Laboratory Protocol
Standardized laboratory testing frameworks for paper and board packaging recyclability quantify how fibrous materials disintegrate and separate during standard industrial processing. Developed by the Confederation of European Paper Industries alongside converting and supply chain associations, the cepi recyclability test method evaluates pulping behavior, coarse reject levels, macrosticky formation, and optical sheet qualities across two distinct tiers. The baseline tier assesses repulpability under neutral or slightly alkaline conditions with standard disintegration times, while the advanced tier tests process water contamination and sheet formation defects on a laboratory sheet former.
The assessment stops at the boundary of standard mill re-pulping systems and does not certify suitability for specialized chemical recovery plants.
Evaluation Criteria
Laboratory measurements score the gross yield of recovered fiber against total insoluble rejects retained on a specified screen plate opening. Excessive non-dispersible polymer fragments, synthetic binders, or hot-melt adhesive aggregates generate optical faults and surface stickiness that disqualify the lot. Clean fiber separation without chemical digestion additives remains the central requirement.
Operational Limit
Industrial processing speeds and high-consistency pulpers impose shear stresses that laboratory disintegrators only approximate. Coated grades exhibiting high wet strength or heavy wax barriers can yield pass results under extended bench residence times while failing on high-throughput mill pulper cycles. The method provides material compatibility indices rather than absolute plant yield guarantees.
