Laboratory Protocol
Standardized testing procedures developed by the Confederation of European Paper Industries determine the quantitative recyclability of paper and board packaging materials in typical mill pulping operations. Testing within the framework known as cepi version 2 submits finished packaging samples to defined disintegration steps, screening evaluations and sheet-forming assessments under neutral, non-chemical repulping conditions. The protocol measures the exact proportion of coarse reject material that fails to pass through a slotted screen plate with slot widths of one hundred and fifty micrometres.
Fibres passing the screen undergo macro-sticky analysis, sheet adhesion evaluations and optical checks for visual blemishes such as unpulped flakes or plastic specks. Testing applies strictly to packaging articles destined for standard paper recycling streams, excluding materials intended for specialized chemical delamination systems or high-temperature pulpers.
Process Verification
Mechanical disintegration under this scheme uses a standard laboratory pulper operating at specified consistency, duration and energy input to mirror industrial pulping without adding caustic soda or deinking chemicals. Fiber recovery efficiency forms the initial numeric evaluation, where the dry mass of screened pulp must clear a defined percentage of total initial dry packaging mass to avoid classification as a high-reject structure. Barrier coatings, synthetic films, functional adhesives and heavy metallized layers present the primary mechanical impediments to fiber separation.
Coated paperboard structures undergo rigorous assessment because micro-plastics and flexible film fragments can break down small enough to traverse the screening basket, creating downstream contamination. The method captures adhesive residues on membrane filters to assess total macro-sticky surface area per kilogram of recovered pulp, setting a strict cap to prevent sticky accumulation on papermaking felts. Structural integrity failures in finished test handsheets indicate residual surface barriers or hydrophobic particles that impede inter-fiber hydrogen bonding.
Commercial Application
Converting operations and packaging buyers reference the generated test scores to confirm that new paper barrier solutions comply with European recovered paper mill processing tolerances. Material combinations that pass the cepi version 2 evaluation demonstrate clean fiber liberation without generating adhesive stickies or persistent plastic flakes that cause web breaks on commercial paper machines. Packages carrying water-based dispersion barriers, biodegradable polymer seal layers or wax replacements achieve verified acceptance through this standardized test report.
Converters utilize the resulting data to optimize coating weights, refine barrier binder chemistry and select compatible laminating glues for folding cartons and corrugated containers. Production runs evaluated under these parameters gain commercial clearance for collection within existing domestic paper recovery systems.
