Over the last months I’ve been researching a linguistic problem that silently spread across the global corrugated industry. And now it has become so common that even professional media and associations began repeating it.
The problem started with Google Translate
When specialists from non-English-speaking countries wrote “karton falisty”, “Wellpappe”, “cartón corrugado”, “гофрокартон”and translated it through Google Translate, the machine always suggested the same English term:
➤ “corrugated cardboard”
And that is how this incorrect term began spreading.
When did it enter the industry?
During my research I found that:
• Starting around 2019, the phrase “corrugated cardboard” began appearing even on pages related to FEFCO, which historically always used the correct term corrugated board.
• Later it appeared in press releases, event summaries and even in British professional media.
• Many professionals simply assumed it was acceptable because “Google shows it”.
But for a niche, technical industry — this is not just a stylistic mistake. This is a contradiction.
Why “corrugated cardboard” is an oxymoron
Cardboard ≠ Corrugated board
In English, cardboard typically refers to non-corrugated, stiff paperboard materials:
• folding carton
• solid board
• rigid board
So the phrase “corrugated cardboard” literally means: “corrugated non-corrugated material” — which is a linguistic contradiction. That is why engineers, OEMs, machine builders, paper mills, and all technical standards (FEFCO, TAPPI, ISO) use only:
✔️ corrugated board
This term is:
• precise
• technical
• unambiguous
• globally standardized
Why this matters for the global industry
Most professionals in our sector do not speak English as their first language. When they trust Google Translate, the algorithm reinforces and multiplies the same error.
Because of this:
• incorrect terminology enters professional documents
• press releases pick it up
• corporate pages begin repeating it
• and the mistake becomes “normal”
But this confuses younger engineers, weakens technical communication, and undermines the terminology of our entire industry.
Let’s restore the standard
If you work with OEMs, corrugators, converters, packaging development, recyclability, logistics or sustainability — please use the correct technical term:
✔️ corrugated board
And let’s help colleagues whose primary language is not English avoid this trap created by machine translation. Language shapes standards. And standards shape our industry.
by Igor Tkalenko – corruga.expert
