Grade | Basis weight | Fibre | Typical use | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft liner 26# | 26 lb/MSF | Virgin kraft | Light single wall | Lowest practical outer liner |
| Kraft liner 33# | 33 lb/MSF | Virgin kraft | Standard 32 ECT outer | The commonest liner in North America |
| Kraft liner 42# | 42 lb/MSF | Virgin kraft | 44 ECT and double wall | Noticeably stiffer, better print |
| Kraft liner 69# | 69 lb/MSF | Virgin kraft | Triple wall outer | Gaylord-grade facing |
| Test liner 2 | 27 – 50 lb/MSF | ≥ 80% recycled | General shipper | Most recycled-content board |
| Test liner 3 | 27 – 50 lb/MSF | 100% recycled | Internal and bulk | Lower burst for the same weight |
| Mottled white | 35 – 42 lb/MSF | Mixed | Retail-facing print | White outer, kraft back |
| Semi-chem medium 26# | 26 lb/MSF | Semi-chemical | Standard flute medium | Highest stiffness per weight |
| Recycled medium 23# | 23 lb/MSF | 100% recycled | Economy flute medium | Common in test-liner board |
| Type | Where it is used | Water resistance | Recycling | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starch (corrugating) | Liner to medium | Low resistance | Ideal | The standard bond in all corrugated board |
| Hot melt EVA | Manufacturer's joint, cases | Moderate | Tolerated | Fast set; brittle when cold |
| Cold-set PVA | Case sealing | Low | Ideal | Slow set, strong fibre tear |
| Water-resistant starch | Produce board | High | Good | Alternative to wax for damp environments |
| Pressure-sensitive | Tape, labels | Varies | Tolerated in small amounts | Residue downgrades grade A board |
| Stitching (staples) | Manufacturer's joint | Unaffected | Removed in the junk trap | Outlasts glue through reuse cycles |
How long each thing actually takes.
Measured from a confirmed order, not from the first email. Artwork approval and procurement onboarding sit outside these figures and are usually the real critical path.
| Item | Lead time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Graded used shippers, stock size | Same week | Often 48 hours on Midwest lanes |
| Graded gaylords, stock size | Same week | Knocked down and banded |
| Reconditioned gaylords | 7 – 10 days | Bench time plus re-grading |
| Lids, liners and accessories | Same week | Ships on the same pallet |
| Recovered pallets, repaired | 3 – 7 days | Depends on repair queue |
| New stock-size boxes | 2 – 5 days | 60+ sizes held in St. Louis |
| New custom die | 10 – 15 working days | Includes die making and first article |
| Printed new board, 1 – 4 colour | 10 – 15 working days | Plate making included |
| Honeycomb panel, stock | 5 days | Pressed from recovered board |
| Die-cut dunnage to profile | 7 – 10 days | Tooling for non-standard profiles adds time |
| Printed retail display | 10 – 12 days | Artwork approval is usually the critical path |
| Baler placement | 2 – 4 weeks | Site survey, delivery and commissioning |