The work aims to study the environmental impacts of wooden packaging boxes during the whole life cycle, and compare the impacts of steel-edge boxes and traditional wooden packaging boxes on the environment. The eBalance was used to analyze the material consumption, energy consumption and emission to the environment of the two wooden packaging boxes during the whole life cycle from product manufacturing, logistics transportation to waste disposal after use. The data list was classified, characterized and normalized to obtain the environmental impact types and corresponding index values of wooden packaging boxes in the three main processes. The LCIA weighted comprehensive indexes of traditional wooden packaging boxes in product manufacturing, logistics transportation and waste disposal processes were respectively 6.87514×10−9, 1.93549×10−12 and 5.2010−13, in which plywood production accounted for 99.86% in the product manufacturing process, and plywood treatment accounted for 99.82% in the waste disposal process. The LCIA weighted comprehensive indexes of steel-edge boxes in product manufacturing, logistics transportation and waste disposal processes were respectively 6.53463×10−9, 3.57256×10−13 and 2.9653110−13, in which plywood production accounted for 97.43% in the product manufacturing process, and plywood treatment accounted for 99.38% in the waste disposal process. The impact of steel-edge boxes on the environment was about 5% smaller than that of traditional wooden packaging boxes. The environmental impact of wooden packaging boxes during the whole life cycle is mainly reflected in the production and waste disposal process of plywood. Wooden packaging boxes have great space for improvement in design, production, transportation, waste disposal and other aspects. Steel-edge boxes are more environmentally friendly than traditional wooden packaging boxes, which has reference significance for green production design of wooden packaging boxes.