When I shop at Costco I usually lug home my stuff in the second hand cardboard boxes they furnish at checkout. After I've stashed my goods in their proper place at home, I dutifully break down the boxes for the blue recycle bin.
Whenever I do this, I am absolutely fascinated by the ingenuity that underlies the design of some of these boxes. While most are pasted or glued together at critical points, some of the vegetable and fruit boxes are works of cardboard origami functionality. Last week, one in particular stood out. It was made of a single piece of cardboard about 8 feet long and 2.5 feet wide, folded, creased, and held together by tabs inserted into slots placed in all the right places.
I wondered whether the design was done by human or machine. In any case (no pun intended), it was one mighty clever piece of engineering probably little noticed by the folks who filled, emptied and carried it. I failed to note where the produce originated.
Only when it was broken down flat could its intricate artistry and design be appreciated.
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